The Smeds and The Smoos

 

A joyful tale of star-crossed aliens

Tall Stories presents The Smeds and The Smoos

Soar into space with this exciting adaptation of the award-winning book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler – also seen in the BBC TV animation on Christmas Day. 

On a far-off planet, Smeds and Smoos can’t be friends. So when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love and zoom off into space together, how will their families get them back?

Music, laughs and interplanetary adventures for everyone aged 3 and up, from Tall Stories – the company that brought you The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom live on stage.

Performance Dates

Friday 18 July – Sunday 7 September, 2025

Tickets From

£10

Running Time

60mins no interval

Age Guidance

3+

★★★★★

Perfect family viewing

Beyond The Curtain
★★★★★

Enchanting and incredibly engaging…a beautiful adaptation

edinburghfestivalsforkids
★★★★★

Think Romeo and Juliet, but set in space, with colourful characters and zany worlds

Hampshire Chronicle
★★★★★

Magnificent… a tour-de-force family show

ONE4REVIEW
★★★★★

Catchy songs, good gags and interactive action

The Scotsman
★★★★

A wild and colourful spectacle with humorous aliens that will keep the youngsters entranced

Manchester Evening News

Julia Donaldson

Author

Julia is the author of some of the world’s best-loved children’s books, including modern classics ‘The Gruffalo’ and ‘The Gruffalo’s Child’, which together have sold over 17 million copies worldwide, and the hugely successful ‘What the Ladybird Heard’ adventures. Julia also writes fiction, including the ‘Princess Mirror-Belle’ books illustrated by Lydia Monks, as well as poems, plays and songs – and her brilliant live shows are always in demand. She was Children’s Laureate 2011-13 and has been honoured with a CBE for Services to Literature. Julia and her husband Malcolm divide their time between West Sussex and Edinburgh.

Axel Scheffler

Illustrator

Axel is a star illustrator whose instantly recognisable, warm and witty illustrations have achieved worldwide acclaim and numerous awards. Axel is the illustrator of wonderful novelty, gift and poetry books for Macmillan, such as ‘Fish Dream of Trees’ (Two Hoots) and the bestselling ‘The Bedtime Bear’, ‘The Tickle Book’ and ‘Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes’ – and of course, he is the illustrator of some of the world’s best-loved picture books, including the modern classic ‘The Gruffalo’, with over 30 million books sold worldwide across the series. Axel’s artwork is exhibited internationally; he has illustrated for many charities, and designed the Royal Mail Christmas stamps in 2012. Born in Hamburg, Axel now lives with his family in London.

Toby Mitchell

Director

Barney George

Set and Costume Designer

Jon Fiber & Andy Shaw

Music and Lyrics

Yvonne Stone

Puppet Designer

Peter Harrison

Lighting Designer

Julia Cave

Choreographer

Martin Rodges

Costume Supervisor

Abbey Norman

Grandmother Smoo

Patrick Bridgman

Grandfather Smed

Felicia Akin-Tayo

Janet

Antony Lam

Bill

Lolly Platt

Understudy

Mel Fritz-Liu

Assistant Stage Manager

Upcoming Performances:

Access Seating:

For all performances, you can select up to two seats at our discounted access rate of 50% off per person. These include:

  • Wheelchair park and companion seats
  • End-of-aisle seating
  • Central row seating


To make a wheelchair transfer booking, purchase more than two tickets or to discuss your seating requirements further, please contact our Access team on 0330 333 4815 or [email protected].

4 tickets bought together:

£95 on Premium tickets
Book Family Ticket Online >

£85 on Band A tickets
Book Family Ticket Online >

Valid For: weekdays only and not available in conjunction with any other offers.

Groups Rate (10+ Tickets)

Rate: Buy 10 tickets, get the 11th free (on all price bands)
Seats: Stalls, Dress Circle & Grand Circle
Valid For: All performances
Exclusion Dates: N/A

Schools & Education Rate (10+ Tickets)

Rate: £12 per ticket (reduced from £27 – £15), 1 free teacher ticket for every 10 students
Seats: Stalls, Dress Circle & Grand Circle
Valid For: All performances
Exclusion Dates: N/A

Lyric Theatre

29 Shaftesbury Ave, London, W1D 7ES

Lyric Theatre

29 Shaftesbury Ave, London, W1D 7ES

Performance Dates

Friday 18 July – Sunday 7 September, 2025

Tickets From

£10

Running Time

60mins no interval

Age Guidance

3+

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Visual Guide

Check out The Smeds and The Smoos Visual Guide