The Owl and the Pussycat

The Owl and the Pussycat runs at Derby Theatre from Saturday 5 December 2026 to Saturday 9 January 2027, with performances at 10:30am, 1:30pm and 4:30pm. It's a retelling of Edward Lear's nonsense poem, and it's aimed at ages 3 and up, so it's one to take the little ones to over the winter break.

On stage, the Owl and the Pussycat set sail on a nonsense adventure across the high seas, armed with nothing but some honey, some money and a runcible spoon. Along the way they meet the curious Piggy Wig, a Turkey who lives on the hill and the strangest-looking tree you've ever seen. The show mixes puppetry, live music and storytelling, and it's packed with silly songs, babbling puppets and smaller-than-life characters. It comes from the same creators as Tortoise and the Hare and Chicken Licken, and it's presented by Derby Theatre alongside Hiccup Theatre and Polka Theatre. Sarah Brigham, the theatre's Artistic Director and CEO, describes the studio winter shows as a magical introduction to theatre for the smallest family members.

Every performance includes integrated British Sign Language, creative captions and integrated audio description, so it's accessible for children and adults with different needs. The cast features Stephen Collins, Laura Goulden, Emily Howlett, Anna Lilley, Georgia Raymond and Ivan Stott. Sarah Brigham wrote and directed the production, with puppetry by John Barber, set design by Rachana Jadhav, costume design by Tim Heywood, lighting design by Jessica Brigham, and music and sound design by Ivan Stott. Ben Glover handled the creative captions, Benjamin Wilson the audio description, Donna Mullings the BSL, Stacey McCarthy the movement, and Becky Barry the dramaturgy.

Tickets are £15, with schools paying £13.75 per person for groups of 10 or more, plus one free ticket for every 11 purchased, and Friends getting £2 off. You'll find it in the Studio at Derby Theatre, 15 Theatre Walk, St Peter's Quarter, Derby DE1 2NF.