The Elves and The Shoemaker

The Elves and The Shoemaker comes to The Studio at Birmingham Rep from Friday 2 April to Sunday 4 April 2027, a brand-new stage version of the classic fairy tale. It's presented by Exeter Northcott Theatre and Paddleboat Theatre Company, and it's a short run, so you'll have to pick one of those three days.

The story settles in the old Shoemaker's shop, which is also home to a band of cheeky stowaway Elves. They live off the odds and ends left behind at the end of the day: shoelaces, scraps of leather and sandwich crumbs. When sales dwindle and customers start looking elsewhere, the Elves and the Shoemaker have to work together to save their home. It's a 50-minute adventure, and the makers describe it as highly interactive, with the little elves taking audiences into the nooks and crannies of the shop. It's built on clowning and puppetry, and it's recommended for ages 3 and over and their families.

Tickets start from £18, and there's a £3.50 transaction fee on all payment types. If you're bringing the very youngest, babes in arms tickets are available for infants under two at a nominal rate of £2. For those with a bit more to do, it's a short enough show to fit around a nap or a meal, and the interactive side means it's more of a thing to do with the kids than just sit and watch. It runs across the first weekend of April, so you can catch it on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.