TinTin The Show

The first UK stage adaptation of Hergé's legendary cartoon hero Tintin, which originally played a London season at the Barbican over Christmas 2005 to full houses and great acclaim, will open at WATFORD PALACE THEATRE on SATURDAY 28 JULY, prior to a full national tour and a planned West End season (subject to confirmation).

Based on the book Tintin in Tibet, HERGÉ’S ADVENTURES OF TINTIN follow the eponymous hero, his loyal dog Snowy and the curmudgeonly Captain Haddock as they battle to rescue their friend Chang lost in a plane crash in the high Himalayas. With time running out, and rumours of the Abominable Snowman prowling the peaks, this will be the most testing adventure yet for our fearless young reporter and his friends.

Following the huge success of Vernon God Little, Cabaret and Festen, Rufus Norris leads an award-winning creative team bringing Tintin to life on the stage. Adapted by David Greig & Rufus Norris, Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin is directed by Rufus Norris, set is designed by Ian MacNeil (Billy Elliot, An Inspector Calls), costumes by Joan Wadge (Festen), lighting by Rick Fisher (Billy Elliot, Swan Lake), sound by Paul Arditti (Billy Elliot, Sleeping Beauty), music by Orlando Gough (Festen, Blood Wedding), choreography by Toby Sedgwick (Marat/Sade) and casting by Julia Horan.

The forthcoming tour comes as Tintin is on the threshold of superstardom as a 3D, digitally enhanced movie star. Steven Spielberg and The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson have announced a three-film deal, with the first instalment due in 2009.

Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin was created by Belgian artist Hergé, the pen name of Georges Remi, and has sold over 200 million copies of the books worldwide. The series first appeared in french in a children's supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle on January 10, 1929. The comic strip series has since been admired for its clean, expressive drawings in Hergé's signature ligne claire style. Engaging and charming plots straddle a variety of genres: swashbuckling adventures with elements of fantasy, mysteries, political thrillers and science fiction. The stories within the Tintin series always feature great humour, presenting a number of characters in distinctive settings, offset in later albums by sophisticated satire and political and cultural commentary.

Accompanying this tour of Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin will be a range of family orientated and educational activities. For further information, free downloadable Background Notes and Education opportunities, visit www.tintintheshow.co.uk. Casting for Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin will be announced shortly.

The producers gratefully acknowledge the support of the Arts Council of England in order to make this tour possible.

For further information, please contact David Bloom at Target Live on 020 7907 1114, e-mail or visit www.tintintheshow.co.uk