The Enormous Crocodile heads to the Lowry, Quentin Blake exhibition continues

By John Freeman on December 3, 2025 • ( 0 )

The festive season is in full swing, and, coinciding with their current Quentin Blake exhibition, which opened in July, the Lowry in Manchester is presenting The Enormous Crocodile the musical on its Lyric stage, from 9th December 2025 to 4th January 2026.

The Enormous Crocodile is weaving his way through the jungle to Lowry in search of delicious little fingers and squidgy podgy knees… 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.

Originally co-produced by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Roald Dahl Story Company and Leeds Playhouse, this mischievous musical based on Roald Dahl’s snappy book has toe-tapping tunes by Ahmed AbdullahiGallab, 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 Davisand puppetry co-designed and supervised by Daisy Beattie.

• Head here to book tickets now

Quentin Blake and Me is a vibrant and lively free family exhibition, celebrating the work of one of the most popular and successful writers and illustrators of children’s books.

Known for his distinctive and humorous style, Quentin Blake has written or illustrated over 500 books, including working with famous authors such as Roald Dahl, David Walliams, and Michael Morpurgo. His illustrations have vividly brought to life some of the most beloved characters in children’s fiction, from The BFG to Mr. Stink, captivating the imaginations of readers young and old.

This exhibition features a vast collection of Blake’s work, fun interactives, games to play, and plenty of opportunities for young visitors and their families to write and draw their own stories. It’s a fantastic chance to immerse yourself in the magical world of Quentin Blake and enjoy a fun-filled outing for the whole family!

And after your gallery visit, don’t forget to visit Lowry Bar and Kitchen for refreshments or if you have little ones with you there will be lots of free activities around the building so why not make a day of it.

This family-friendly exhibition, which runs until Sunday 4th January 2026, can be found in in the Andrew Law Galleries on Floor 2. Entry is free but ticketed. One ticket gives you entrance to Quentin Blake and Me and other current exhibitions.

“It’s wonderful to be given such a generous and imaginative exhibition in such a special site,” Wuentin Blake said of the exhibition before it opened back in July. “It was an extra pleasure to be invited to make drawings of Lowry himself. It’s also very good that visitors to the show are invited to draw and I look forward to seeing some of the results.”

• For more information and tickets visit thelowry.com

Quentin Blake and Me is part of Lowry’s 25th Anniversary season, which has been curated to encapsulate what Lowry is all about – creativity, opportunity and making the arts accessible to all. From celebrating the iconic artwork of LS Lowry to showcasing the life-changing work we do with young people, our birthday celebrations feature an inspiring line-up of shows, art, events and family activities. And as we are committed to offering free activities and affordable pricing, we’re hoping as many people as possible will be able to join us.

• For the full programme of events visit thelowry.com/lowry25

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.