'The Snail And The Whale' set to run in PJ and Penang

Cast members Grace and Hibberd share a tense scene, with musician Mafham in the background.

Gardner And Wife Theatre’s new play promises a whale of a time for all ages.

Sometimes, it is the littlest ones that make the biggest difference.

In the acclaimed play The Snail And The Whale, theatregoers will learn this in the most amazing way.

The show is currently showing at PJ Live Arts Centre in Petaling Jaya in Selangor. It will also make a one-day visit to Penangpac in Penang on March 20.

The production tells a thrilling tale of a tiny snail and a great big grey-blue humpback whale. Eager to see the world, the snail hitches a ride on the tail of the whale, and the two go on an amazing adventure, encountering sharks and penguins, icebergs and volcanoes.

While amazed by everything, the snail can’t help but feel intimidated by the vastness of it all, until her friend the whale gets stranded in a bay. Will the little snail overcome big odds and save the day?

Adventurers everywhere are invited to join in the snail’s journey, seen through the eyes of a brave young girl and her seafaring father. Yes, the winsome The Snail And The Whale is bound to delight the young and the young at heart.

On stage, it features Lucy Grace (snail/daughter), Tim Hibberd (whale/dad) and Charlotte Mafham (narrator/musician). The show is directed by Toby Mitchell. It is an adaptation of the multiple award-wining book of the same name (in 2003) by author/playwright Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler. Both of them also wrote The Gruffalo in 1999.

Actress Grace plays both The Snail and The Daughter.

The show was adapted for the stage by the British theatre company Tall Stories (The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom) in 2012.

Presented by Gardner And Wife Theatre, and performed by Tall Stories here, The Snail And The Whale promises storytelling, live music and lots of laughs.

The show is geared up for those aged four and up.

According to Mitchell, the adaptation is also inspired by the volunteer project Storybook Soldiers, which has helped British military personnel abroad to record bedtime story CDs for their children back home.

Cast members Grace and Hibberd share a tense scene, with musician Mafham in the background.

Having previously toured extensively outside Britain, this production is now ready to make a splash here. The Snail And The Whale runs until March 29 at PJ Live Arts in Jaya One, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. 

Showtimes are 10am, Mondays to Fridays, and 2pm and 5pm on Sundays. There are no shows on Saturdays. 

There will also be shows on March 20 at 10am, 12.30pm and 6pm at Penangpac in Tanjung Tokong, Penang.