The Tortoise and the Firefly
15 Aug–17 Aug 2025
Little Angel Theatre created by Gisela Mulindwa
Aimed at ages 3-8
Duration: 40 minutes approx
A stubborn tortoise lives comfortably under a giant tree by Lake Victoria. One day a great drought begins, and the tortoise is forced to look for a new home.
On this journey the tortoise meets a firefly living in its shell. In the beating sun they must learn to help one another and call for the rain.
Inspired by African folktales, The Tortoise and the Firefly is a vibrant journey through East African forests. Featuring puppetry, music, and storytelling it is a thoughtful tale of unexpected friendship, community and belonging.
Age Guidance
The Tortoise and the Firefly is aimed at ages 3 – 8. Our shows for this age group have storylines that can be followed and enjoyed by 3-4 year olds, but may also use slightly more complex ideas, humour, dialogue or song lyrics that older children will get more out of. There is nothing really scary in these shows but they can be a bit more dramatic than those for the youngest children, including in their use of sound and lighting, and characters may face some perils.
Please note that The Tortoise and the Firefly is a new production. It is still in development and this page will be updated as we know more about the specifics of the show.
This show has standard seating for our Studios. There are rows with chairs and soft blocks facing the stage, and there may be some mats on the floor at the front. There will be up to 60 people watching the show.
This isn’t an interactive style of show, but we welcome vocal responses from young audiences. The audience stay in their seats while watching the show, but you can leave and re-enter the auditorium at any time.
All ages are welcome at our shows and age ranges can only be a rough guide, but please bear in mind that The Tortoise and the Firefly was not specially designed for under-threes. A show aimed at two-year olds would have some differences – those shows are carefully made to hold their attention for the duration, and not to be unsettling for them.
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Credits
TBC