Stick Man is leaving his family tree to put down roots in London and Leeds this Christmas...as well as going on a tour around the UK this Winter!
Based on the book by Julia Donaldson with illustrations by Axel Scheffler, perennial festive favourite Stick Man will play in two UK cities simultaneously this Christmas, with one production returning to its new London home, the Bloomsbury Theatre, from 4 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 and another at the Leeds Playhouse, from 6 December 2025 to 4 January 2026.
A third production of Stick Man will also be embarking on a UK tour from September 2025. Tickets for all venues go on sale today and can be booked here.
'Stick Man lives in the family tree With his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three...’
What starts off as a morning jog becomes quite the misadventure for Stick Man: a dog wants to play fetch with him, a swan builds a nest with him, and he even ends up on a fire! How will Stick Man ever get back to the family tree in time for Christmas?
This much-loved adaptation from Freckle Productions, the team behind Zog and Zog and the Flying Doctors, features a trio of top actors and is packed full of puppetry, songs, live music and funky moves.
As well as London and Leeds, Stick Man will be embarking on a UK Tour from September 2025.
It will play at The Old Market Brighton (25-28 September), Gulbenkian Arts Centre Canterbury (30 September-2 October), Chelmsford Theatre (3-5 October), Wycombe Swan Theatre (10-11 October), Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford (16-19 October), The Albany Theatre Coventry (21-26 October), Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch (31 October-2 November), Victoria Theatre Halifax (8-9 November), Hull New Theatre (11-12 November), His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen (14-16 November), Eden Court Inverness (17-18 November), Rothes Halls Glenrothes (20-21 November), The Sands Centre Carlisle (25-26 November), London artsdepot (28-30 November), MAST Southampton (2-6 December) and The Mill Arts Centre Banbury (9-14 December) before their Christmas sit down in Milton Keynes (16 December-4 January).
For Freckle Production’s Stick Man, this will be their first time visiting The Old Market Brighton, Chelmsford Theatre, The Albany Theatre Coventry, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, his Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen, Eden Court Inverness, The Sands Centre Carlisle, and The Mill Arts Centre Banbury.
Executive producer Jennifer Sutherland said, “We are so excited that our beloved Stick Man – a perennial festive family favourite – will have productions all over the UK this year in the run up to and over Christmas. We moved to our new London home at the Bloomsbury Theatre last year and are thrilled to be returning – and equally happy to be embarking on a Stick Man tour and returning to Milton Keynes and Leeds for extended Christmas seasons. It’s going to be a busy Christmas!”
Stick Man is adapted from the book by Julia Donaldson, the multi award-winning author of some of the world's best loved children's books including The Gruffalo and Zog. Julia is best known for her popular rhyming stories for children, especially those illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which have sold over 75 million copies and have been published in over 100 languages.
Stick Man is a perennial bestseller and has been translated into 23 languages. In 2015, Magic Light Pictures premiered the animated film of Stick Man with an all-star cast including Martin Freeman, Jennifer Saunders and Hugh Bonneville. The film was the 4th most-viewed 2015 Christmas Day TV programme in the UK, and the book went to number one in the children’s chart. Stick Man celebrates its 18th anniversary this year.
Stick Man is directed by Mark Kane with original direction by Sally Cookson (A Monster Calls, Old Vic Theatre), design by Katie Sykes (Jane Eyre, National Theatre), lighting by Elanor Higgins (Private Peaceful, UK Tour) music by Benji Bower (A Monster Calls, Old Vic Theatre) and musical direction by Brian Hargreaves.