Put the kettle on and stock up the cupboards – the much-loved children's book The Tiger Who Came to Tea is being brought to life on stage in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
In the story, written in 1968 by the British author Judith Kerr, Sophie and her mum are having an ordinary day at home when the doorbell rings. Sophie opens the door to find a tiger there, who invites himself in for tea and then eats and drinks everything he can find.
The London-based actress Abbey Norman, 30, who has been portraying Sophie since the play debuted in 2008, says her tiny frame helps get her cast in children's roles (including as the mouse in The Gruffalo when it came to Dubai in 2007).
“I’m only 4 feet 10 inches [tall]so I can easily get away with looking like a child and we’ve worked hard on the movements to try to recreate the look of a child. In our costumes, its almost like we’ve stepped out of the pages of the book, right down to Sophie’s chequered tights.” She explains why the tale still holds a place in the hearts of millions of young children and their parents. “Judith Kerr wrote the book for her daughter,” says Norman. “She said she tried to think of the most exciting thing that could happen to them when they were sitting at home all day. And what could be more thrilling than a tiger at your front door? As an adult, when the doorbell rings you think: ‘Oh no, who’s that?’ But as a child, hearing the doorbell ring is always a really exciting moment.”
The British director and celebrated children’s laureate David Wood, who adapted the story for the stage, acknowledges the tiger is greedy but “although he causes chaos eating everything, he displays good manners and gratitude to his hosts”.
Wood was given permission to turn Kerr’s story into a play when he met her at Queen Elizabeth’s 80th birthday party at Buckingham Palace in 2006.
"Judith Kerr's classic picture book was a great favourite of both my daughters and also of my wife and myself, who both thoroughly enjoyed reading it to them. So adapting The Tiger Who Came to Tea was a labour of love and directing it has also been a real pleasure. I particularly like the story because the fantasy idea springs from reality. The everyday quality at the outset, as Sophie and her mum prepare to have tea, quickly develops into a fantastic adventure."
Audiences can expect to see the story faithfully played out on stage, complete with a splendid Tiger (the role is played by Benjamin Wells), a realistic kitchen based on the book’s illustrations and a “tigerobics” sequence. The visual effects include plates of food being magically devoured and the fridge empties and later refills.
But how did Wood manage to draw out a five-minute-long bedtime story into a 55-minute play?
“Instead of starting at teatime, as the book does, I created a back story using small details in the book. So we see a day in the life of Sophie, starting with Daddy at breakfast late for work. The doorbell rings several times, but it’s not the Tiger. The build-up of tension at this delayed arrival gets the children on the edge of their seats. Another element I added is a present from an uncle, a toy cat, who joins in the story.”
Norman recalls that when she read the book as a child, Sophie’s late-night trip to a cafe in her nightie stuck in her mind. “I used to think that going out late at night in the dark was the most brilliant thing and David has chosen to highlight that moment in our production.”
• The Tiger Who Came to Tea is on Sunday at 9.45am and at 11.30am (school shows), and on Sunday at 4.30pm (public show) at Abu Dhabi Theatre. Tickets cost from Dh130. Call 050 880 5074 to book. The show then moves to Ductac Centerpoint Theatre, Mall of the Emirates in Dubai from Wednesday until May 1. Tickets Dh100 to Dh150. Visit www.ductac.org
artslife@thenational.ae
