Armed with just a nut map and a vivid imagination, Mouse goes on a hunt for hazelnuts in a deep, dark wood.

Along the way, he comes across the smirking, wheeler-dealer Fox, an eccentric, retired Woodland Air Force officer Owl and the maraca-shaking, party animal Snake.

Rather than becoming the main course of their next meal, Mouse scares them away with stories of an imaginary monster friend, the Gruffalo, who has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.

A children's rhyming picturebook which has become a marketing phenomenon, The Gruffalo - by author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler - won the Smarties Gold Award (the children's equivalent of the Booker) and has been translated into 26 languages.

The creators may be determined not to allow it to become a film, but they couldn't resist giving the go-ahead for this stage show by non-profit theatre company Tall Stories, who have gained international acclaim for their innovative storytelling.

They bring the classic to life with a little help from some gentle, witty songs, a cannily embellished script and just three talented actors.

Starts 10.30am every day plus 1.30pm on Weds and Fri and 12.30pm on Sat. Tickets cost £9.50/£8, call 08700 606 650.