Cast and Creatives Set For UK and Ireland Tour of ZOG

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's much-loved story Zog will fly back onto the stage for a major UK and Ireland tour this year, followed by a special summer season at London's Cadogan Hall from 2 – 23 August 2026. 

First staged in 2020, Freckle Productions' adaptation of Zog has become a family favourite, delighting young audiences with its mix of live music, puppetry, and laugh-out-loud storytelling. With joyful songs by Joe Stilgoe, puppets designed by Little Angel Theatre, and direction by Ryan McBryde that brings Donaldson and Scheffler's world vividly to life, Zog is a theatrical treat for all ages.

Zog is the keenest dragon in Madam Dragon's school.  He's also the most accident-prone, flying into trees, and even setting his own wing alight.  Thankfully, a kind girl comes along to patch up his scratches and scrapes – but can she help him with his biggest challenge yet, so that he can finally win a golden star? 

ZOG will be brought to life by an incredibly talented cast, with Samuel John Taylor (Stiletto, Charing Cross; Pirates of Penzance, UK Tour) as ‘Zog', Jess Lobo (Rapunzel, Watermill Theatre; The Museum of Marvellous Things, UK Tour) as ‘Pearl', Lotti Brogan (The Witches of Eastwick, Sondheim Theatre) as ‘Madam Dragon' and ‘Governess', Hugh Cotton (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, UK Tour) as ‘Cedric' and ‘Gadabout', Lee Beka Harper (I Was A Teenage She-Devil, Edinburgh Fringe) as ‘Nell' and Swing, and Daniel Noah (The Wizard of Oz, Icon of the Seas; Grease, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line) as Swing.

Jennifer Sutherland, Executive Producer at Freckle Productions, said, “At Freckle we love bringing Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's stories to life on stage, and Zog has been a joy to share with families over the years. Following the 15th anniversary of the book in 2025, we're delighted to continue the celebrations with a UK tour in 2026 and a summer season at Cadogan Hall. And without giving too much away, fans can also look forward to more adventures ahead when Zog and the Flying Doctors takes off on tour in 2027.”

Zog is written by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, brought to life with music and lyrics by Joe Stilgoe, direction from Ryan McBryde, musical direction and orchestrations from Paul Herbert, choreography by Katie Beard and set and costume design by Katie Sykes. The creative team is completed by puppetry director Edie Edmundson and associate choreographer Heather Scott-Martin.

The 2026 tour will see Zog spread his wings wider than ever before at major theatres across the UK and Ireland.

2026 tour dates for Zog include Northern Stage, Newcastle (19–22 February), Gala Theatre, Durham (24–26 February), The Victoria, Halifax (6–8 March), The Everyman, Cork (11–14 March), The Carriageworks, Leeds (16–21 March), Watford Palace (27–28 March), Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch (31 March–2 April), Pavilion Theatre, Worthing (3–5 April), Liverpool Playhouse (7–11 April), The Lowry, Salford (14–19 April), Lancaster Grand Theatre (28–29 April), The Atkinson, Southport (1–2 May), Royal & Derngate, Northampton (7–10 May), Mayflower Studios, Southampton (14–17 May), Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry (22 – 24 May), Rose Theatre, Kingston (26–31 May), Hull Truck Theatre (4–7 June), New Theatre Royal, Lincoln (13–14 June), Harlow Playhouse (16–17 June), Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford (19–21 June), Swan Theatre, Worcester (22–24 June), Lyceum Theatre, Crewe (26–28 June), Sands Centre, Carlisle (30 June–2 July), Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow (3–5 July), Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh (7–12 July), Grand Opera House, York (14–15 July), Wyvern Theatre, Swindon (18–19 July), Oxford Playhouse (21–25 July) and Mercury Theatre, Colchester (28–29 July), before the production lands at Cadogan Hall, London for a special summer season from 2–23 August 2026.

Zog is adapted from the book by Julia Donaldson, the multi award-winning author of some of the world's best-loved children's stories including The Gruffalo and Stick Man. Julia is best known for her popular rhyming tales, especially those illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which together have sold over 75 million copies and been published in more than 100 languages.

First published in 2010, Zog quickly became a family favourite, winning the Galaxy National Book Award that year and going on to sell over 4.8 million copies worldwide. In 2018, Magic Light Pictures premiered the animated film version of Zog on BBC One, broadcast at primetime on Christmas Day, with an all-star cast including Sir Lenny Henry, Tracey Ullman, Rob Brydon and Kit Harington. The half-hour special delighted millions of viewers and cemented Zog's place as a modern classic.

The book celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2025, making the 2026 tour a roaring, soaring milestone event to celebrate everyone's favourite dragon.