The Gruffalo Live On Stage to be livestreamed to children in hospitals across the UK this July
Tall Stories, Lowry and Read for Good have joined forces to expand the Salford venue’s annual livestream of theatre to thousands of children in hospitals across the UK for the first time.
Leading storytelling theatre company Tall Stories, Salford’s Lowry and reading charity Read for Good are partnering to expand Lowry’s hospital livestream initiative, taking live theatre to children and their families in hospitals across the UK. Lowry is supported by Arts Council England.
On Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th July, performances of the 25th anniversary national tour of Tall Stories’ acclaimed stage adaptation of The Gruffalo Live On Stage, based on the much-loved picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (Macmillan Children’s Books), will be livestreamed from Lowry’s Quays Theatre in Salford to participating locations. These include Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool; Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, including sites at Oxford Road, North Manchester General, Trafford General, and Wythenshawe Hospital; The Hub at Edinburgh Royal Hospital for Children and Young People; The Children’s Centre at Gloucestershire Royal, part of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and the state-of-the-art MediCinema at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Teams from Tall Stories and Lowry will be based across locations to deliver pre-show activities and interactive moments during the performance itself. Every effort is made to ensure the magic of live theatre reaches children and their families wherever they are, with each child receiving a golden theatre ticket as a keepsake and other goodies.
The expansion of the livestream project has been made possible through a partnership between Tall Stories and Lowry, partnering with Read for Good. It is also supported by Macmillan Children’s Books with streaming rights and book donations. Read for Good works with hospitals nationwide to ensure children have access to books, stories and creative experiences during treatment and recovery. Its professional Storytellers deliver sessions designed to spark imagination, reduce anxiety and create moments of joy in challenging clinical environments.
A model that began at Lowry
Since 2022, Lowry has brought livestreamed theatre to more than 2,000 children and families across the North West. What began as an idea inspired by the lived experience of childhood hospitalisation has grown into an impactful model of arts in health support. The project emerged in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the emotional impact of isolation on children in hospitals became impossible to ignore. Recognising this, Lowry used its existing streaming technology to bridge that gap.
The programme has livestreamed much-loved family productions by Tall Stories, Room on the Broom (2022) and The Smeds and The Smoos (2025), as well as other productions including We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (2023) and Stick Man (2024).
Giving families and carers the opportunity to create memories together, parents and grandparents describe a positive experience as a vital emotional lift. As one parent put it: “Seeing my son’s face watching the show has given me a boost to keep my spirits up for his sake.” Hospital staff consistently report improved mood, connection and relief from the stresses of hospital life.
Find out more about The Gruffalo live on stage here.
Image cred. The Gruffalo live on stage , Craig Sugden