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Birmingham Rep in Centenary Square, Birmingham
Little Red Riding Hood Artwork. Image shows the back of Little Red Riding Hood who is wearing her red coat and a blue rucksack. She is stood on a dark blue scooter on a winding path. She is looking towards a yellow house with a wreath on its door at the end of the path. There is snow and colourful fairy-lights on the house. In the foreground of the image, behind a tree, is the Big Bad Wolf who is wearing a pink coat and is looking at Little Red Riding hood. There is smoke coming out of the chimney and the text in the smoke reads “Little Red Riding Hood: A magical fairy tale treat for Christmas”.
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Little Red Riding Hood Cast Announcement

We are thrilled to announce the cast of a new adaptation of the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood.

Created especially for young children and their families, and designed to be the perfect first theatre experience, this is a production that will light up the audiences’ imagination.

CBeebies presenter Nisha Anil takes on the role of Nana. The role of Red is played by Siobhan Cha Cha, who delighted young audiences in Unicorn Theatre’s re-telling of the folk tale Anansi The Spider.

Joining them as the Wolf/Robin is actor, musician and composer Ben Simon.

Directed by Rep Associate Artist, Caroline Wilkes, Little Red Riding Hood is a new adaptation of the classic fairy tale that will play in The Rep’s most intimate venue, The Door, from Thu 7 Dec 2023 – Sat 6 Jan 2024.

Text reads 'Little Red Riding Hood. Cast announced!' in a small cloud above three headshots. The first headshot is of Nisha Anil who will play Nana. Nisha is a young South Asian woman who is smiling. The second image shows Siobhan Cha Cha who will play red. Siobhan is a young Black woman who is smiling slightly and looking down the camera. The third headshot is of Ben Simon who will pay both the Wolf and Robin and he is a young white man who is looking directly at the camera. The dates at the bottom read 'THE 7 DEC - SAT 6 JAN'. There are small snowflakes in the background and there is a small robin perched on Nisha's headshot.

Written by Katherine Chandler, who also wrote last year’s family favourite Jack and The Magic Beanstalk, it’s another Rep Original production that has been created especially for children aged three to six years old (and their grown-ups).

Caroline Wilkes said:

I am so excited to be making the brand new show, Little Red Riding Hood, with Birmingham Rep this Christmas. Using live music and interactive, immersive storytelling, our very youngest audiences will meet Red Riding Hood and accompany her on an extraordinary, exciting adventure. Where will the wolf be hiding and can you help Red to find her way safely home? This is such a beloved tale that we just know children and adults alike will enjoy it.”

Little Red Riding Hood Artwork. Image shows the back of Little Red Riding Hood who is wearing her red coat and a blue rucksack. She is stood on a dark blue scooter on a winding path. She is looking towards a yellow house with a wreath on its door at the end of the path. There is snow and colourful fairy-lights on the house. In the foreground of the image, behind a tree, is the Big Bad Wolf who is wearing a pink coat and is looking at Little Red Riding hood.

All performances feature some integrated Makaton signing. Little Red Riding Hood is generously supported by the Sir Barry Jackson Trust.

Professor Claire Cochrane, a trustee for the Sir Barry Jackson Trust said:

Following the success of last year’s production of Jack and the Magic Beanstalk, which was enjoyed by enthusiastic family audiences in the Door and in community venues across Birmingham, the Sir Barry Jackson Trust is very pleased to be supporting the Rep’s new adaptation of the much-loved story of Little Red Riding Hood. Like Jack it promises to be an inventive, tuneful, child-friendly Christmas treat.

Little Red Riding Hood is also a Green Book sustainably made theatre production. Green Book productions are part of a theatre industry initiative to tackle climate change from waste reduction to printing posters on recycled paper.

The Little Red Riding Hood set has been constructed to minimise its carbon footprint. A large portion of the wooden elements were made using offcuts from other Birmingham Rep productions, including Sinatra The Musical and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and leftover paint has been used to reduce waste.

Old stock lights are being refurbished to use as wireless LED units and the design team has endeavoured to ensure 50 per cent of the materials used are second-hand.

 

Little Red Riding Hood is a Rep Original production created by:

Writer: Katherine Chandler
Director: Caroline Wilkes
Set and Costume Designer: Deborah Mingham
Lighting Designer: Sam Waddington
Composer: Reisz Amos
Sound Designer: Jonathan Pearce
Production Manager: Kat Ellis
Makaton Consultant: Prit Chouhan
JMK Assistant Director: Laura Ryder

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