Based on Helen Stephens\u2019 children\u2019s story, \u2018How to Hide a Lion\u2019 is currently on its first national tour.<\/p>\n
After the show\u2019s adaptation was so well received at the Polka Theatre and Oxford Playhouse in 2016, it is now being toured by Pigtails Productions. The show is adapted and directed by Peter Glanville and is focussed on puppetry and jazz to pull in its young audience.<\/p>\n
\u2018How to Hide a Lion\u2019 is about a young girl called Iris who forms an unorthodox friendship with a lion. That friendship leads her to protect him and help him hide when he is chased away. The audience is taken on a journey with Iris, to hide her unusual friend from the town folk who don\u2019t understand him. \u00a0Iris is based on author Helen Stephens\u2019 own daughter, and her book is now sold in fourteen languages worldwide, having originally been published in 2010.<\/p>\n
The show is brought to life by the puppets designed by Samuel Wyer, helping to bring the illustrations, also by Helen Stephens, right off the page. The two performers Stephanie De Whalley and Gilbert Taylor operate multiple puppets and navigate the set as Iris and the lion try and find the best place to hide.<\/p>\n
Peter Glanville collaborated with jazz and cabaret artist Barb Jungr to bring this book to life. Jungr is known for her mix of musical genres, from theatre to cabaret to jazz. Described as a tale of friendship and acceptance, \u2018How to Hide a Lion\u2019 is suitable for ages three and above. It’s very much a family show, but with messages that have clear relevance to all ages given the current social climate.<\/p>\n