Toto The Ninja Cat hits the Eastbourne stage

Dermot O’Leary’s bestselling children’s book Toto The Ninja Cat And The Great Snake Escape heads to Eastbourne in its world premiere stage adaptation.

After playing to packed houses at Little Angel Theatre, the adaptation will be at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, from Saturday 26 to Sunday 27 September.

Author Dermot O’Leary said: “I’m over the moon to see my book brought to life through puppetry. Toto is currently fast asleep, blissfully unaware of all the attention, but speaking on her behalf, she'll be thrilled to bits that her adventures are about to come to life, in theatres to audiences all around the country.”

Illustrator Nick East added: “Working with Dermot on the Toto the Ninja Cat series has been an utter delight, and I’m thrilled that the amazing Little Angel team are now giving our fearless feline a whole new adventure in puppet form – it’s sure to be the cat’s whiskers!”

The bestselling Toto the Ninja Cat series is based on Dermot's real-life pets and has sold more than half a million copies globally and has been translated into 17 languages to date.

The world of Toto and her friends has been lovingly adapted from page to stage by award-winning duo, Little Angel artistic director Samantha Lane and musician Barb Jungr, who composed the music for Worthing Girls, which sold out in the Connaught Studio in 2025.

Set, costume and puppets will be created by puppetry designer and Little Angel associate director Oliver Hyman whose work has also been presented at Tate Modern, Royal Albert Hall and the National Gallery and who recently won a special Fringe Theatre Award for exceptional services to puppetry. Lighting is by award-winning designer Sherry Coenen whose credits for Little Angel include A Squash and A Squeeze, The Smartest Giant in Town, Wow Said The Owl and The Singing Mermaid.

The show is performed by Charlotte Bloomsbury, Richard Lounds and Vinnie Monachello.

Meet Toto. She might look like an ordinary cat, but she’s no ordinary feline. Almost completely blind, Toto has incredible ninja skills, a big heart and a nose for adventure. By day, she naps like any other pet but by night, she’s out on daring missions with her cheeky brother Silver.

In their very first adventure, a deadly King Cobra has escaped onto the streets of London, and it’s up to Toto to use every ounce of her courage and cunning to save the day.

Co-adaptors Samantha Lane and Barb Jungr said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be co-adapting Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape. It’s such a joyful, funny, and heartwarming story, and we can’t wait to bring Toto’s world, full of courage, friendship, and adventure, to life on stage. Led by a stellar creative team, the production promises brilliant songs, imaginative puppetry, and an abundance of surprises for audiences of all ages.”

Sarah Lennon Galavan, head of licensing for Hachette Children's Group, said: “Full of humour and heart, Dermot and Nick’s bestselling books are loved by so many young readers and their families. We are thrilled to have found the perfect stage partners in Little Angel, Mercury and Mayflower Studios, and we can’t wait to see Toto make the leap from page to stage in this wonderful new adaptation.”