Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile at The Belgrade
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile – the musical. Presented by The Roald Dahl Story Company. As part of a major nationwide tour it will play at The Belgrade Theatre from 11 – 14 June 2026.
Preview
‘For my lunch today I would like… a nice juicy little child!’
The Enormous Crocodile is weaving his way through the jungle in search of delicious little fingers and squidgy podgy knees... Only the other jungle creatures can foil his secret plans and clever tricks, but they’re going to have to find a large amount of courage to stop this greedy brute.
This mischievous musical based on Roald Dahl’s snappy book has toe-tapping tunes by Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab, a rib-tickling book and lyrics by Suhayla El-Bushra, and additional music and lyrics by Tom Brady.
Developed and directed by Emily Lim, it features a menagerie of puppets by co-director and puppetry designer Toby Olié, with set and costume design by Fly Davis, puppetry co-designed and supervised by Daisy Beattie, casting by Annelie Powell CDG, choreography by Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu, lighting by Jessica Hung Han Yun, and sound by Tom Gibbons. Associate directed by Tash Holway & Blythe Stewart and Associate Puppetry directed by Michael Jean-Marain.
Originally co-produced by Roald Dahl Story Company, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and Leeds Playhouse.
Director Emily Lim and Co-Director and Puppetry Designer Toby Olié talk about bringing Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile to the stage – and the vital role puppets play in drawing audiences into this joyful musical extravaganza.
Q. Tell us about the genesis of The Enormous Crocodile as a musical and how you decided puppetry was the best way to tell the story?
Emily: It was an epic, gradual process of working out how to make the story live as a piece of musical theatre, and honoring the original but being radical with new ideas where we felt it would help enhance the spirit and clarity of the material. We decided very early on that puppetry would give the children in the audience the most magical, fun experience of the jungle animals. Meeting Toby and his wild imagination was a real turning point in understanding how hilarious and inspiring this added dimension could be.
Q. What has the reaction been to the show so far, from both children and adults in the audience?
Toby: Even more riotous than I would have ever imagined. The audiences are totally absorbed by the mischief and comedy peril in our show, and by the finale they are practically dancing in their seats. You see families arrive and the children are so excited, and by the end of the opening number you see that their adults are just as hooked. Which is exactly what we wanted, a show that is based on a famous children's book but made for everyone of any age.
Q. Why should people come to see The Enormous Crocodile – The Musical?
Toby: Our combination of fantastic songs, hilarious anarchy and a menagerie of playful puppets keeps you engrossed from start to finish. Plus, our cast of five incredible performers are quadruple threats: singers, actors, dancers and puppeteers, who wouldn't want to see them work their magic?
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