A new stage musical based on the classic fairy tale and Walt Disney’s seminal 1940 animated film, PINOCCHIO begins its world premiere engagement with performances at the Lyttleton Theatre in London from December 1.

Directed by John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) with set and costume design by Bob Crowley (Mary Poppins, Tarzan), the new musical features “dazzling new arrangements” from Martin Lowe (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) of all the film’s classic songs. Crowley collaborated with Toby Olié (War Horse) on the show’s puppetry design.

As part of the National Theatre’s current season, PINOCCHIO is on sale through April 10, 2018. Ticket prices range from £15 to £62, with half-price tickets available for children at all performances. Full details can be found at this link.

Disney Theatricals has employed this low-risk musical development model over the past decade with varying degrees of success. While PINOCCHIO is the first Disney musical to make its world premiere in the United Kingdom, THE JUNGLE BOOK, NEWSIES, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, FREAKY FRIDAY, and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME all premiered in American regional theatres as Disney co-productions with an eye toward licensing rather than Broadway. NEWSIES is the only Disney musical developed this way to reach Broadway, as demand exceeded Disney’s expectations. It remains to be seen if critical and audience reaction to PINOCCHIO warrants a long-run transfer to Broadway, but with no strings to hold him down, there’s no telling where PINOCCHIO will end up next.