The Gruffalo
by Julia Donaldson
Cast list:
• Mouse
• Fox
• Owl
• Snake
• Gruffalo
Scene 1
A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood
Fox: (slyly) Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come and have lunch in my
underground house.
Mouse: (happily) It’s terribly kind of you, Fox, but no (shakes his head). I’m going to have
lunch with a gruffalo.
Fox: (confused) A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?
Mouse: (shocked) A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know? He has terrible tusks (makes pretend
tusks with fingers) and terrible claws (makes hands look like claws and terrible
teeth in his terrible jaws (points to his mouth).
Fox: Where are you meeting him?
Mouse: Here, by these rocks (points), and his favourite food is roasted fox.
Fox: (Frightened) Roasted fox! (raises his eyebrows) I’m off! Goodbye, little mouse (runs
away).
Mouse: (Laughing to himself) Silly old fox! Doesn’t he know, there’s no such thing as a
gruffalo?
Scene 2
The mouse continued to walk through the deep, dark wood
Owl: (Wisely) Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come and have tea in my
treetop house.
Mouse: (Happily) It’s frightfully nice of you, owl, but no (Shakes his head). I’m going to
have tea with a gruffalo.
Owl: (Asking politely) A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?
Mouse: A Gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know? He has knobbly knees (points to his knees), and
turned out toes (points to his toes) and a poisonous wart on the end of his nose
(puts his finger tip on the tip of his nose).
Owl: Where are you meeting him?
Mouse: Here by this stream and his favourite food is owl ice cream.
Owl: (Frightened) Owl ice cream? Toowhit toowhoo! Goodbye little mouse! (Flies away
quickly).
Mouse: (Laughing to himself) Silly old owl! Doesn’t he know, there’s no such thing as a
gruffalo?
Scene 3
The mouse walked on through the deep dark wood.
Snake: (Hissing quietly) Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come for a feast
in my log pile house.
Mouse: (Happily) It’s wonderfully good of you, Snake, but no (Shakes his head). I’m
having a feast with a gruffalo.
Snake: (Asking politely) A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?
Mouse: A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know? His eyes are orange (turns hands into
glasses), his tongue is black (sticks tongue out) and he has purple prickles all
over his back (uses thumb of point to his back).
Snake: Where are you meeting him?
Mouse: Here, by this lake and his favourite food is scrambled snake.
Snake: (Frightened) Scrambled snake! It’s time I hid! Goodbye, little mouse. (Slithers
away rapidly)
Mouse: (Laughing quietly to himself) Silly old Snake! Doesn’t he know, there’s no such
thing as a gruffal… (Stops laughing suddenly)
Scene 4
The mouse stops in his tracks at the sight before him
Mouse: OH! Oh help! Oh no! It’s a gruffalo! (Stops suddenly)
Gruffalo: (Growls deeply) My favourite food, you’ll taste good on a slice of bread! (Rubs his
tummy hungrily)
Mouse: Good? Don’t call me good! (Hands on his hips) I’m the scariest creature in this wood.
Just walk behind me and soon you’ll see everyone is afraid of me. (Points at the
Gruffalo)
Gruffalo: All right, you go ahead and I’ll follow after. (Walks for a short distance) I hear a hiss
in the leaves ahead.
Mouse: (Waves happily) It’s Snake, why Snake, hello!
Snake: Oh crumbs, goodbye little mouse. (Slithers away quickly)
Mouse: You see? I told you so. (Smiling)
Gruffalo: Amazing! (a short time later) I hear a hoot in the trees ahead.
Mouse: (waves happily) It’s Owl. Why, Owl, hello!
Owl: Oh dear, goodbye little mouse. (Flies away speedily)
Mouse: You see? I told you so. (Hands on hips and pointing at the Gruffalo).
Gruffalo: Astounding! (Walks for a few minutes more) I can hear feet on the path ahead.
Mouse: (Waves happily) It’s Fox. Why, Fox, hello!
Fox: Oh help, goodbye little mouse. (Scuttles away rapidly)
Mouse: Well, Gruffalo, you see? Everyone is afraid of me! But now my tummy’s beginning to
rumble (pats tummy) and my favourite food is – gruffalo crumble! (loudly)
Gruffalo: (Surprised) Gruffalo crumble! (Flees whimpering)
