THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW to Wiggle Back into the West End

One of the most iconic characters in children's literature will be wiggling his way back into the West End this Christmas, when The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show returns to the Ambassadors Theatre for a limited four-week run from Wednesday 13 December.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show features a menagerie of 75 enchanting puppets during a magical 60-minute show that faithfully adapts four of Eric Carle's best loved books for the stage: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, Mister Seahorse, The Very Lonely Firefly and, of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Eric Carle's books have captivated generations of readers with their iconic hand-painted illustrations and distinctively simple stories, introducing millions of children to a bigger, brighter world, and to their first experience of reading itself. His best-known work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has nibbled its way into the hearts of millions of children all over the world. It has been translated into 62 languages and sold over 43 million copies, remaining one of the top ten bestselling children's books of all time. Since it was first published in 1969, Eric Carle has illustrated more than seventy books, most of which he also wrote, and more than 138 million copies of his books have sold around the world.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show is adapted for the stage by director Jonathan Rockefeller, whose production sees four master puppeteers weave their way through Eric Carle's stories, bringing to life 75 magical puppets that faithfully recreate the wonderfully colourful world of Carle's illustrations.

Jonathan Rockefeller said: "Eric Carle has created a deceptively simple, yet sophisticated introduction to reading through the magic of his iconic collage illustrations and memorable stories. Our production takes audience on a truly memorable journey, bringing these stories to life through the magic of puppetry, movement and stagecraft. We have a menagerie of larger-than-life puppets, bursting with vibrant colour - it's astonishing to compare the original illustrations to the puppets and how exact they are. When our puppets appear on stage the atmosphere is positively electric. We can't wait to bring The Very Hungry Caterpillar back to London!"

Eric Carle added: "I am delighted my friends in the UK will once again be able to share the same enjoyment I felt when seeing my characters come to life in the beautiful and enchanting Broadway production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show."

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show first premiered in Australia in 2015 before opening in New York at the Acorn Theatre in January 2016, where it was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. The New York production broke box office records and attracted celebrities with families including Chelsea Clinton, Emily Blunt, Neil Patrick Harris and Diane Sawyer. The production received its West End premiere at the Ambassadors Theatre in December 2016, prior to a major UK Tour in 2017.

Visit www.HungryCaterpillarShow.com or follow on Facebook: Facebook.com/HungryCaterpillarShow for more information.

IF YOU GO:

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW

Wednesday 13 December 2017 - Sunday 7 January 2018

THE Ambassadors Theatre

West Street, London WC2H 9ND

Press Performance: Thursday 14 December, 11.00am

Performances: 11.00am and 2.00pm (13/15/19/22/29 Dec, 2/3/5 Jan)

10.15am and 11.45am (16/17/20/21/23/27/28/30/31 Dec, 4/6/7 Jan)

Tickets: From £15.00

Box Office: 0207 395 5405 | www.hungrycaterpillarshow.com

Running time: 60 minutes

Eric Carle is acclaimed and beloved as the creator of brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for very young children. His best-known work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, has nibbled its way into the hearts of literally millions of children all over the world and has been translated into 62 languages and sold over 43 million copies. Since the Caterpillar was published in 1969, Eric Carle has illustrated more than seventy books, many best sellers, most of which he also wrote, and more than 132 million copies of his books have sold around the world.

Eric Carle's art is distinctive and instantly recognizable. His artwork is created in collage technique, using hand-painted papers, which he cuts and layers to form bright and cheerful images. Many of his books have an added dimension-die-cut pages, twinkling lights as in The Very Lonely Firefly - giving them a playful quality: a toy that can be read, a book that can be touched. Children also enjoy working in collage and many send him pictures they have made themselves, inspired by his illustrations. He is contacted by hundreds of his fans and young admirers each week.

Jonathan Rockefeller (Show Creator/Director) is the co-founder of Rockefeller Productions, a company that combines film, theatre, animation, puppetry and television. Prior to his work with Eric Carle, Jonathan co-wrote and produced the puppet-parody 'Thank You for Being a Friend' which has been licensed for further productions worldwide. This year Jonathan was selected as a 'Man of Influence' by Men's Style Australia for his work in children's theater and literacy.

Beyond the stage, Jonathan and Eric Carle Studios teamed up to produce and direct an animated version of '10 Little Rubber Ducks' based on Eric Carle's book of the same name and narrated by Bernadette Peters. The animation made its film festival debut at the UK's Bath Film Festival last December.

Other previous projects include the documentary 'Road to Pride Rock: The Making of the Lion King' and the screenplay 'Coming of Age' developed with Screen New South Wales and the Dungog Film Festival's In the Raw program.

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