The characters and rhymes from the much-loved children’s author Dr Seuss will appear in the UAE as part of a new musical.
The production, Seussical, will be performed in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and is set to feature a host of classic Seuss characters The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Morton The Elephant and Jane Kangaroo.
Seussical is based on books by Dr Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), which were originally commissioned to inspire American first graders to be able to recognise the first 250 words in the English language (The Cat in The Hat contains only 236 of them.)
That tale of the trickster cat in his red-and white-striped top hat, along with the stories Horton Hatches the Egg and Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!, are among the books Seussical is based on. They are a part of a wider series that have sold over 600 million copies, making Dr Seuss some of the most popular children's books of all time.
Eric Idle of British comedy Monty Python had a hand in writing the musical, and played the original Cat in the Hat. Elliot Fitzpatrick, 24, who stars as the Cat in the UK-based Sell a Door Theatre Company version of the musical, which is coming to the UAE, says Seussical does have a touch of Monty Python madness to it.
“It’s crazy, fast-paced and action-packed,” he explains.
“Once it starts, the energy just grows and the pace never relents. I feel this is representative of the way thoughts, or, indeed, ‘thinks’ as they are known in the world of Dr Seuss, spark and jump from one thing to another.”
Seussical is told through the eyes of The Cat In The Hat and follows the journey of Horton the Elephant who lives in the Jungle of Nool. When he discovers a tiny universe the size of a speck of dust, floating out of control, he vows to look after the small world, which is home to the "Whos" – because "a person is a person no matter how small".
“Lots of characters from different Dr Seuss stories are all mixed up together in the jungle of Nool,” Fitzpatick says.
“They all have their own stories, but these also intertwine. The overall message is an inspiring one, which encourages people to take charge of their own ‘thinks’ – to ‘wonder and dream.’ The piece also tackles issues such as bullying and adoption and I think it is very relatable to a wide age range.”
For the Londoner Alex Faith, 27, who plays Horton The Elephant, the scene that always gets the biggest audience grins is when JoJo, a young Who, imagines the water in his bath is transforming into a giant ocean full of friendly fish.
“The tub is a boat we are sailing in and fishing from,” he says.
“We get to run around the stage in our tub and try to catch the fish as they swim past us. It’s exactly what I think Dr Seuss’s imagination would be like.”
Faith says those unfamiliar with Dr Seuss’s works can still enjoy the production. “If you don’t know the rhymes at the start of the show, you will by the end,” he says. “Everybody is encouraged to join in with the songs and the rhymes throughout.”
The audience interaction is what Fitzpatrick loves most about playing the mischievous Cat. “I’m always having fun with the audience,” he says.
“I love the opportunity to mess around. The Cat plays so many different characters in the show, being able to change costumes and use as many funny and silly voices as possible is really enjoyable for me.”
Fitzpatrick says you don’t need a finer grasp of the English language to appreciate the production.
"Seussical has its own language and that is one you can only speak if you have an open mind and your imagination on full throttle," he says.
“We can all do that no matter where we come from and therefore we can all relate to the moral landscape of the piece.”
• Seussical is at Abu Dhabi Theatre on Sunday and Monday, and in Dubai at Madinat Theatre from October 28 to 30. Tickets costs from Dh135 and are available at tickets.virginmegastore.me
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