By Shari Barrett
Originally co-produced by Roald Dahl Story Company, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Leeds Playhouse, The Enormous Crocodile Musical is being presented by Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre for five weeks from December 5, 2025 to January 4, 2026. This mischievous musical based on Roald Dahl’s snappy book has toe-tapping tunes by Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab, a rib-tickling book and lyrics by Suhayla El-Bushra, and additional music and lyrics by Tom Brady.
Developed and directed by Emily Lim, it features a menagerie of puppets by co-director and puppetry designer Toby Olié, with set and costume design by Fly Davis and puppetry co-designed and supervised by Daisy Beattie. This lively show features Taya Ming as the Enormous Crocodile, alongside Nia Stephen as Trunky the Elephant, Ryan Crellin-Simpson as Humpy Rumpy the Hippopotamus, Alison Arnopp at Roly Poly Bird, and Siobhan Athwal as Muggle-Wump the Monkey. Elanor Ambekar is the swing.
Bring the whole family and watch as The Enormous Crocodile weaves his way through the jungle of Los Angeles in search of delicious little fingers and squidgy podgy knees! And only the other jungle creatures can foil his secret plans and clever tricks, but they’re going to have to find a large amount of courage to stop this greedy brute. From Trunky the Elephant to Muggle-Wump the Monkey, get to know the menagerie of creative puppets in the U.S premiere of this smash U.K. hit production. Enjoy the family-friendly experience as you go from the jungle into outer space and back again, just in time for a wild dance party!
Performances run December 5, 2025 to January 4, 2026 on Tuesday and Wednesday at 11:00am, Thursday at 7:00pm, Friday at 11:00am and 7:00pm, Saturday at 11 and 3 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City 90232.
Ticket prices begin at $40.25, available online at https://www.centertheatregroup.org/, by phone to Audience Services at (213) 628-2772, or in person at Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre) at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012. For Group Pricing, visit https://www.centertheatregroup.org/join-give/corporate-partnerships/ Available tickets will be sold at the box office prior to each performance. Please note, Center Theatre Group offers several services to accommodate persons requiring mobility, vision, and hearing access. For more information, please visit https://www.centertheatregroup.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/
The Actors’ Gang presents a World Premiere holiday entertainment for the entire family, Children of the Winter Kingdom – The Bonkers Adventures of Holly and Spruce, an original fantasy fairy tale for the theater written by Adam Dugas and Mary Eileen O’Donnell and directed by Dugas for a limited three-week engagement from December 4 to 20. Filled with music, puppetry, and theatrical wonder, this kaleidoscopic journey is being presented in a unique style that only The Actors’ Gang can offer.
The play takes place when orphan twins Holly and Spruce escape from the circus and get lost in a wintry forest in an enchanted kingdom, Glassenvale, that is in chaos. While being pursued by an evil circus queen and her strongman accomplice, the children meet a series of extraordinary characters in the forest: a king and his dragon, a wild girl, a crow, a sorceress, and an ice spider.
Artistic Director Tim Robbins shares about the new work, “We are going to transport our audiences to a magical wintery world – filled with song, puppetry, and the traditional theatrical wonder for which The Actors’ Gang is known. As Holly and Spruce help the kingdom of Glassenvale find serenity and balance, they also find their way to friendship, family and what it takes to make a home.”
Playwright/director Adam Dugas shares, “I always want people who feel excluded from the holiday to experience the spirit of the Winter Solstice tradition with an explosion of light and hope and coming together at the literal darkest time of the year. You can’t escape holiday marketing and music, and it seems to start earlier every year. So I work hard to create something that gives audiences the big, joyful feeling that is promised in all that: an avalanche of fun!”
And Dugas, who works with kids through The Actors’ Gang’s Education Department, suggests the play is best suited for audiences 6+ years of age. “The scariest part is how bad adults can be to children, but we strive never to make that nasty or ugly. So whenever it gets intense in that way, it is quickly tempered by humor. Scary things are part of the fairy tale tradition and also part of life. But despite their hard beginning, our heroes find a very happy ending.”
Children of the Winter Kingdom – The Bonkers Adventures of Holly and Spruce performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with two Sunday matinee performances at 2 p.m. on December 7 and 14, at The Actors’ Gang Theater, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City 90232. Tickets are $34.99 + $3 fees; seniors, educators, and students are $25 + $3 fees, and Thursdays are pay-what-you-can for all. Tickets online at www.TheActorsGang.com, via email to boxoffice@theactorsgang.com or by phone at 310-838-4264. Available tickets are sold at the box office prior to each performance.
