Dear Zoo Live!

Dear Zoo Live! is coming to the Birmingham Hippodrome from Thursday 8 April to Sunday 11 April 2027, playing in the Patrick Studio. It's a stage adaptation of Rod Campbell's Dear Zoo, the lift-the-flap children's book first published in 1982 that's since sold more than 8 million copies worldwide. If you've got the book on your shelf, you'll know the drill: a child writes to the zoo to ask for a pet, and the zoo sends back a series of animals that aren't quite right for the job.

On stage, the production keeps the book's distinctive illustrations and builds around them with puppetry, songs and the animals themselves. The characters write to the zoo to find out what's coming next, and you'll see a cheeky monkey and a jumpy frog before the perfect puppy finally arrives. It's billed as a perfect introduction to theatre for young children, and it leans on audience interaction and humour to hold the room.

Age guidance is 2+, and babes in arms under 18 months are welcome free of charge. The first performance is a relaxed show, which is a good option if you're taking a little one who might find a standard theatre environment a bit much.

There are eight shows over the four days: Thursday 8 April at 1:30pm; Friday 9 April at 10:30am and 1:30pm; Saturday 10 April at 10:30am, 1:30pm and 4:00pm; and Sunday 11 April at 10:30am and 1:30pm. Tickets start from £14.50.