We were absolutely delighted to be invited along (huge thanks to About Grace PR for gifting our tickets) to the premiere of Toto The Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape at Little Angel Studios—and what a lovely family day out it turned out to be.

First things first, getting there couldn’t have been easier. The studio is just a short stroll from Highbury and Islington station on the Victoria line, which made the whole trip feel very manageable with two excited children in tow. When we arrived, we were instantly charmed by the venue itself—a cosy, welcoming studio space that felt perfectly suited to younger audiences. The relaxed seating, with soft mats and low-level options at the front, meant children could really settle in comfortably and feel part of the action from the get-go.

Now, I think it’s really important to say this—both of my children are neurodivergent, one AuDHD and the other ADHD, and they can both find crowds and noise quite overwhelming at times. But this show? It was just beautifully pitched. The environment, the pacing, the sound levels—all of it felt calm, accessible and thoughtfully put together, so everyone could genuinely relax and enjoy it. For us, that made the experience even more special.

And honestly, the show itself was just delightful.

Based on Dermot O’Leary’s much-loved children’s book, the story follows Toto, a brave (and nearly blind!) ninja cat, as she sets out to stop a rather menacing King Cobra loose in London. It’s a proper adventure, but told in such a gentle, engaging way that younger viewers are completely drawn in without it ever feeling too intense.

The puppetry is something else entirely. The puppets are beautifully designed, full of personality and charm, and brought to life with such skill by the puppeteers. At one point, my youngest leaned over and whispered, “I know there are people moving them, but I keep forgetting they are there!”—and sure, that’s the magic right there.

There are catchy wee tunes throughout (you’ll be humming them on the journey home), and the pacing is spot on. It’s just under an hour with no interval, which is absolutely perfect for children—long enough to feel like a proper theatre experience, but not so long that anyone gets fidgety. My two (aged 5 and 10) both thoroughly enjoyed it, each taking something different from the story, and both said they’d happily go again—which is always the best kind of review, isn’t it?

After the performance, About Grace had kindly arranged a little goodie bag with a mini character from the show, along with a lovely puppet-making workshop. The children absolutely loved this part. They had great fun using the kiddies’ puppet theatre in the space to create their own wee stories, and they were still deep in imaginative play with their new characters all the way home.

And I have to say, as adults, we properly enjoyed it too. It’s not always easy to find a show that genuinely works for everyone, but this one manages it. It’s warm, funny, creative and just really lovely to sit and watch together as a family.

We’ve already told several friends and family to keep an eye out for it, and I’ve been recommending it to teaching colleagues too—it would make a brilliant school trip, especially for EYFS and KS1.

The show is currently running at Little Angel Theatre before heading out on a UK tour, so there’s a good chance you might catch it near you. You can find all the dates here:
 Toto The Ninja Cat Tour Dates

All in all, this is a joyful, imaginative and beautifully delivered production that’s absolutely worth catching if you can—a really special, inclusive hour of theatre for families.