I sat down with writer Alex Kanefsky to find out more about The Tailor of Gloucester coming to Farnham Maltings this December.

Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?

The Tailor of Gloucester is a modern retelling of the Beatrix Potter classic: a fun day out for all the family. Inspired by Beatrix Potter’s original, this is a joyful show about courage, community and the power of doing good.

In a town being drained of colour, a struggling tailor and a trio of sharp, ambitious mice finally find themselves on the brink of success. Fame and fortune await, but to what consequence for their friends and neighbours?

With an all-musical cast of 4, puppetry, live music, cat and mouse chases, and plenty of jokes, there’s something for everyone in this re-spin of a classic tale, for audiences 3+.

What drew you to this specific story?

2026 marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter, beloved author, illustrator, scientist and conservationist. We wanted to adapt one of her stories to celebrate, but perhaps one of the lesser-known tales, to allow for a more liberal adaptation.

The structure of the original is more like a fairy tale, which feels appropriate for this time of year, and can be interpreted as a Christmas story – without being overly focused on Christmas.

At the heart of the tale, the idea of ‘kindness’ is baked in, and that’s something we wanted to explore: what can kindness cost you? And what price fame and fortune? We felt that there were the right materials to allow us to create something that feels bold, fresh and fun, without compromising on the substance of the original.

What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?

Finding a way to give the story a modern feel, when it is set in the time of “ruffles, paduasoy & taffeta” whilst retaining what we felt was the soul of the original tale was perhaps the biggest challenge. There were a few versions of the adapted narrative before we were fully happy we had the right one.

The characters of the mice and the tailor were developed out of a series of workshops, where we also discovered the musical language of the show, so it has felt like a really collaborative process arriving at this point.

We also wanted to hone in on the theme of kindness, and what that might mean in a modern context, whilst keeping the tone light and playful. But probably my favourite challenge is in finding ways to achieve that, that appeal to everyone – young, old and in between – in our audience.

And of course, the performers have a fantastically mighty job of rapid multi-roling (including switching of species!) in order to portray a whole town of people – and mice – which they make look far easier than it is.

How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?

We wanted to create a contemporary-feeling, but definitely mythical town of Gloucester, where humans and mice live right next to one another: in Gloucester and Moucester.  The unique challenge of creating these locations (as well as the Tailor’s shop) is in creating a touring set capable of transforming non-theatre spaces: the show plays in libraries, village halls and arts centres around the country, as well as at Farnham Maltings theatre.

So we have some fun with scale, looking at human belongings in the mouse world (massive), as well as representing the mice-characters when in the human world. This is where the beautiful puppets come in, created by Alison Alexander, and they really give the show an extra dimension.

There’s a fair amount of perspective-switching, as well as using an array of fabric that pays homage to Farnham Maltings’ links to textile arts, and the feeling of being in a tailor’s shop. The lighting design has a doubly difficult task of creating the different atmospheres between the different spaces and times – but that can then take a back seat when playing venues that only have capacity for natural lighting. Adaptability is key to this production.

If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?

Colour.

This is a bold, colourful adaptation of a classic, with something for everyone: puppetry, laughs and silliness, a brilliant live band and electric score (from Oliver Award-winning Darren Clark), the latest fashions on the Rat Walk™, and plenty of heart.

Watch as the grey and gloomy Gloucester of old is transformed into a riot of colour and fun.

Come along with the whole family for a bit of warming up as the weather turns cold. And don’t forget to wear your most fabulous outfits…

The Tailor of Gloucester runs at Farnham Maltings, Surrey, on 11 – 24 December. Tickets available at https://farnhammaltings.com/events/tailor-of-gloucester