Meet the Team Behind One Tiny Penguin at Birmingham Hippodrome
Following on from the success of the two previous My First Musical shows, Jingleclaw and No Such Thing As Wolves, Birmingham Hippodrome will be bringing us the next in this series – One Tiny Penguin – for Christmas 2026. This heartwarming story is perfect for children aged 3 and up.
Click here to find out more about the show
As part of the show launch I caught up with Laura Ryder (Director), Benedict Hastings (Sky) and Clara Abdilla Joslin (Bonola) to find out more about this year’s production. Here’s what they had to say:
Raring2go!: Tell me about your characters
Carla: My name is Bonola, she is a South African penguin who Lumi meets on his journey. I think she embodies strength of character and tough love but is very supportive at the same time. Whenever Bonola interacts with Lumi she encourages him to keep going. She is that one person in your life that tells you can keep going but also is quite fun.
Benedict: I play the polar bear who is probably the most laid-back of the three. He enjoys his snacks! And then my penguin character is Sky, head of the South Pole. This character is called the light keeper and is the person that Lumi needs to find in order to fulfill his quest. Sky is very much the most serious penguin, I think. Quite majestic and a little bit timeless. But he is very, very excited to see Lumi because there’s never been a penguin light bringer before.
Raring2go!: What drew you to One Tiny Penguin?
Laura: I love making theatre for children – especially at Christmas. I think it’s a really special time and it’s so often the first experience a child ever has of theatre. I think it is such a privilege. It’s wonderful and this particular show – the music and the story – I just found incredibly compelling. It’s beautiful and I think it really speaks to children about courage, about celebrating difference and celebrating who you are. A really beautiful message and I think to do a musical that’s really ambitious and has loads of beautiful production value, is visually exciting and has poetry and live music just feels like an absolute treat at Christmas time. So yeah, those things definitely drew me in – this is for your children.
Raring2go!: How do you make sure it’s appealing to the kids but also to the grown-up that they bring along with them?
Laura: Well, I think that it is all about the way we are telling the story, particularly for children. I love finding different access points. When it comes to all the visual parts of the storytelling – there is stuff that’s told in song, in movement and in puppetry. I think for families, we want people to go away and have a conversation with their child about what it is to be brave and what it is to go on an adventure. That’s a really beautiful thing to do when you leave the theatre. Be curious about the world. It’s a really global story – Lumi goes in a really huge adventure and I think that’s also something that would be really great to have conversations about with the child in your life.
Benedict: The thing that we keep going back to a lot in rehearsals is that classic Disney feel where there are two storylines happening at the same time. The adults are enjoying it and the kids are enjoying it.
Laura: We’ve got a really good story. I think we’ve got loads of really beautiful visuals, gorgeous puppetry, beautiful music and the songs are delicious. But I think at the heart of it – a really, really good story that I think speaks to children and adults.
Raring2go!: What’s different about working on a show for young children? What are the challenges? Children are not known for politely clapping!
Clara: There’s an archetype isn’t there for kids’ theatre? But I think it can be something really powerful. We must take care that we are not underestimating the children and their intelligence. What we have found when we have performed snippets of the show to children is that they often anticipate the story which is lovely. So, not dumbing down any of the characters and trusting that they’re going to follow us.
Benedict: The story has to be really clear and really exciting. The songs are so engaging and catchy. The kids that we’ve had to see it so far have been so engaged with it. We’ve made sure that the story and the characters are front row centre. It’s a beautiful journey that this one little character gets to go on. He’s being incredibly brave and really kind and learning amazing skills which is something that I think kids really invest in. We have a lot of interaction from them, which is a massive part of it.
Raring2go!: Have the kids who have seen the show already picked up on anything unexpected or reacted in a way that took you by surprise?
Benedict: The kids are not polite! But that’s great because if you’ve got them, you know you’ve got them! The moments of silence are what surprised me – they’re clearly just completely absorbed with the puppets, the spectacle, the music and the characters.
Raring2go!: What is your favourite part of the show?
Clara: My favourite moment was definitely seeing some of the kids’ faces when they saw the puppet. Their faces light up when this thing is on stage. I think that is so beautiful.
Laura: That is very difficult. We found a really lovely way to tell the story of Lumi’s journey because it’s global. He travels around the world and we use puppetry to tell that and I’m really proud of what we’ve created. I’m excited by it. I think it’s really dynamic so that is one of my favourite bits.
Raring2go!: If there is a Mum at home that would love to book tickets but is worrying that their child is too small to sit in a theatre, what would you say to them?
Laura: Don’t worry if your child needs to have a wriggle. There are lots of points for that and lots of points where they can be part of the story and part of the storytelling which will keep them engaged.
Clara: Just listen to the story and we will guide you through it. They will have a brilliant time. You don’t have to behave in a certain way. You don’t have to be quiet or try and limit what they are doing and how they how they engage with the story. We’re going to be encouraging interaction at many points in the show. We’ll really encourage that participation.
Benedict: Yeah, trust us! I think there’s something so nice about theatre as a family day out. This is one of those shows that everyone can enjoy and be part of even if, for example, the child gets distracted by something. The spectacle will keep bringing them back to the reason why you’re there.
Raring2go!: What’s the thing that you think the kids will take away with them and talk about for days?
Laura: I was talking to someone earlier about how I think that there will probably be lots of children singing the songs. We are going to record the songs and they’ll be on Spotify. I love the idea of thinking that families on a car journey will listen to the songs again or dance in the living room. There are some real earworms!
Clara: For me I would love them to go away thinking about what it means to belong and what it means to be brave. What it means to push yourself out of your comfort zone and to have an adventure. What it means to actually go on an adventure and learn things and be brave.
Raring2go!: What’s your first memory of theatre?
Laura: My first memory? I think it was when I was at school. An education piece that came to my Primary School and I remember realising that there’s a world of storytelling that’s playful and exciting and imaginative and live. I was just completely hooked.
One Tiny Penguin will be at Birmingham Hippodrome from 5 December to 3 January.
