tutti frutti present a one hour show for children aged 3+ and their families. Perfect for weekend, half term and twilight family shows or for school performances.
Available to tour from 18th October – 31st December 2021
Not for the faint hearted… fake Princesses… or those who have trouble sleeping at night!
Do you want to hear a true story?
Imagine a place where what you see is not what it seems
With forgotten stories and forgotten things
Do you want to hear an exciting story?
Imagine Princesses who don’t know they are Princesses and
a Prince who doesn’t want to be King
Do you want to hear a happy story?
Imagine a real Prince, discovering a real Princess, and a story which ends happily-ever-after!
Set in the Museum of Forgotten Things, three musical curators, tell the amazing tale of the museums artefacts including the mystery of a little green pea and how it got there. This one hour of fun is packed with humour and memorable songs, including a romp through every type of princess you can imagine, with hilarious costumes to match.
The audience meet a demanding queen, an array of wannabe princesses, and our main characters, an unknown girl who is blown into the palace by a gust of wind, and an indecisive prince under pressure to find his real princess.
Will he ever find a real princess or his happy ever after?
This show was originally made by tutti frutti and York Theatre Royal in 2014 with an extensive tour and Christmas run at the Sheffield Crucible before playing to sell out audiences in Hong Kong and Singapore in January 2015. In this new and updated adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s popular story, Mike Kenny and the inventive tutti frutti team will once again create a funny, original, beautiful retelling of this familiar tale.
To book
For fees and to discuss availability, please contact tutti frutti on 0113 388 0027 or sophie@tutti-frutti.org.uk.
For more details about working with us please see our Venues or Schools sections.
Images




Video
Reviews & Quotes
Tour Dates
Date & Time | Venue | Address |
---|---|---|
16th Oct 2021 10.00; 1.00 |
Leeds Playhouse |
Playhouse Square, Leeds LS2 7UP To book tickets: 0113 213 7700 https://leedsplayhouse.org.uk/ |
19th Oct 2021 |
Shine |
Closed schools performance |
21st Oct 2021 - 26th Oct 2021 |
York Theatre Royal |
St Leonards Place, York, YO1 7HD To book tickets: 01904 623 568 Visiting family information is here. www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk |
27th Oct 2021 2.00; 5.00 |
Stephen Joseph Theatre |
Westborough, Scarborough YO11 1JW To book tickets: 01723 370541 www.sjt.uk.com
|
28th Oct 2021 11.00; 2.00 |
Otley Courthouse |
Courthouse Street, Otley, LS21 3AN To book tickets: 01943 467216 www.otleycourthouse.org.uk |
29th Oct 2021 11.30; 2.30 |
The Story Museum |
42 Pembroke St, Oxford OX1 1BP To book tickets: 01865 790050 www.storymuseum.org.uk |
30th Oct 2021 11.00; 2.00 |
Stamford Arts Centre |
27 St Mary’s Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 2DL To book tickets: 01780 763203 www.stamfordartscentre.com |
31st Oct 2021 11.00; 2.00 |
Ropetackle Arts Centre |
Little High Street, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5EG To book tickets: 01273 464440 www.ropetacklecentre.co.uk |
9th Nov 2021 |
Thornton Dale Primary School |
Closed school performance |
10th Nov 2021 |
Lily Lane Primary School |
Closed schools performance |
12th Nov 2021 |
Harlesden Primary School |
Closed school performance |
13th Nov 2021 11.00; 1.00 |
Lyric Hammersmith |
Lyric Square, King Street, London, W6 0QL To book tickets: 020 8741 6850 www.lyric.co.uk |
14th Nov 2021 11.30; 2.00 |
The Spark Arts for Children |
Mansfield Central Library, Nottingham |
15th Nov 2021 10.30; 2.15 |
D'Eyncourt Primary School |
Closed school performance |
16th Nov 2021 10.15; 1.30 |
Pickering Infant and Nursery School |
Closed school performance |
18th Nov 2021 10.15; 1.40 |
Seacroft Grange Primary School |
Closed schools performance |
20th Nov 2021 - 21st Nov 2021 |
artsreach |
Various venues as part of the rural touring scheme. www.artsreach.co.uk |
23rd Nov 2021 - 25th Nov 2021 |
Highlights North |
Venues as part of the rural touring scheme. www.highlightsnorth.co.uk |
26th Nov 2021 - 27th Nov 2021 |
Theatr Clwyd |
Mold, Flintshire, CH7 1YA To book tickets: 01352 701521
www.theatrclwyd.com/en |
28th Nov 2021 1.00; 3.00 |
The Civic, Barnsley |
Hanson Street, Barnsley, S70 2HZ To book tickets: 01226 327 000 www.barnsleycivic.co.uk |
1st Dec 2021 |
Stocksbridge Nursery Infant School |
Closed school performance |
2nd Dec 2021 |
Hillcrest Academy |
Closed performance for the school |
4th Dec 2021 - 18th Dec 2021 |
Leeds Central Library |
Room 700, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 3AB To book tickets: 01133 785 005 www.ticketsource.co.uk/leedslibraryevents
|
21st Dec 2021 - 2nd Jan 2022 |
The Stables, Milton Keynes |
Stockwell Ln, Wavendon, Milton Keynes MK17 8LU To book tickets: 01908 280800 www.stables.org |
Schools Activities
The Princess and The Pea Synopsis
DownloadThe Princess and The Pea Writing Exercise
DownloadThe Princess and The Pea Counting Activity
DownloadThe Princess and The Pea Colouring Exercise
DownloadCreative Team

