Cast Set For THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE at Leeds Playhouse

The Roald Dahl Story Company, Leeds Playhouse and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre have announced the full cast for the world premiere of their snaptastic musical extravaganza, featuring a menagerie of puppets, toe-tapping tunes and mischievous audience interaction.    

The Enormous Crocodile premieres to brave young audiences in the Courtyard theatre at Leeds Playhouse from 2 December to 6 January. Elliotte Williams-N'Dure (she/her) (Ursula, Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch) stars as the hungry Crocodile searching for a delicious child to snap up for dinner.   

The company includes: Charis Alexandra (she/her) (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, West End) as Trunky the Elephant, Lawrence Hodgson-Mullings (he/him) (Dick Whittington, National Theatre) as Humpy Rumpy the Hippopotamus, Philippa Hogg (she/her) (Peter Pan, National Theatre Productions) as the Roly Poly Bird, and Robyn Sinclair (she/they) (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Watermill Ensemble) as Muggle Wump the Monkey.   

Director Emily Lim said: “We're so excited to have assembled such an amazing team and cast to bring this joyful, hilarious story to life. We can't wait to get in a room together to start work on all the brilliant songs, scenes and dances – and, most importantly, to figure out exactly how the Enormous Crocodile is going to get sizzled up like a sausage.”      

This wildly exciting musical based on Roald Dahl’s wickedly funny The Enormous Crocodile will bring instantly unforgettable music, world-class puppetry and enormous fun to audiences in Leeds this winter and at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in summer 2024.    

  

This joyful, marvellously moreish story will be brought to life with unforgettable, genre-busting music by award-winning Sudanese-American recording artist Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab (Sinkane) and a rib-tickling book and lyrics by screen and stage-writer Suhayla El-Bushra (The Long Song, Chichester Festival Theatre; Arabian Nights, Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh) with additional music, lyrics, orchestrations, arrangements and music supervision by Tom Brady (Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre; Pinocchio, National Theatre).  

Developed and Directed by award-winning Director Emily Lim (The Odyssey: The Underworld, National Theatre; Pericles, National Theatre), the production will feature a menagerie of mischievous puppets by Co-Director and Puppetry Designer Toby Olié (Spirited Away, Imperial Theatre Tokyo; Pinocchio, National Theatre), one of the UK’s leading puppetry directors and designers, with set and costume design by Tony and Olivier Award nominated Fly Davis (I Want My Hat Back, National Theatre; Ocean At The End of The Lane, National Theatre and West End).    

Co-Director and Puppetry Designer Toby Olié said: “The cast of twenty puppets has taken myself and a team of ten puppet-makers over three months to create, so I can't wait to get started with this group of incredible performers to bring such beloved characters to life on stage for the very first time.”    

The full world-class creative team comprises: Development and Direction by Emily Lim; Co-Direction and Puppetry Design by Toby Olié; Set and Costume by Fly Davis; Orchestrations, Arrangements and Musical Supervision by Tom Brady; Book and Lyrics by Suhayla El Bushra; Music by Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab; Choreography by Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu (Founder & Creative Director, Uchenna); Lighting Design by Olivier Award winner Jessica Hung Han Yun (My Neighbour Totoro, RSC); Sound Design by Tom Gibbons (Dear England, National Theatre); Musical Direction by Màth Roberts; Associate Director Tash Holway; Associate Puppet Design and Puppet Supervision by Daisy Beattie; Casting Director Bryony Jarvis-Taylor; and Music Technologist Phij Adams.    

The Enormous Crocodile, which will run alongside Oliver! as part of Leeds Playhouse's fun festive offer for families before transferring to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for their 2024 summer season, is part of a new slate of theatrical work from the Roald Dahl Story Company. Alongside The Enormous Crocodile, the Roald Dahl Story Company will also be opening a major new musical of The Witches this autumn, co-produced with the National Theatre, which will be joined by a theatrical reading of Roald Dahl’s The Magic Finger presented for free online for schools, families and young people, co-produced with the Unicorn Theatre, and a spectacular large-scale Circus inspired by Roald Dahl’s stories and featuring a range of beloved characters.      

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