Dean Close Pre-Preparatory School recently sponsored the much loved children’s story ‘The Tiger who came to Tea’ when it prowled onto the stage of Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre.
Straight from the West End, the musical play was adapted and directed by David Wood based on the book by Judith Kerr.
Pupils from the school and children from the Dean Close Treetops Nurseries were delighted when they discovered they could win tickets not only to watch this fabulous event but also to meet the cast afterwards. To win tickets children had to draw a picture of what the tiger might like for his tea; there were some imaginative entries including a supper of rib-eye steak, salad and a glass of water!
An enchanting performance, each and every child in the audience was captivated. Every time the doorbell rang – everyone was hoping it was the tiger; instead first it was the milkman, then the postman and finally after a lot of tick-tocking clock watching, the tiger appeared!
He ate and ate and drank the house dry (including all the water in the town) and then taught Sophie, her mum and the entire audience a new dance.
Not a crumb was left in the house! Needless to say Daddy was rather disappointed by the lack of supper when he returned from work. A visit to a local café ensured no-one went to bed on an empty tummy. Further audience participation had everyone singing a new song about chips, sausages and ice-cream before it was time for bed.
A lovely story, beautifully performed and with a wonderful set. A real treat for half term. Thank you to the Everyman Theatre for putting on such a wonderful event.
Dr Carolyn Shelley explained: “We were thrilled to be sponsoring the Family Ticket for The Tiger Who came to Tea – it is one of our favourite books. We aim to create as many irresistible learning opportunities as we possibly can, creating experiences where children are so engaged that they cannot wait to learn more. What better way to create a love of books and reading from an early age, than by watching a favourite story being performed on the stage?”