Kingston's Rose Theatre's stage adaptation of Dr Seuss' children's book The Cat in The Hat is running from Thursday, 13 August to Tuesday, 18 August.

The production has been created by the producers of Spot's Birthday Party.

The production's description reads: "Experience mischief and mayhem in this acclaimed stage adaptation of Dr Seuss' The Cat In The Hat.

"From the moment his tall, red and white-striped hat appears, Sally and her brother know that the cat in the hat is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met.

"With the trickiest of tricks and craziest of ideas, he turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing adventure.

"The Cat in the Hat is a lively and engaging first theatre experience for children aged three and over, based on the best-selling book.

"Meet the Cat in the Hat after the show and continue the mayhem – for free!"

In an exclusive interview with Nub News, the production's Central Stage Manager (CSM) and understudy for Fish said that the production is "like stepping into the book".

He added that all the cast, particularly James, who plays Cat, are "incredibly talented".

Joe said: "Because The Cat in the Hat is quite complex, I'll say, James is perfect for the role of The Cat and did a great job during the rehearsals.

"He had so much thrown at him, and he took it like an absolute professional because there were so many different things that he had to learn the lines for, which whilst they do rhyme, it makes it quite helpful but also can be quite confusing because some of them rhyme with one another, so you're not sure if you're saying 'fish' or 'dish;.

"But he did a great job, and the rehearsals went really well - we were really happy with them, and by the time we were finished with rehearsals, which were a week long, we had a really solid performance."

Speaking about the rest of the cast, he said: "You can sometimes get an unlucky draw with some people but they've all been fantastic and incredibly talented as well and that's not just me blowing smoke, they are all really, really talented, which is amazing because it means that you don't have to worry about that part, you can let them breathe and become the character, which is always really nice.

"The cast have all been fantastic, and they've all been really, really good at carrying their load, so to speak."

Speaking about his role as Fish, Joe, who has an extensive background in performing, immersive theatre, puppetry and film said: "I've learned so many different roles throughout my career of being either just a human performing or being a mythical character or even an animal as a puppet, so when the opportunity to do stage management with Sam Brideshaw Productions came up, I was quite happy to join the team.

"And my role as Fish really is interesting, and obviously, having a good puppetry background, I kind of knew where I was going with the character due to it being a puppet.

"But it's one of those puppets where I'm not hidden; instead, I'm sort of a character knit with it as well, so that kind of brings a different challenge, but it's been really nice.

"The character of Fish is incredibly diverse because he starts with confusion and also a little bit of intrigue and then as the book or as the show goes on, he gets a little bit more agitated and a bit more stressed that the mother's going to come back and catch them doing something they shouldn't be doing and he kind of plays the parent throughout the show a little bit.

"So, it's nice to have that kind of transition of character when he starts it, being a bit more like fun and silly and up for it, and then towards the end he gets more stressed and worried because The Cat's causing all the chaos.

"It's a really nice contrast between The Cat and The Fish because they are literally chalk and cheese, where The Cat wants to create some chaos and the fish wants it to just calm down."

The Roses' production will have a meet and greet after every show, which Joe said is "great because not only do you get to come and watch The Cat and, essentially, watch the book, you can also get a picture with The Cat andSally, so that's always a really nice memory".

Speaking about what audiences can expect from the production, Joe said:" It's family fun and entertainment at its finest.

"It stays true to the book, as around 99 per cent of what we say and what we do is what happens in the book - it's just a much more fun and interactive version of it.

"So, it's essentially like stepping into the book, and the kind of magic that The Cat creates happens in front of you in real life.

"It's really just a whole lot of fun and a little bit of chaos, but in the best way."

He added that the production will be a "fun day out" for families, and that it "doesn't take itself seriously".

Joe said: "You can have a laugh, you can interact, you can have a little bit of banter with the characters, which I always think is really nice on stage when you can have that connection.

"There's a moment during the show where we introduce some inflatables out into the audience, which is always an absolute winner with everyone - it's always a good moment, and it's just a lot of fun.

"I think if you turn up not in a good mood, you'll leave in a great mood."

The production is 45 minutes long with no interval.

Tickets can be bought via the Rose's website here.

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