THE THREE LITTLE PIGS to Play Arts Centre Melbourne in 2016

A favourite fairytale of children the world over will trot into Melbourne direct from London's West End this summer for the live stage musical The Three Little Pigs, at Arts Centre Melbourne's Playhouse from Saturday 2 January - Sunday 17 January 2016.

The new contemporary retelling of the much-loved classic story was created by renowned award-winning UK musical theatre writing duo George Stiles (music) and Anthony Drewe (lyrics) of smash hit Mary Poppins and HONK! fame. The 'very curly musical tale' will head to Australia direct from its premiere at the Palace Theatre in the West End in August this year.

The incredibly fun and colourful musical features three very modern little pigs, their mother and the Big Bad Wolf. Suitable for children aged 3 + and their families, the story features Mother Pig as a single parent, who has decided it's time for her three youngsters to leave the sty. Her three piglets are made up of Bar, who loves to exercise, Bee, who is "green to the core", and Q, the insatiable bookworm. Together they learn to work together as a team to defeat the Big Bad (but also possibly misunderstood) Wolf.

Featuring the stars of London's West End and full of catchy songs, colourful costumes, and jokes for little ones and parents alike, the endearing musical will have audiences squealing with glee and howling with laughter.

Acclaimed musical theatre song-writing duo George Stiles and Anthony Drewe have been working together since they met at Exeter University more than thirty years ago. They have written the musicals Betty Blue Eyes, HONK! Peter Pan - A musical adventure, and the new songs, dance and vocal arrangements for the world-wide smash-hit Cameron Mackintosh/Disney production of Mary Poppins.

Since winning the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2000, their show HONK! has been seen by more than 6 million people all over the world in over 8,000 productions in more than 20 languages. The Three Little Pigs is among a trilogy of musicals they have written for younger audiences, including Goldilocks and The Three Little Bears.

Stiles and Drewe's many awards include: The 2000 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical (HONK!), three of the top prizes at the 1996 Musical of the Year Awards for Peter Pan and The Three Musketeers and the 1995 TMA Best Musical Award (Moll Flanders). Mary Poppins has won 44 major theatre awards around the globe, including Tony, Olivier, Helpmann and London Evening Standard awards.

George Stiles said it was great responsibility to encourage and nurture audience of the future, with the pair wanting to ensure children's first experience of musical theatre was a good one.

"We love surprising and bewitching our younger audiences, some of whom will be visiting the theatre for the first time,' Stiles said.

Produced by Kenny Wax Family Entertainment who brought you last year's incredibly popular children's production, The Tiger Who Came to Tea and We're Going on a Bear Hunt, this new musical will be an unmissable treat for parents and children this summer.

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