26 September – 6 October
Award-winning Bath performance poet TOBY THOMPSON opens brand-new staging of THE LITTLE PRINCE at The Egg Theatre
Performance poet Toby Thompson’s new stage show, The Little Prince, will open in his home city this autumn, appearing at The Egg Theatre from Thursday 26th September to Sunday 6th October, prior to a UK tour. Toby’s last show, I Wish I Was A Mountain, was developed and produced by The Egg through its Incubator programme, opening in Bath before taking him around the world.
In a true celebration of life on Earth and what it means to be part of it, this playful and curious, one-person adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved novel, The Little Prince, blends the silly with the serious, drawing on the rich philosophical threads of the original tale.
Audiences are invited to join the Little Prince on a whimsical journey as he wanders the universe in search of the true meaning of friendship, encountering loneliness, love and real happiness along the way. A love letter to young generations and suitable for ages 7+, it addresses how important it is to recognise everything that is beautiful in the world, providing hope for children growing up in a society full of challenges.
Written and performed by Bath performance poet Toby Thompson, whose first children’s show I Wish I Was A Mountain has been recognised across the globe, The Little Prince is delivered in Thompson’s signature style, with curious insights into the human condition with his wide-eyed wonder, cheekiness, and zest for life.
Enter a world of endless sunsets, where people are like flowers, and grown-ups are, well, pretty peculiar. They think serious things are silly and silly things are serious. They’ve forgotten how to look with the heart. A pilot is stranded in the desert after his plane crashes and comes across an inquisitive boy who recounts his remarkable story of growing up on an asteroid, journeying through the universe on an adventure to make friends, learn things, and notice the most important things in life.
Writer and performer Toby Thompson said, “I am over the moon (and away to the asteroids!) to be making this show with The Egg Theatre in my beloved hometown of Bath. I’ve been performing in this auditorium on this stage since I was 12 years old. It’s home. I was lucky enough to work for many years here as an usher. The previous show we made together has taken me all around the world. And now The Little Prince feels to be a new and important step in this journey of friendship and creation that The Egg and I are on.”
The Egg’s Creative Producer Laura Knight said, “At The Egg, we advocate for beauty, joy and profound curiosity in the work we make. Toby’s adaptation of The Little Prince embodies these values. With such a light touch he is able to offer audiences surprising insights into our very existence, transcending the noise of everyday life and getting right to the heart of what it means to be human. We’re very excited to be sharing this gem of a show with audiences of young people and hope to pique their interest in what live performance can offer.”
Toby Thompson, a previous Glastonbury Poetry Slam Champion, has written commissions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Geographical Society and the National Portrait Gallery. He’s performed his work at festivals and venues including Latitude, Wilderness, Harare International Festival of the Arts, Leipzig Book Fair, The Natural History Museum, the Royal Albert Hall, and the House of Lords. His one-man poetry and music storytelling bonanza For The Record won the Pleasance Indie Award for Best Theatre Show at the Edinburgh Fringe 2018. His show I Wish I Was A Mountain won the Victor Award for Best Theatre Show at Philadelphia’s IPAY Festival 2020. In 2022, Toby toured I Wish I Was A Mountain to China for six months, and also to Ireland.
The Little Prince appears at The Egg Theatre from Thursday 26th September to Sunday 6th October. To book tickets call the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844, The Egg on 01225 823 409 or visit theatreroyal.org.uk/whats-on/
Photo credit: Camilla Adams
This listing appears on our front page until 11:55pm on Sunday October 6th, 2024
