‘Welcome back to the Museum of Forgotten Things!’ — International Sell-out Children’s Theatre Show Returns to UK Stages this Autumn

Leeds-based children’s theatre company, tutti frutti, is gearing up for the return of an updated version of their original sell-out production, The Princess and the Pea. In this new adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s popular story, Mike Kenny and the tutti frutti team have once again created a funny, original, beautiful retelling of this familiar tale.

This show was previously made by tutti frutti and York Theatre Royal in 2014, with an extensive tour and Christmas run at the Sheffield Crucible before playing to sell out audiences in Hong Kong and Singapore in January 2015.

Following a challenging 18 months, the tutti frutti team cannot wait to get back to the stage. Wendy Harris is Artistic Director: “It’s been such a difficult period to keep on working through. However, we make work for children, so it was important for us to keep going in some capacity. We were delighted to create an audio play of Sweet Dreams earlier this year, which was originally intended for the stage. At the end of the day though, we are here to make live performances and create magical theatre experiences, and we’re bursting with excitement to get our work up on stage again.”

Set in the Museum of Forgotten Things, three musical curators tell the amazing tale of the museum’s artefacts including the mystery of a little green pea and how it got there. This one hour of fun is packed with humour and memorable songs, including a romp through every type of princess you can imagine, with hilarious costumes to match.

The audience meets a demanding queen, an array of wannabe princesses, and the main characters — an unknown girl who is blown into the palace by a gust of wind, and an indecisive prince under pressure to find his real princess.

Written by Mike Kenny — one of the UK’s leading young people’s playwrights — The Princess and the Pea opens at Leeds Playhouse on 16th October, followed by a run at York Theatre Royal, and then on to a national tour. With a cast of three talented actor-musicians — Hannah Victoria, McKenzie Alexander, and Sophia Hatfield — the show is specifically designed for children aged 3+ and their families and runs for 60 minutes. The creative team features three new faces; NikNak — a Leeds-based DJ & Turntablist and sound artist/composer; Sundeep Saini — a movement director and choreographer passionate about driving narrative through physicality and immersive performance; and Warda Abbasi — the new resident designer with Leeds Playhouse and tutti frutti through the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursary programme.

This version of this classic children’s fairy tale has an inventive modern twist — something that has become a trademark of tutti frutti productions. It’s an adaptation of The Princess and the Pea that is bright, vibrant, and fun, as well as being a masterclass in engaging children’s storytelling.

So does the prince find a real princess, or get his happy-ever-after? “Now that would be telling!” says Wendy, adding “One thing is for sure though — we can’t wait to be back out there and share this new production. It’s going to light up so many little faces and that’s the ultimate thrill for us.”

The Princess and the Pea runs at theatres across the UK from 16th October 2021 to 2nd January 2022.

For more information www.tutti-frutti.org.uk/show/the-princess-and-the-pea-by-mike-kenny