Stick Man, based on the beloved book by Julia Donaldson with illustrations by Axel Scheffler, is set to enchant audiences in London and Leeds this Christmas. The festive favourite will play at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London from 4 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, and at the Leeds Playhouse from 6 December 2025 to 4 January 2026. Additionally, a third production will embark on a UK tour starting in September 2025.
Tickets for all venues are now on sale.
Stick Man tells the story of a morning jog that turns into a series of misadventures for Stick Man, who encounters a playful dog, a nest-building swan, and even ends up on a fire. Will he make it back to his family tree in time for Christmas?
This much-loved adaptation from Freckle Productions, the team behind Zog and Zog and the Flying Doctors, features a trio of top actors and is packed with puppetry, songs, live music, and funky moves.
The UK tour will include stops at The Old Market Brighton, Gulbenkian Arts Centre Canterbury, Chelmsford Theatre, Wycombe Swan Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford, The Albany Theatre Coventry, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Victoria Theatre Halifax, Hull New Theatre, His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen, Eden Court Inverness, Rothes Halls Glenrothes, The Sands Centre Carlisle, London artsdepot, MAST Southampton, and The Mill Arts Centre Banbury, before concluding with a Christmas run in Milton Keynes.
Executive producer Jennifer Sutherland said, “We are so excited that our beloved Stick Man – a perennial festive family favourite – will have productions all over the UK this year in the run-up to and over Christmas. We moved to our new London home at the Bloomsbury Theatre last year and are thrilled to be returning – and equally happy to be embarking on a Stick Man tour and returning to Milton Keynes and Leeds for extended Christmas seasons. It’s going to be a busy Christmas!”
Stick Man is adapted from the book by Julia Donaldson, the multi award-winning author of some of the world’s best-loved children’s books, including The Gruffalo and Zog. Julia is best known for her popular rhyming stories for children, especially those illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which have sold over 75 million copies and have been published in over 100 languages.
Stick Man is a perennial bestseller and has been translated into 23 languages. In 2015, Magic Light Pictures premiered the animated film of Stick Man with an all-star cast including Martin Freeman, Jennifer Saunders, and Hugh Bonneville. The film was the 4th most-viewed 2015 Christmas Day TV programme in the UK, and the book went to number one in the children’s chart. Stick Man celebrates its 18th anniversary this year.
Stick Man is directed by Mark Kane with original direction by Sally Cookson (A Monster Calls, Old Vic Theatre), design by Katie Sykes (Jane Eyre, National Theatre), lighting by Elanor Higgins (Private Peaceful, UK Tour), music by Benji Bower (A Monster Calls, Old Vic Theatre), and musical direction by Brian Hargreaves.
Casting for all venues will be announced later this year.
