Full cast announced for tree-mendous festive family show at Leeds Playhouse

Magical production of Stick Man, based on the beloved book by Julia Donaldson with illustrations by Axel Scheffler, takes root in the Courtyard Theatre at Leeds Playhouse from 6 December to 4 January.

Stick Man is moving his family tree to Leeds this winter, branching out with his Stick Lady Love to enjoy a festive residency at Leeds Playhouse.

The wonderful world created by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler will be brought to life by an unbe-leaf-able, multi-talented cast.

Stick Man has become a much-loved festive tradition, enchanting audiences in London’s West End and across the UK for more than a decade. This acclaimed adaptation from Freckle Productions, the team behind Zog, The Baddies, and Zog and the Flying Doctors, features a trio of top actors and is packed full of puppetry, songs, live music and funky moves.

The company features Sam Makepeace-Beach (Sleeping Beauty, the EMC; Snow White, Maltings Theatre) as Stick Man; and Maya Bassi Curtis (Make It Happen, National Theatre of Scotland, Edinburgh International Festival, Dundee Rep Theatre) as Stick Lady Love; with Jack Ward (Bridgerton, Netflix) as actor/musician; and Hannah Baker (Pride and Prejudice; The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) as Swing.

Executive producer Jennifer Sutherland said: “Every Christmas, families make Stick Man part of their festive tradition. We’re thrilled to bring his adventures to life again this year, with productions all over the UK. It’s magical to introduce new generations of children to Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s world.”

The creative team includes original director Sally Cookson, director Mark Kane, composer Benji Bower, musical director Brian Hargreaves, assistant director Emily Pollet, designer Katie Sykes, lighting designer Eleanor Higgins, production manager Suzie Normand, and costume supervisor Louise Smith.

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 he ever get back to the family tree in time for Christmas?

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, which celebrates its 18th anniversary this year, 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.

Listings info

• Freckle Productions presents
• Stick Man
• Courtyard Theatre, Leeds Playhouse
• 6 December 2025 – 4 January 2026
• Book online leedsplayhouse.org.uk