Tiny and Tall Productions have announced the fantastic cast for their stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson (The Gruffalo, 1999; Room On The Broom, 2001; A Squash And A Squeeze, 1993) and Sara Ogilvie (Dogs Don’t Do Ballet, 2010; The Worst Princess, 2012; Sir Lilypad, 2015)’s best-selling children’s book The Detective Dog.
Enchanting families across the UK, the production will star Maia Ayling (Thimble Theatre; Tit for Tat), Amy Murray, (My Angry Vagina, Edinburgh Deaf Festival; Red Aphrodite, Edinburgh Deaf Festival) and Hannah Tudge (Magic in Christopher, British Theatre Challenge; Stacey and Rose, Liverpool Fringe Festival). This charming tale of a dog with an extraordinary snout will thrill audiences of all ages with incredible puppetry, heartwarming music and magical scent technology.
The Detective Dog is a fast-paced celebration of books, reading, libraries and the powerful, heart-warming relationship between a little boy and his special dog. It will follow the story of young owner Peter’s very special furry friend with an ever-sniffing nose and will be brought to life using innovative puppetry, to uncover the culprit of a mysterious book disappearance at Peter’s school. The show will use creative captions and British Sign Language to make the show accessible to deaf children and their families. It will also feature rhymes and toe-tapping beats to accompany the characters as they race across town on their quest.
Tiny and Tall Productions explore innovative ways of working with children to create accessible and imaginative theatre. They have ongoing working relationships with leading deaf artists in the arts, in a collaborative mission to ensure that the needs of the deaf community are reflected. This engaging production celebrates the magic of reading in an inclusive and accessible performance for all.
Award-winning children’s book The Detective Dog was first published by Macmillan Children’s Books in 2016. Both author and illustrator are renowned for inspiring, popular rhyming stories for children, that will be brought to life in Tiny and Tall Productions’ exciting new stage adaptation.
Performer Amy Murray comments, I’m a BSL performer from Scotland, I’m currently in Bristol working with the lovely team from Tiny & Tall Productions on an exciting production called The Detective Dog. It’s a fantastic story that will be delivered visually in both spoken English and British Sign Language. I’m one of three performers, we are all playing multiple roles, I’m playing a child, the school teacher, Mrs Jones and Ted, I’m also doing some puppeteering with the detective dog Nell! We have been learning songs and translating them into sign language. It’s been lovely learning and sharing skills with each other, the cast are also learning sign language too! This means the shows will be accessible to deaf and hearing audiences. I was so nervous before starting rehearsals, but I have to say, I am really enjoying every second of it. I can’t wait to take this show on tour.