Catherine Chapman

Christella Litras
Music Director
Christella Litras is a songwriter, musicians, composer, vocal arranger, record produce, creative support officer (Leeds Playhouse) and founding member of Caution Collective. Christella has a strong interest in World music, is heavily interested in Caribbean music and is known for her collaborations and tours with World Musicians, such as Ella Andall and Motown legends, such as Martha Reeves. She assisted in the production of Rob Green’s album Blue which was 3rd in the ITunes RnB Charts. Recently she was comissioned to compose the musical score for Windrush: Movement of the People by Phoenix Dance Theatre, which celebrated the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the SS Empire Windrush and the Caribbean residents that traveled to the UK. A protégée of Geraldine Connor she is heavily involved in the Geraldine Connor foundation contributing to many successful projects.
Lighting Designer- Callum Macdonald

Mike Kenny
Writer, Sweet Dreams audio play
Mike Kenny is one of England’s leading writers specialising in young people’s theatre. He was included in the Independent on Sunday’s list of Top Ten Living Playwrights and his plays are performed regularly throughout the UK and all over the world. His Olivier Award-winning adaptation of THE RAILWAY CHILDREN for York Theatre Royal, has had several successful revivals at Waterloo and Kings Cross stations, as well as at the National Railway Museum. In Canada it won the People’s Choice Award following its record-breaking run in Toronto. Mike won the 2015 Writers Guild Award for Best Play for Younger Audiences with THREE WISE MONKEYS and the DeutscherKindertheaterpreis in 2012 with ELECTRIC DARKNESS. In July 2013, Mike was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Nottingham for his work in theatre for young people.
Mike’s recent productions include Batley Variations, a community opera for Batley, and Random Selfies for Ovalhouse, London (Nominated for an Off West End Award) His play The Vulture Song was a co production between Blah Blah Blah in Leeds and Yellowcat, in Delhi. Last Year he wrote This is Not For You, working with Graeae and Forces Veterans on a large outdoor piece inspired by the disabled of the First World War. This was a 14-18-Now commission.

NikNak
Composer- Clean Up
Assistant Composer- The Princess and The Pea
An award-winning storyteller in her own right, NikNak devoted to developing her unique practice as a DJ & Turntablist, sound artist/composer, producer, tutor, sound engineer and radio presenter. She is also a strong advocate for diverse representation in the music industry, especially within the DJ and music production realms, and musician wellbeing/mental health. Based in the UK, you’ll find NikNak digging for vinyl or comic books, gigging in and around Leeds, experimenting and sharing her music tastes to diverse audiences, delivering engaging sessions with students to develop their DJ skills, and running/curating events such as "Dub Sirens" and "Melanin". Photo by Kirsty Garland.
Set & Costumer Designer- Warda Abbasi

Movement Director- Sundeep Saini
Sundeep is a movement director & choreographer passionate about driving narrative through physicality & immersive performance. As a parent to two young children she is committed to making excellent theatre for young audiences and their families.
Sundeep’s has recently worked on the immersive open air production of “Squad Goals” at Dagenham & Redbridge FC. She was the Movement Director and choreographer on the National Theatre’s Public Acts production of “As You Like It” and has worked for many regional theatres including Watford Palace Theatre, Queens Theatre Hornchurch and The New Wolsey.

Wendy Harris
Artistic Director, Chair of PYA England
I have held the position of Artistic Director at tutti frutti since 2005 and have directed all but one production in partnership with York Theatre Royal, touring nationally and internationally and co-producing the Little Feet Festival of Children’s Theatre and the First Words writers’ development programme
Before working with tutti frutti I was Artistic Director of Red Ladder Theatre Company, and previous to this; Merseyside Young People’s Theatre Company in Liverpool. Over the years as a freelance director work has included; Everyman Theatre Liverpool, Crucible Theatre Sheffield, Hope Street Ltd, Oxford Stage Company, Unity Theatre Liverpool, European Stage Company, Theatre Royal Stratford East, and Contact Theatre Manchester. I currently live in Leeds with my partner Mark and two sons Louie and Eliot.
Touring Team

Hannah Victoria
Performer - Ivy
Hannah Victoria is delighted once again to be working with tutti frutti productions, after landing the role of Ivy in Sweet Dreams by Mike Kenny.
Hannah’s theatrical performances include Gerda in Snow Queen and shortly after joined The Little Mix Tribute Show. She has recently just finished the UK and international tour of Madagascar The Musical as Gloria The Hippo.
Whilst in training she was cast as Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act and Crystal Gordon in Bad Girls, The Musical. Hannah graduated from Edge Hill University in 2018 with a BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre. She would like to thank her family for their support and encouragement. Twitter @HannahVictor1a.

Kirsty Smith
McKenzie Alexander

This modern retelling of The Princess and the Pea is no exception – it’s bright, funny and thoroughly cheerful. Little Vikings
Anyone who enjoys a charming, funny, inventive afternoon at the theatre will be sure to come out with a grin on their face. British Theatre Guide
Tutti Frutti enraptures its young audience with a wonderful and warm piece of theatre, enriched by Mike Kenny’s inventive script. The Stage
Prior to this outing if you’d asked me if theatre was toddler friendly I’d have laughed and said no way. But Bobby sat wide-eyed and still(ish) for 60 minutes! What a winner! YorkMix
Another well-crafted and enormously enjoyable production from tutti frutti and, as with all of their shows, amid the fun there is a deeper point to take away. Whats on Stage
A masterclass in engaging storytelling, with some of the best bucket-based choreography to boot. Childrens Theatre Reviews