Lydia Monks News

With Easter Sunday just around the corner, Coventry's Belgrade Theatre is gearing up for the school holidays with a series of five fantastic family shows.

Royal & Derngate announces Christmas double bill of world premieres for its Made in Northampton 2018 season

One little ladybird will be embarking on a big adventure this Easter as Kenny Wax Family bring their colourful new production of What the Ladybird Heard to the Belgrade Theatre.

Wolverhampton has announced three new shows. On Sale Dates For New Season: Friends of the Grand - 10am Monday 19 February 2018, General Public - 10am Wednesday 21 February 2018

Little Angel Theatre presents The Singing Mermaid, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Lydia Monks, in collaboration with Royal & Derngate this spring. One day, the singing mermaid is tempted away from all of her sea creature friends and her peaceful home at Silversands to join a travelling circus. The audiences love to hear her sing, but the poor mermaid was tricked! Instead of the swimming pool she was promised, she is kept in a small tank by the wicked circus master Sam Sly, and she soon longs to return to the freedom of the sea.

Acting as a Design Consultant on What the Ladybird Heard Live is my first experience of theatre design, and I was thrilled to be asked by Kenny Wax to be involved. I was teamed up with Bek Palmer, a fantastic theatre designer, and together we came up with ideas for translating my illustrations to the stage, which Bek then brilliantly transformed into a reality.

Lydia Monks, illustrator of bestselling picture book What the Ladybird Heard, hosted an exclusive illustration workshop at London's National Gallery to celebrate the West End show.

Lydia Monks, illustrator of bestselling picture book What the Ladybird Heard, will be holding an exclusive illustration workshop at London's National Gallery to celebrate the West End show, and to introduce the brand-new picture book What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday which is the third installment in the What the Ladybird Heard series.

To mark the launch of the third installment of What the Ladybird Heard, What the Ladybird Heard On Holiday, and the West End debut of the stage adaptation of the first book, author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Lydia Monks took to the streets in a ladybird taxicab, to celebrate the event. Check out photos below!

Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks' bestselling picture book What the Ladybird Heard makes its West End debut this summer.

Royal & Derngate's Artistic Director James Dacre has confirmed two world premieres for the venue's Christmas line up this year, augmenting its Made in Northampton season.

Based on the award-winning children's book, What the Ladybird Heard will be performed at Town Hall from Tuesday 27 December 2016 until Wednesday 11 January 2017, with a specially adapted relaxed and BSL interpreted performance on Sunday 8 January.

At the end of a remarkable year for the Northampton venue, Royal & Derngate's Artistic Director James Dacre today announced details of Made in Northampton 2017. 

For culture lovers, there's really only one place to be this autumn and that's The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. Running from Friday till Sunday, October 2-11 the Festival boasts speakers as diverse as Ronnie Wood, Martha Lane Fox, Matthew Bourne, George the Poet, Garry Kasparov, Jeanette Winterson, Nick Clegg, Nigel Mansell, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Nick Frost, Nigella Lawson, Bill Bryson and Gino D'Acampo.

Nuffield's Director Samuel Hodges, now in his second year leading the company, announces the upcoming autumn/winter season, alongside plans for his Nuffield directorial debut.

Two crafty robbers, one tiny ladybird and a whole farmyard of fun: What The Ladybird Heard comes to Canterbury during the summer holidays. Based on the award-winning picture book by best-selling author Julia Donaldson (The Gruffalo), and award-winning illustrator Lydia Monks, this is a new stage adaptation with live music, original songs, puppetry and lots of interactive fun.

Based on the award winning picture book by Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks, WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD will kick off a UK and international tour in 2014, stopping at Richmond and Cadogan Hall for a London summer season.

Based on the award winning picture book by Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks, WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD will kick off a UK and international tour in 2014, stopping at Richmond and Cadogan Hall for a London summer season.

From Julia Donaldson, the best-selling author of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom award-winning illustrator Lydia Monks, comes What the Ladybird Heard.