Judith Kerr's Mog the Forgetful Cat is coming to the stage as a new musical play. It opens at the Rose Theatre in Kingston on 11 February 2027, then tours the UK until September, with tickets on sale now.
The Rose Theatre, Nicoll Entertainment and the Unicorn Theatre have joined forces on Mog the Forgetful Cat, adapted from Judith Kerr's picture book. The first stop is the Rose in Kingston, south west London, from 11-21 February 2027. That is a short hop from Barnes, the part of London Kerr called home. The show is back in the capital in the summer, with a run at the Unicorn Theatre in Southwark from 13 July to 8 August 2027.
Puppetry, songs and plenty of comedy drive the piece, built around the everyday scrapes that have followed Mog since she first appeared in print. Miranda Larson has written the adaptation; her credits include The Dinosaur that Pooped and the children's television series Numberblocks. Eamonn O'Dwyer, who wrote the music for The Koala Who Could and The Lion Inside, is composer, lyricist and musical director. Christopher Haydon, artistic director of the Rose, directs. Haydon's recent Kingston productions include Three Men in a Boat and Emma. Oli Townsend designs the set and costumes.
The producers have been here before with Kerr. Nicoll Entertainment is the company behind The Tiger Who Came To Tea, which earned an Olivier nomination for its West End run. The three partners have also worked together on The Lion Inside and The Koala Who Could.
Kerr's children, Tacy and Matthew, said: "We are thrilled that Mog will be brought to life in this new production for 2027 and that a character and story that means so much to us personally and is beloved by generations of readers will be shown to audiences familiar and new, all over the country, capturing the magic that has given Mog a place in readers' hearts since our mother first gave her to the world over fifty five years ago."
Larson promised a mix of flights of fancy and familiar scenes: "From fantastical moments where Mog lets her imagination get carried away, to the excitement of a cat show, to favourite moments from the books, we have ensured there is something for everyone in our new story."
Haydon said: "Mog sits curled up at the heart of the Thomas family, but she will also feel like a familiar family member to the generations of children she has entertained over the years. So it is an absolute delight to be able to bring her to full three dimensional life on the Rose stage, and to then be taking her to many other theatres beyond."
The cast, and the rest of the creative team, are still to be announced. Tickets are on sale now for the 2027 dates confirmed so far, with more to follow:
- 11-21 February: Rose Theatre, Kingston
- 23-24 February: 1435 Theatre & Museum, Chesterfield
- 26-28 February: Derby Theatre, Derby
- 6-7 March: Arts Centre, Stockton on Tees
- 8-9 March: Grimsby Auditorium, Grimsby
- 13-14 March: Theatre Royal, Winchester
- 23-24 March: Riverfront, Newport
- 26-28 March: Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne
- 30 March - 1 April: Old Vic, Bristol
- 2-4 April: Theatre Royal, York
- 5-7 April: Palace Theatre, Southend
- 9-10 April: The Montgomery Theatre, Sheffield
- 14-15 April: South Mill Arts, Bishop's Stortford
- 24-25 April: Ulster Hall, Belfast
- 25-27 May: Radlett Centre, Radlett
- 28-30 May: Lighthouse Theatre, Poole
- 1-5 June: Playhouse, Liverpool
- 25-27 June: Kings Theatre, Edinburgh
- 13 July - 8 August: Unicorn Theatre, London
- 10 August: Dorking Halls, Dorking
- 17-18 August: Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
- 24-26 August: Hall for Cornwall, Truro
- 27-28 August: G-LIVE, Guildford
- 17-19 September: Opera House, Jersey
