The Hedgehog's Home, Tabernacle Theatre

There’s Balkan musical magic for kids and grown-ups for one night only this week at Notting HIll's Tabernacle Theatre, in a classic fairytale we’re willing to bet you’ve never heard before. The Hedgehog’s Home is the UK premiere of a historical sylvanian fairy story that’s one of the most famous – and best-loved - in Europe. It’s been translated into English for the first time by Honey Tongued Theatre Productions – one of the most exciting fringe companies we’ve seen this year.

This is a skilful musical frolic that combines a singsong storyline to captivate smaller children with a fascinating dose of history for adults to get stuck into. It tells the story of a small, fearless hedgehog – Hedgmond. When a fearsome Bear, Boar and Wolf try to force him to leave his humble home in the woods, he takes a courageous stand for cherishing and taking care of the place we call home.

Curiously the piece was originally a children’s allegory about the post-war division of Croatia, written in 1950 by by Branko Ćopić (one of South Eastern Europe’s foremost literary lights). It’s still one of the best known and loved folk stories to generations of children in Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia, and taught in schools to this day.

We’re expecting great things from this show. It sees Croatian born director Filip Krenus team up with the brilliant Gary Wright, whom fringe-theatre aficionados may remember as the director of the jawdroppingly good one-man play Hunter at the Tabernacle earlier this year – starring huge talent Patrick Neyman who returns here as the Wolf. These guys do fringe theatre at its most enchanting. Don’t miss this.

Admission: £10 / £5
Address and map: 34-35 Powis Square, London W11 2AY
Nearest tube: Westbourne Park