The Lorax
2000/2003
“The Lorax” by Dr Seuss uniquely performed as solo performance with live music for young audiences in community venues, festivals, libraries, nurseries and schools.
The Lorax is a poem performed as a one-woman show that is entertaining, educational and participatory with live music.
The language is highly creative, fun and rich and it tells a very simple and powerful environmental story.
The performance lasts approximately 40-45 minutes and after the show the children will have the opportunity to discuss some of the environmental questions raised within the poem
Whose responsibility is it to deal with litter?
Whose responsibility is it to grow trees and take care of them?
At the end there will be an opportunity for the children to ask any questions they may have about the production.. The whole programme lasts one hour.
The show toured throughout Derbyshire in 2001 and continued touring until 2003, including Nottinghamshire schools on behalf of Nottingham Playhouse.
The Lorax is full of highly creative language, made up landscapes and wonderfully rich characters: brown bar-ba-loots, swomee swans, humming fish and the fabulous Truffella trees!
The Lorax is a mythical character who tries in vain to save the environment from wanton destruction by the Old Onceler, but ends with hope and action!
Suitable for family, and children from three to six years old “The Lorax” a wacky, innovative performance told with puppets, participation and live music – a gentle environmental story brought to life with the help and support of many friends and colleagues:
Ava was inspired to create the The Lorax after it reading as a bedtime story to her son.
Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care.
Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air.
Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.
Then the Lorax
And all of his friends
May come back.
The poem is performed verbatim, in its entirety and by kind permission of Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P.
Direction: Bill Mitchell
Music composition: Lewis Gibson
(Kneehigh/Wildworks); Gerry Flanagan (Shifting Sands); Andrew Breakwell (Nottingham Playhouse Roundabout)
Design: Bill Mitchell
Musician: Lewis Hancock
- 16 Jun 2001Arts Plus, Nottingham
- 18 Jun 2001Edale CE Primary School
- 19 Jun 2001Grassmoor Primary School, North Wingfield
- 20 Jun 2001Tansley Primary School
- 26 Jun 2001Great Hucklow Primary School
- 26 Jun 2001National Junior School, Hucknall
- 27 Jun 2001Kirk Ireton CofE Primary School
- 28 Jun 2001Crich and Carr CofE Primary School
- 1 Jul 2001Bolsover Children's Festival
- 2 Jul 2001Winster Primary School
- 2 Jul 2001St Oswalds School, Ashbourne
- 5 Jul 2001Holy Trinity Primary School, Matlock Bath
- 5 Jul 2001Donisthorpe Primary School
- 10 Jul 2001Carsington and Hopton Primary School
- 10 Jul 2001Stretton Handley Primary
- 1 Aug 2001Fairfield Primary School, Stapleford
- 3 Aug 2001Horsendale Primary School, Nuthall
- 3 Aug 2001Kimberley Church, Notts
- 4 Aug 2001Portland Park Primary School, Kirkby in Ashfield
- 4 Aug 2001Derby City Eco-Fest
- 5 Aug 2001Brierley Forest Park, Notts
- 5 Aug 2001Derby City EcoFest
- 7 Aug 2001The Medway Centre, Bakewell
- 7 Aug 2001Stevenson Junior School
- 9 Aug 2001Beeston Rylands Community Centre
- 9 Aug 2001Alexandria Lodge, Nottingham
- 13 Aug 2001Whitwell Community Centre
- 14 Aug 2001The Marquee, Stapleford
- 14 Aug 2001Awsworth Village Hall
- 15 Aug 2001Plumptree Hall, Notts
- 15 Aug 2001Brinsley Park Hall, Notts
- 16 Aug 2001Long Eaton Library
- 17 Aug 2001Buxton Library
- 17 Aug 2001Attenborough Village Hall
- 20 Aug 2001St Barnabas Church Hall, Notts
- 9 Sep 2001Wirksworth Festival
It captivated even the youngest children – they loved it! Thanks very much. Harpur Hill Primary School, Buxton
“This environmental morality tale for children held the total attention of a full house of primary school pupils, not to mention several teachers, parents and grandparents, despite temperatures in the Pauper’s Pit that probably broke a number of health and safety regulations. The script is in Dr Suess characteristic galloping verse with strong rhythms, and a literal spattering of invented words whose meaning is usually very clear, especially when enunciated with clarity and relish as here. The performers are one actor, Ava Hunt, and one source of sound effects Gill Goodman, but this is not what you’d think by the end of the show, so multifarious are the personalities and activities projected with such vigour. The story opposes the Onceler, an environmentally destructive business man, and the Lorax himself who ‘speaks for the trees’ and all the creatures dependant on them (ultimately of course us too). The one actor is convincingly both people, the differences conveyed largely by posture and a hat (and what a hat). Afterwards, only a few of the children said they’d read the book before. Surely many of them will do so now, and will find that the hat, and other props, faithfully represent the Seuss illustrations. They should also remember the slightly zany energy with which the performers put the message across – and thus, we hope, the message.” Ursula Birkett
