WayWord Children’s Festival returns to Storyhouse for Autumn 2025

Jacqueline Wilson and Rose Ayling-Ellis among the October half term festival line-up

The WayWord Festival for kids returns to Storyhouse this autumn with eight days of amazing events for inquisitive young minds.

Best-selling children’s author Jacqueline Wilson and actress Rose Ayling-Ellis are among the line-up for the annual festival for children which aims to excite, inspire and celebrate the power of words to ignite the imagination.

The 2025 WayWord will be staged at Storyhouse’s Hunter Street headquarters from Saturday, 25 October to Sunday, 2 November.

Events will be held in the main Storyhouse Theatre, Garret Theatre and other spaces across the building, and some of them are absolutely free.

WayWord opens on Saturday, 25 October with The Last Little Pumpkin. Join local author Louise Foster for free storytelling and activities. Meet Hilda, a witch with a very special seasonal job, and Romy – a feisty little girl who doesn’t like to follow the rules.

Later the same day, Onjali Q Raúf, bestselling author of books like The Boy at the Back of the Class and The Name I Will Never Forget, appears in the Garret Theatre where the multi-award-winning children’s author, playwright and women’s and refugee human rights activist will take a fun and informative look back through her books as well as giving her audience the chance to ask her some questions.

Meanwhile there’s a chance to set sail to a land of laughter with Pirates Love Underpants. The swashbuckling adventure based on the much-loved book by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort, takes over the venue’s main stage on Saturday and Sunday, 25-26 October.

Following on from the success of The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Storyhouse are delighted to present their next Shakespearian production, created specifically for young people: Twelfth Night (for kids) on Sunday, 26 October.

The production of Shakespeare’s comedy will also be staged on Wednesday, 29 October and Saturday, 1 November, while there will be Twelfth Night interactive workshops with members of the cast held in the Garret Theatre on each of the performance days. Tickets for the workshops are able to be purchased separately.

Both weekends of the festival will also feature free crafting activities for children of all ages.

Author Liz Pichon is inviting young readers to Meet The Mubbles on Monday, 27 October. Get ready for lots of fun as the brilliant creator of the bestselling Tom Gates novels launches her latest series for those aged six and up, inviting her audience to discover the Isle of Smile and find out what is behind the Uncertain Curtain.

The event in the Storyhouse Theatre will include music, games and lots of opportunity to doodle so don’t forget to bring a pen and paper.

Monday is also Doodle Day at Storyhouse. The free, drop-in event is back by popular demand and invites young visitors to unleash their inner creativity and help fill the building with brilliant artwork.

WayWord festival favourite Jacqueline Wilson returns to Storyhouse on Tuesday, 28 October with the latest in her hugely popular Sleepover series featuring Daisy and her friends, and Daisy’s sister Lily.

In The Seaside Sleepover, the summer holidays have finally arrived and Daisy longs for a proper holiday at the seaside, building sandcastles, eating lots of ice cream and maybe even spotting a mermaid by the sea. Sister Lily wants to come too, but she uses a wheelchair which can make trips to the beach a bit tricky. Then Scruff arrives in their life…

Then on the same day, BAFTA-winning actress and Strictly glitterball champion Rose Ayling-Ellis makes her WayWord debut in the Storyhouse Theatre to talk about Marvellous Messages, her debut book for young readers.

She will reveal her inspirational heroes past and present and share details of her career from an early love of acting to being the first Deaf presenter of the Paralympics. And there will even be a chance to learn a bit of British Sign Language.

Meanwhile WayWord Storytime takes place at 11 each morning from Tuesday, 28 October to Sunday, 2 November. It’s free – just drop in and listen as members of the Storyhouse team bring their favourite children’s books to life.

On Wednesday, 29 October puppetry, music and play are the order of the day for tiny visitors aged two and over courtesy of All in a Wondrous Night. You never know who you might meet in the small magic world of suitcase street. The event in the Garret Theatre is free but spaces should be booked in advance.

The Storyhouse Theatre is the venue for The Dinosaur That Pooped on Thursday, 30 October. Adapted from the best-selling books by Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter, the show features new songs, lots of laugh…and a whole lot of poo!

And in the Garret Theatre, Kudzai Pasirayi, ingenious author of the popular children’s book series Mischievous Ralphie in Action, hosts an engaging interactive session featuring African storytelling, imagination and fun. And with a few surprises on the way.

The brilliant Dara McAnulty, winner of the Wainwright Prize for Diary of a Young Naturalist, comes to Storyhouse on Friday, 31 October to take his young audience on a journey through nature at night. Hear all about the wonder of the nocturnal world and learn about McAnulty’s new book A Wild Child’s Guide to Nature which is illustrated in colour by Barry Falls.

And also on 31 October, the irrepressible local illustrator and writer Jonny Duddle presents The Jolley Rogers and the Pirate Piper. The performance in the Storyhouse Theatre will include draw-a-longs, animated reading of his books, some questions and lots of general silliness.

The event complements the free interactive exhibition Rats! Rats! Rats! which is inspired by the book and runs at the venue from 18 October to 16 November.

Based on Liz Pichon’s bestselling books, and completely new for 2025, Tom Gates EPIC State Show comes to the Storyhouse Theatre on Saturday, 1 November, bringing alive the illustrations and music that makes Tom Gates hugely popular around the world. Expect hilarious performances and catchy tunes.

Then on Sunday, 2 November hear The Tale of the Loneliest Whale in a new family show by Hoglets Theatre which explores neurodiversity through a whale’s song in a production packed with puppetry, original music…and oceanic adventure.

Storyhouse creative director Suzie Henderson said today: “WayWord has become a much-loved and much-anticipated part of our annual programme of events, and now in its fourth year it continues to go from strength to strength. We started WayWord to fire our young visitors’ amazing imaginations, and it has certainly done that.

“I’m delighted to welcome old friends like the brilliant Jacqueline Wilson back to the festival for 2025, as well as extending a warm Storyhouse welcome to new faces like Rose Ayling-Ellis and Onjali Q Raúf.

“The team has put together a programme which includes something to delight everyone, from storytelling to songs, and playful puppetry to piratical high jinks on the high seas, promising a hugely enjoyable autumn half term here at Storyhouse.”

For more details on the WayWord programme and to book tickets visit www.storyhouse.com