The Pied Piper: A Rat's Tale
11 Oct–07 Nov 2026
An Indefinite Articles production in association with Little Angel Theatre
For everyone over 5
Duration: 50 minutes approx
You think know the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin ?— But do you?
Here’s the tale of Horatio, the brave little rat behind the legend. When Horatio escapes the dull life of an ordinary river rat for the sights, sounds and smells of Hamelin, he soon finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of adventure.
His imprisonment sparks a rat invasion, the arrival of the mysterious Pied Piper, and a heroic tale waiting to be told. With puppetry, storytelling and original music, The Pied Piper: A Rat’s Tale is a funny and imaginative family show that reveals the story behind the story.
The freesheet for The Pied Piper: A Rat’s Tale can be viewed here
Credits
Written by Michael Fowkes, Steve Tiplady and Sally Todd
Performed by Steve Tiplady
Directed by Sally Todd
Set and Puppets Designed by Michael Fowkes
Composer: Mikey Kirkpatrick
Lighting designed by Kate Hounslow
Stage managed by Alex Hobbs
Age Guidance
The Pied Piper: A Rat’s Tale is for everyone over 5. Our shows for this age group have storylines that can be followed by children from around age 5. They work for a wide age range and there will be elements for the older children and adults in the audience to appreciate, for example music, puppetry techniques, more complex ideas, language or humour. Children under the recommended age can often enjoy the visuals but may not follow everything, and may not stay engaged. If the show contains any parts likely to be scary or upsetting for anyone, these will be mentioned in the FAQ below.
This show has standard seating for our studios. There are rows with chairs and soft blocks facing the stage, and mats on the floor at the front. There will be up to 65 people watching the show (sometimes more if you come when there are school groups).
There will be verbal interaction with the performer. The audience stay in their seats while watching, but you can leave and re-enter the auditorium at any time.
There is some mild threat from the mysterious figure of the piper.
The visual story is available to view here.
Accessible Performances
BSL Interpreted Performance: Saturday 24 October at 2pm
Click here to book for this BSL performance.
These performances are provided for those who use British Sign Language. The interpreter will be at the front of the stage and lit with a spotlight. They will provide a linguistic and artistic interpretation of the show for people who are D/deaf or for whom BSL is their preferred language.
Relaxed Performance: Sunday 11 October at 4pm
For more information and to book, please visit the Pied Piper: A Rat’s Tale Relaxed Performance page here
Relaxed Performances are provided for people who would benefit from a more relaxed environment, or are uncomfortable with sudden lighting changes or loud noises, including those with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, sensory or communication needs or a learning disability.
If you are interested in arranging a weekday Relaxed Performance for a school group, please contact [email protected]
School Bookings
For KS1, KS2 / For everyone over 5
Curriculum Links:
English: Storytelling from alternative perspectives/Traditional folktales
Science: Rat behaviour
PSHE: Friendship and belonging, loneliness
The Education Pack is available to view here.
The visual story is available to view here.
Tickets for school groups are £7.50 for each adult and each child, or £10 for private schools and nurseries. These rates are only available on weekdays before 3pm during Islington term time. Free adult tickets are available for children with SEND who need 1:1 support.
Before requesting a booking, please check dates, times and availability here. Maximum school capacity for this show is 85 people per performance.
Please fill in our school booking enquiry form here.
Download our information for undertaking a risk assessment for school visits here.
🙏 Donate now
If you are able to support us, any donation, large or small, will make a huge difference.
All amounts are welcome. Thank you!
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Dates and Times
Relaxed Performance
Relaxed performances are provided for people who would benefit from a more relaxed environment, including those with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, sensory or communication needs or a learning disability.
For more information and to book please go to the Pied Piper Relaxed Performance page here
All tickets £8.50 at 4.45pm on Thursdays
All tickets £10 at 5.15pm on Fridays
To book for a school group, please CLICK HERE to complete the school booking enquiry form.
This performance is currently only on sale to schools. If you would like to be notified if this performance goes on sale to the public you can join our waiting list here.
All tickets £8.50 at 4.45pm on Thursdays
All tickets £10 at 5.15pm on Fridays
BSL Interpreted Performance
These performances are provided for those who use British Sign Language but are open for everyone to attend. The interpreter will be at the front of the stage and lit with a spotlight. They will provide a linguistic and artistic interpretation of the show for people who are D/deaf or for whom BSL is their preferred language.
To book for a school group, please CLICK HERE to complete the school booking enquiry form.
This performance is currently only on sale to schools. If you would like to be notified if this performance goes on sale to the public you can join our waiting list here.
To book for a school group, please CLICK HERE to complete the school booking enquiry form.
This performance is currently only on sale to schools. If you would like to be notified if this performance goes on sale to the public you can join our waiting list here.
All tickets £8.50 at 4.45pm on Wednesday
To book for a school group, please CLICK HERE to complete the school booking enquiry form.
This performance is currently only on sale to schools. If you would like to be notified if this performance goes on sale to the public you can join our waiting list here.
All tickets £8.50 at 4.45pm on Thursdays
To book for a school group, please CLICK HERE to complete the school booking enquiry form.
This performance is currently only on sale to schools. If you would like to be notified if this performance goes on sale to the public you can join our waiting list here.
To book for a school group, please CLICK HERE to complete the school booking enquiry form.
This performance is currently only on sale to schools. If you would like to be notified if this performance goes on sale to the public you can join our waiting list here.
All tickets £10 at 5.15pm on Fridays