Mog the Forgetful Cat: new stage adaptation to tour the UK in 2027

Judith Kerr’s Mog the Forgetful Cat is coming to the stage as a new musical play, with a UK tour from February to September 2027. The new co-production from Nicoll Entertainment, Rose Theatre and Unicorn Theatre opens at the Rose in Kingston on 16 February, with further dates still to be announced.

Nicoll Entertainment are the producers behind the Olivier-nominated West End production of Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea. The three companies have worked together before on The Lion Inside and The Koala Who Could.

What is the new family show about?

Based on Kerr’s much-loved picture story, this new family show promises playful puppetry, music, laughter and plenty of trademark feline mishaps. She may be a little forgetful, but this cat has a very big heart, and when one of her everyday adventures takes an unexpected turn, she discovers that being different can be something rather special. Its producers describe it as a funny, magical introduction to live theatre for the whole family.

Creative team

The adaptation is written by Miranda Larson, whose credits include The Dinosaur that Pooped a Rock Show and episodes of Numberblocks. Eamonn O’Dwyer is composer, lyricist and musical director, following The Koala Who Could and The Lion Inside. Christopher Haydon, artistic director of the Rose, directs, and Oli Townsend designs the set and costumes. Casting is to be announced.

Has the cast been announced?

Not yet. Casting and the rest of the creative team are due to be announced later, along with more tour dates.

Opening in Kingston, then Southwark

The tour begins just a short distance from Kerr’s home in Barnes, at the Rose in Kingston, south west London, from 16 to 21 February 2027. There is a summer return to the capital, too, with a run at the Unicorn in Southwark from 13 July to 8 August.

Mog the Forgetful Cat 2027 tour dates

• 16 to 21 February: Rose Theatre, Kingston
• 23 to 24 February: 1435 Theatre & Museum, Chesterfield
• 26 to 28 February: Derby Theatre
• 6 to 7 March: Arts Centre, Stockton on Tees
• 8 to 9 March: Grimsby Auditorium
• 13 to 14 March: Theatre Royal Winchester
• 23 to 24 March: The Riverfront, Newport
• 26 to 28 March: Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne
• 30 March to 1 April: Bristol Old Vic
• 2 to 4 April: York Theatre Royal
• 5 to 7 April: Palace Theatre, Southend
• 9 to 10 April: The Montgomery Theatre, Sheffield
• 14 to 15 April: South Mill Arts, Bishop’s Stortford
• 24 to 25 April: Ulster Hall, Belfast
• 25 to 27 May: Radlett Centre
• 28 to 30 May: Lighthouse, Poole
• 1 to 5 June: Liverpool Playhouse
• 25 to 27 June: King's Theatre, Edinburgh
• 13 July to 8 August: Unicorn Theatre, London
• 10 August: Dorking Halls
• 17 to 18 August: Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
• 24 to 26 August: Hall for Cornwall, Truro
• 27 to 28 August: G Live, Guildford
• 17 to 19 September: Jersey Opera House

More dates are expected to be added.

What the family and creative team said

Kerr’s children, Tacy and Matthew, said they were thrilled that a character so beloved by generations of readers would be shown to audiences familiar and new all over the country, more than 55 years after their mother first gave her to the world.

Larson remembers reading the stories on the rug in her school library. “From fantastical moments where Mog lets her imagination get carried away, to the excitement of a cat show … we have ensured there is something for everyone in our new story,” she said.

Haydon added that it was “an absolute delight to be able to bring her to full three dimensional life on the Rose stage, and to then be taking her to many other theatres beyond.”

We will report casting and further dates as soon as they are announced. In the meantime, follow Mog the Forgetful Cat (coming soon) for the latest details.

Header image: official artwork.