The Enormous Crocodile

Taya Ming in the title role as The Enormous Crocodile is part diva, part villain. Strutting and scheming through the undergrowth with a grin as wide as the Serpentine, Ming brings a magnetic stage presence and comedic timing sharper than a crocodile’s tooth. She’s the kind of villain who knows she’s in a musical and she loves it. Siobhan Athwal is wonderfully animated as Muggle-Wump the monkey, delivering a performance full of bounce and mischief. Her portrayal of the northern teacher is incredibly funny showing her versatility as an actress, mixed with a fierce, street dancing, body popping Muggle-Wump making her a firm favourite with the little ones. 

Alison Arnopp (Roly Poly Bird) brings a dazzling flair to the role capturing the character’s flamboyance and cleverness, injecting every scene she’s in with vibrant personality and humour. Ryan Crellin-Simpson (Humpy Rumpy the Hippotapotamus) offers a warm and gentle portrayal. His grounded performance balances the more eccentric characters nicely making Humpy Rumpy both lovable and memorable. 

Nia Stephen’s performance as Trunky the Elephant is thoughtful and engaging, giving Trunky a sense of wisdom and kindness that resonates strongly with the audience, particularly in key moments of confrontation with the crocodile. It’s an impressive cast of five performers in which the multi rolling five some very rarely leave the stage for more than two minutes, changing costumes, characters and puppets. They make a well balanced ensemble, each contributing a distinct energy, physicality and accent to every character they play bringing Dahl’s jungle to life in a way that’s both entertaining and true to the story.