Tall Stories - Room on the Broom

This article is from 2009.

Tall Stories breeze in with yet another innovative adaptation

No matter how many books she writes, Julia Donaldson will always be synonymous with one thing: The Gruffalo. Similarly, regardless of their many innovative productions, Tall Stories will remain eternally linked with one show: The Gruffalo. But there’s more to the Donaldson/Tall Stories pairing than the warty-nosed fellow. They’ve already done The Gruffalo’s Child, and now a new version of Room on the Broom is heading for the Fringe. What is it about Donaldson’s work that makes it so ripe for adaptation? ‘She just writes great stories well,’ says Tall Stories’ director, Olivia Jacobs. ‘Her use of humour, rhyme and repetition means each one is easily remembered, and Axel Scheffler’s drawings portray the characters so beautifully, you can’t fail but warm to them.’

The tale of a generous witch who comes a cropper when too many animals board her vehicle, Room on the Broom has been on the Tall Stories wishlist for years. ‘There are seven characters in the book and they all appear at the same time,’ explains Jacobs. ‘And in these financial times, a cast that size isn’t really viable. To do justice to such a well-loved tale has taken time, and as it turns out, we think it was well worth the wait.’

Pleasance Courtyard, The Pleasance, 0131 556 6550, 8–31 Aug (not 12, 19&20), 2.30pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). Previews 5–7 Aug, £6.50.

This article is from 2009.

More: Theatre, Kids, Axel Scheffler, Julia Donaldson, Previews, Room on the Broom, Tall Stories, The Gruffalo

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