The New Victory Theater presents
Tall Stories’
The Snail and the Whale

Beloved Bedtime Story Hits Stage for Limited Engagement

October 18 – 19, 2014

New York, NY (September 9, 2014) – A tiny snail’s big adventure blazes a trail to the Big Apple when London’s Tall Stories (The Gruffalo, New Vic 2004; Snow White New Vic 2003) collaborates with Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler on the stage adaptation of the award-winning story The Snail and the Whale (Blue Peter Book Award, 2005). Created for ages four to seven, The Snail and the Whale runs at The New Victory Theater, New York’s premier performing arts venue for kids and families, for a limited engagement from October 18-19, 2014.

Seen through the eyes of an intrepid young girl and her seafaring father, The Snail and the Whale captures the amazing journey of a small snail who travels the world by hitching a ride on the tail of a humpback whale. Together they spy penguins on icebergs, find fiery volcanoes and dive down to deep water caves, discovering that even little friends can be big heroes. Combining storytelling, live music and sound effects from a viola player on stage, the production incorporates every line from the original book, a specialty of Tall Stories’ adaptations.

“This story uses the characteristics and personalities of the animals in the book to shape the characters on stage,” says Toby Mitchell, director of The Snail and the Whale. “The little girl is adventurous and risk-taking like the snail, and the father is solid and brave, just like the whale,” he continues.

This stage adaptation of The Snail and the Whale was inspired by the work of UK’s Storybook Soldiers, an organization that helps British military personnel abroad record bedtime stories for their children back home. It was discovered that one of the soldiers’ favorite books to record was The Snail and the Whale, and Tall Stories saw a parallel between the story’s protagonist and a child wanting to join a parent aboard a navy vessel. To devise the show, they worked with Storybook Soldiers’ founders Kirsty Alderson and Rosemary Meeke and listened to various soldiers’ recordings of this epic tale.

The Snail and the Whale stars Patrick Bridgman as the Whale/Dad, Lucy Grace as the Snail/Daughter and Rosalind Steele as the Viola Player/Narrator. The show’s creative team includes Toby Mitchell, director; Olivia Jacobs, creative producer; Isla Shaw, set designer; James Whiteside, lighting designer; Richard Heacock, composer; and Pete Foster, company stage manager.

Watch a trailer of Tall Stories’ The Snail and the Whale on the New Victory website.

The Snail and the Whale is supported, in part, by a Presenter’s Grant from The Jim Henson Foundation.

Performance Schedule: 4 performances

Saturday         10/18                11am and 3pm

Sunday           10/19                11am and 3pm