Discover a summer of family entertainment featuring Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape, The Flying Bath, and Dog Man: The Musical. From imaginative puppetry at Little Angel Theatre to outdoor adventures at Ashdown Forest, these magical productions and events promise unforgettable storytelling, music, and fun for children and families across the UK this summer.
Little Angel Theatre
2 May–12 July, Little Angel Theatre For ages 2-5
When everyone has left the house in the morning, the bath toys spring into action and head off on exciting adventures in their magical flying bath! From giving a muddy piglet a shower to putting out a fire for a frightened baboon, they have water at the ready for any emergency – as long as they’re home for the children’s bath time at the end of the day.
Julia Donaldson and David Roberts’ playful and adventurous story splashes into life in this adaptation featuring catchy songs, quirky bath toys and everyday heroes.
Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape
17 May – 19 July, Little Angel Studios For everyone over 5The world premiere stage adaptation of Dermot O’Leary’s much loved children’s book illustrated by Nick East, Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape will be lovingly adapted from page to stage by award-winning duo, Little Angel Artistic Director Samantha Lane and acclaimed musician Barb Jungr (Olivier nominated for Best Family Show in 2023 for their previous collaboration on The Smartest Giant in Town). 17 May – 19 July, Little Angel Theatre, Mayflower Studios (23 – 25 July) and tour www.littleangeltheatre.com.
SUMMER
Southbank Centre
UK Tour from 16 July until 28 October 30 July – 16 August
The European premiere of off-Broadway hit Dog Man: The Musical based on Dav Pilkey’s phenomenally successful children’s book series. Since it launched to critical acclaim in 2016, Dav Pilkey’s international hit book series Dog Man has more than 70 million copies in print worldwide and has been translated into 48 languages, with five of the titles currently in the Amazon UK top 50 best-selling children’s books.
Best friends George and Harold have been creating comics for years, but now that they’re 10, they figure it’s time to level up and write a musical based ontheir favourite character, Dog Man, the crime-biting sensation who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO!!?How hard could it be? With the head of a dog and the body of a policeman, Dog Man loves to fight crime and chew on the furniture. But while trying his best to be a good boy, can he save the city from Flippy the cyborg fish and his army of Beasty Buildings? Can he catch Petey, the world’s most evil cat, who has cloned himself to exact revenge on the doggy do-gooder? And will George and Harold finish their show before lunchtime? Full tour dates can be seen here
Ashdown Forest and Sussex
Summer 2026
Inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh, trailblazing artists Trigger will present The Big One Hundred, a series of free cultural events at Ashdown Forest and throughout Sussex.
Launching on Saturday 18 July 2026, visitors will be invited to explore the Forest and discover its newest inhabitant, a large-scale, mythical puppet creature inspired by the landscape and its unique species. Local schoolchildren are invited to enter a competition to help design the giant puppet creature, with the winning design featured in the final creation and the winner invited to meet it before it opens to the public. Following the opening weekend in Ashdown Forest, the puppet will tour to cultural and heritage sites in Wealden across the school summer holidays.
Five new walks will also open in Ashdown Forest, including the Forest’s first all-weather walk, themed around different unique and threatened species native to the Forest.
The creative team for The Big One Hundred celebrations include groundbreaking artist and costume designer Jack Irving, Trigger creative director Angie Bual, Olivier Award-winning theatre maker Laura Cubitt and puppetry consultant Oliver Hymans.
