What the Ladybird Heard flies into the West End this summer.

*

From Julia Donaldson, bestselling author of The Gruffalo, and award-winning illustrator Lydia Monks, comes the stage show of the much-loved picture book What the Ladybird Heard. With live original music from a quartet of talented actors, puppetry and a whole farmyard of fun, this 55-minute family favourite is the perfect summer treat!

*
Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len have a cunning plan to steal the farmer’s fine prize cow. But they reckon without the tiniest, quietest creature of all: the Ladybird has a scheme of her own!

*

*

Join the woolly sheep, the hairy hog, the fat red hen and the dainty dog as they take on the villains in their quest to save the day at the Palace Theatre, London. Published by Macmillan Children’s Books and with over 4 million copies sold this adaptation is the perfect introduction to theatre for children aged 3+. Expect plenty of participation, lots of laughs and rhymes galore!

*

First conceived on a countryside walk with her son, Donaldson enjoyed the idea of a quiet Ladybird outwitting the bigger brawnier creatures. The animals and their noises fill this colourful adventure with real flair and, in consultation with the original illustrator, beautifully capture the magic of the story. Producer Kenny Wax comments, I am delighted that What the Ladybird Heard is returning to the stage and I’m looking forward to welcoming family audiences back to the West End for a much needed treat this summer. It will be wonderful to see smiling faces in the glorious Palace Theatre once again.

*

*

Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson’s is a bestselling author of children’s books whose many works include the modern children’s classics The Gruffalo, Stick Man and Room on the Broom (illustrated by Axel Scheffler) and the What the Ladybird Heard series (illustrated by Lydia Monks). Her books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and won numerous major awards including the Nation’s Favourite Bedtime Story Award, the Scottish Book Trust Award, the Red House Children’s Book Award, and The Booksellers Association Books Are My Bag Readers Award. Her work has been translated into 100 languages.

*

Her latest picture book What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside, illustrated by Lydia Monks, was recently published in paperback by Macmillan Children’s Books (£6.99) and became an immediate Number 1 bestseller in the picture book category. The What the Ladybird Heard series has sold over 4 million copies and been translated into 25 languages.
Julia is also the author of novels, songs and plays, including the award-winning teen novel Running on the Cracks and the Princess Mirror-Belle stories for 7-9 year-olds. She is the most borrowed author from libraries in the UK.
Eight of Julia’s books have been turned into award-winning animated films shown on the BBC, and her work is widely adapted for children’s theatre in the UK and abroad. She is famous for her theatrical performances based on her books which she has performed at literary festivals and other events. Julia, together with her husband Malcolm, founded their own theatre company to perform two medleys of her work at the Edinburgh Fringe and other venues.

*

*

Lydia Monks

Lydia Monks is a bestselling illustrator and author of children’s books, based in Sheffield, who has collaborated with many authors on both picture book and fiction titles. Lydia is probably most well known for her collaborations with author Julia Donaldson, including Sharing a Shell, The Singing Mermaid and the What the Ladybird Heard series which has sold over 4 million copies and been translated into 25 languages worldwide.
Lydia’s authored and illustrated Twit Twoo School series – latest title Rabbit Races Ahead – is published by Macmillan Children’s Books. Lydia’s other quirky and colourful picture books include Aaaarrgghh, Spider! and I Wish I Were a Dog, both published by Egmont.

*

Tickets are available priced from £12.50 at https://www.nimaxtheatres.com/shows/what-the-ladybird-heard/

*

*