The Southbank Centre will host the world premiere of Quentin Blake’s Mrs Armitage on Wheels, which is being adapted for the stage by director Samantha Lane.
A brand new musical based on the BBC animated series Quentin Blake’s Box of Treasures, it will feature a treasure trove of puppetry and original live music.
Celebrating the power of imagination and the importance of community, Mrs Armitage is a brilliant and eccentric inventor whose wild and wonderful creations are always remarkably useful. When she and her faithful dog Breakspear set off on a quiet bike ride to visit cousin Angela, she can’t stop thinking of ways to improve her bike. But after adding horns, snack trays, umbrellas, a dog bed, even a sail, will she ever get there?
The full creative team includes Jessie Maryon Davies (music and lyrics), Ryan Dawson Laight (set and costume design), Maia Kirkman-Richards (puppetry design and director) and Ian Oakley (sound designer).
Quentin Blake’s Mrs Armitage On Wheels – Live On Stage has been developed in association with Eagle Eye and Little Angel Theatre and based on the BBC animated series Quentin Blake’s Box of Treasures available on BBC iPlayer.
Tickets go on sale on November 20 as part of Southbank Centre’s Imagine, from February 18-21, 2026.
Top image: Mrs Armitage artwork courtesy of the BBC (image supplied)