Tree-mendous news! Stick Man is coming to stay for Christmas

5 Mar 2025

"Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three"

Prepare yourselves for an unbe-leaf-able time this festive season! Stick Man is branching out on a new adventure in Leeds for Christmas 2025. Based on the book by Julia Donaldson with illustrations by Axel Scheffler, Stick Man will play in our Courtyard Theatre from 6 December 2025 – 4 January 2026.

What starts off as a morning jog becomes quite the misadventure for Stick Man: a dog wants to play fetch with him, a swan builds a nest with him, and he even ends up on a fire! How will Stick Man ever get back to the family tree in time for Christmas?

This much-loved adaptation from Freckle Productions, the team behind Zog and Zog and the Flying Doctors, features a trio of top actors and is packed full of puppetry, songs, live music and funky moves.

Freckle Productions Executive producer Jennifer Sutherland said: “We are so excited that our beloved Stick Man – a perennial festive family favourite – will be returning to Leeds for an extended Christmas season.”

Stick Man is adapted from the book by Julia Donaldson, the multi award-winning author of some of the world’s best loved children’s books including The Gruffalo and Zog. Julia is best known for her popular rhyming stories for children, especially those illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which have sold over 75 million copies and have been published in over 100 languages.

The story is a perennial bestseller and has been translated into 23 languages. In 2015, Magic Light Pictures premiered the animated film of Stick Man with an all-star cast including Martin Freeman, Jennifer Saunders and Hugh Bonneville. The film was the fourth most-viewed 2015 Christmas Day TV programme in the UK, and the book went to number one in the children’s chart. Stick Man celebrates its 18th anniversary this year.

Stick Man is directed by Mark Kane with original direction by Sally Cookson (A Monster Calls, Old Vic Theatre), design by Katie Sykes (Jane Eyre, National Theatre), lighting by Elanor Higgins (Private Peaceful, UK Tour) music by Benji Bower (A Monster Calls, Old Vic Theatre) and musical direction by Brian Hargreaves.