Zog and the Flying Doctors UK and Ireland tour 2027: dates and venues

Zog, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's famously clumsy dragon, is heading back on the road. Zog and the Flying Doctors, Freckle Productions' stage version of the picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, will tour in 2027, opening at Queen's Theatre Hornchurch from 25 to 28 March and finishing with a summer holiday run at Cadogan Hall in London from 30 July to 22 August.

In between, the 21 announced stops take the show from Essex to Merseyside, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Norwich and across the Irish Sea to Cork, so this is properly a UK and Ireland tour. The producers have said more dates are to be announced. 14 of the listed venues already have booking pages open, while the other 7 are marked on sale soon on the official tour website.

What happens in Zog and the Flying Doctors

Donaldson and Scheffler's book, first published in 2016, is the sequel to Zog. Zog, now a keen student turned air ambulance who still lands with a crash, bang and thump, works alongside Princess Pearl and the knight Sir Gadabout. On stage the trio fly out to help a disco-loving unicorn with one too many horns, a sneezy, wheezy lion and a sunburnt mermaid.

The trouble starts at home. Pearl's uncle, the King, does not believe a princess can be a doctor, and she is soon back in the castle in a crown and a frilly dress. Then the King himself falls ill, and only Pearl knows how to make him better. It is a gentle, funny story with a clear point about who gets to do which job, which helps explain why it has stayed such a favourite with families since the book came out. Many children will also know it from the animated film shown on BBC One on Christmas Day 2020.

You do not need to have read the book to follow the show, and the producers pitch it as a good choice for children who have never been to the theatre before, as well as for grown-ups who have read the story aloud more times than they can count.

Running time, age guidance and the creative team

The show runs for about an hour with no interval, which makes it a manageable first theatre trip for small children. It is billed as most suitable for ages 3 and up, but all ages are welcome. The official website notes that younger siblings can come along too, and that at many venues children aged 2 and under go free if they sit on a parent's or guardian's lap. Check the rules with your chosen theatre before you book, as policies vary.

Freckle Productions is the company behind the stage versions of Zog and Stick Man, and the 2027 tour is presented in association with Queen's Theatre Hornchurch. Music and lyrics are by Joe Stilgoe, who also wrote the songs for Freckle's Zog and The Baddies. The creative team published for the 2027 tour is:

• Directors: Katie Beard and Bobby Delaney
• Choreographer: Katie Beard
• Music supervisor and orchestrator: Paul Herbert
• Musical director: Bobby Delaney
• Set and costume designer: Lucy Bradridge
• Lighting designer: Ric Mountjoy
• Sound designer: Richard Brookes
• Associate choreographer: Heather Scott-Martin
• Puppetry director: Edie Edmundson
• Costume supervisor: Louise Smith
• Guest voice artist: Sylvie Stilgoe

Casting for the 2027 company has not yet been announced.

A familiar flight path

This is not the show's first outing. Zog and the Flying Doctors premiered at Rose Theatre, Kingston in February 2022 before a long UK tour (read our coverage of the 2022 tour), and it went out on the road again in 2024. The 2027 tour marks its return after that second run, with a route that mixes big city houses such as Liverpool Playhouse and the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh with smaller arts centres in St Albans, Tewkesbury and Finchley.

Most stops are short visits of two to four days, so it is worth moving quickly if a particular weekend matters to you. The longest stays are at the Lowry in Salford (six days), the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh (six days) and the London finale at Cadogan Hall, which runs for more than three weeks across the school summer holidays.

Zog and the Flying Doctors 2027 tour dates

These are the dates currently listed on the official tour website. Where a venue already has its own page for the show, it is linked below. Venues marked on sale soon have not yet opened booking.

• 25–28 March 2027: Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch (venue page)
• 3–4 April 2027: Theatre Royal Wakefield (on sale soon)
• 6–10 April 2027: Liverpool Playhouse (venue page)
• 13–18 April 2027: Lowry, Salford (on sale soon)
• 22–25 April 2027: The Everyman, Cork (venue page)
• 1–3 May 2027: Arts Depot, Finchley (venue page)
• 11–12 May 2027: The Alban Arena, St Albans (venue page)
• 15–16 May 2027: The Roses, Tewkesbury (venue page)
• 21–23 May 2027: MAST, Southampton (on sale soon)
• 25–26 May 2027: Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells (on sale soon)
• 28–29 May 2027: Chelmsford Theatre (venue page)
• 16–17 June 2027: Hereford Courtyard (on sale soon)
• 18–20 June 2027: Watford Palace Theatre (venue page)
• 26–27 June 2027: Hull New Theatre (venue page)
• 28–29 June 2027: Glasgow Pavilion (venue page)
• 2–3 July 2027: Perth Theatre (venue page)
• 6–11 July 2027: The Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh (venue page)
• 14–15 July 2027: Aberdeen Music Hall (on sale soon)
• 20–22 July 2027: Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield (on sale soon)
• 24–25 July 2027: Norwich Theatre Royal (venue page)
• 30 July to 22 August 2027: Cadogan Hall, London (venue page)

Performance times vary from venue to venue. Edinburgh, for example, opens with a 4.30pm performance on Tuesday 6 July and then plays 10.30am and 1.30pm shows through the week. Always check the individual theatre's listing for exact times, access performances and prices.

Cadogan Hall summer run in London

The tour ends at Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, a two-minute walk from Sloane Square Underground station. The opening performance is at 1pm on Friday 30 July 2027 and the final performance is at 1pm on Sunday 22 August. In between, the hall is programming 10.30am and 1pm performances on most days, with an extra 3.30pm show on Saturdays and on Sunday 1 August. There are no performances on Tuesdays.

Published prices are £49.50 for premium seats, then £37, £31 and £24. A family ticket for four people (maximum two adults) costs £119.50, £96.50 or £72.50 depending on the price band, excluding premium seats. Groups of ten or more save 20%, and an early bird offer takes £2 off when you book before 1 March 2027, again excluding premium seats. A single £4.50 transaction fee applies per online order; booking in person at the box office avoids it.

A BSL-interpreted performance is scheduled for Sunday 1 August at 3.30pm and a relaxed performance for Saturday 7 August at 10.30am. The official website says BSL, captioned and relaxed performances will also be offered at other stops, depending on the venue and the length of the visit, so check your local theatre's page.

How to book

Tickets are sold by each venue's own box office. The official Zog and the Flying Doctors tour website links through to every theatre that has opened booking, along with box office phone numbers for all 21 stops. For London, go direct to the Cadogan Hall listing or call the box office on 020 7730 4500. For the opening week, the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch page has dates and times.

If your nearest venue is still on sale soon, it is worth signing up to that theatre's mailing list so you hear when booking opens. With most visits lasting only a couple of days, the best morning slots at the smaller venues are likely to go first.

Venue guides on British Theatre: Queen's Theatre Hornchurch · Pavilion Theatre Glasgow · Cadogan Hall