Benjamin Durham plays the title role in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh on tour. The UK and Ireland premiere began performances at London’s Riverside Studios from 17 March, with an official opening on 26 March.
The show will then tour the UK and Ireland until September 2023.
The much-loved characters of Eeyore, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga and Roo will be brought to life by an ensemble of performers, including Laura Bacon (Britain’s Got Talent, Star Wars), Harry Boyd (The Play That Goes Wrong, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story), Alex Cardall (Evita, The Osmonds: A New Musical), Chloe Gentles (Mamma Mia!, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Lottie Grogan (Smurfs Save Spring: The Musical, The Lips for Puppets with Guys) and Robbie Noonan (Avenue Q UK Tour, Jack and the Beanstalk).
Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood, a new adventure is about to happen. A.A. Milne’s beloved characters, Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and their best friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit and Owl (and Tigger too!), will all arrive on stage in a beautifully-crafted musical stage adaptation.
More information can be found here
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You’ll be playing Winnie The Pooh on tour, how would you describe this new show?
The show is a whirlwind of fun and excitement as you journey along with Pooh and the whole Hundred Acre Wood gang. A show filled with laughter, plenty of songs and, of course, that all important honey!
This musical started off in New York, how does it feel to be part of the show on its return home?
The very first day I spent with the cast was on a trip to Ashdown Forest, the home of the Hundred Acre Wood, Pooh Corner, and Pooh Bridge. It was magical! And it also showed how brilliant it is to be a part of this show in the UK, the home of Christopher Robin and birthplace of Winnie the Pooh a matter of miles away from our theatre here in London! So yes, it feels brilliant!
Tell us a little about how A.A. Milne’s beloved characters are brought to life on stage?
We use puppetry to bring these beloved characters to live. A range of puppetry allows us to create everything from: the robin that sails through the sky of the wood to Piglet running, skipping, and sliding around the woodland floor, the bouncy, springy-tailed Tigger (almost as tall as some members of our cast!!) to the buzzing bee that floats, flies, and leads Pooh to the honey tree!
How have you been preparing for the role, have you had to learn any new skills?
I have watched hours and hours of Winnie the Pooh! It’s been a treat! There are many elements to this role and this production that make it exciting: I’ve had to spend time learning to recreate the iconic voice we know and love, as born through brilliant voice actors such as Jim Cummings and Sterling Holloway. It has also been a fun adventure to learn to puppeteer. The ability to create life in a puppet is a skill that has been exciting to dive into.
What are you looking forward to most about bringing this show to youngsters all around the country?
It’s such an exciting show to bring to youngsters around the country because I think it brings such joy and escapism. It dives straight into the world of children’s imaginations and allows us to all bask in our imaginations together for the show! It is a treat to perform and it will be a treat to bring that to local theatres up and down the country!
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Winnie The Pooh?
Do not hesitate! BOOK TODAY. You will have the most amazing time coming to see our show full of joy, kindness, adventure, honey, and of course all of your favourite Hundred Acre friends! Who doesn’t love an adventure?
