A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.

Ever since The Gruffalo started appearing on kids' bedside furniture back in 1999, it has cast a spell over young families the nation long. Selling around a million copies a year since then, the tale of a hungry mouse and a made-up monster [or is it? - Ed] is a modern day 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', charming and thrilling five-year-olds nightly.

Written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the simple but brilliant soothing couplets of The Gruffalo are enough to send anyone softly off to sleep. Countless parents can be found snoozing soundly in kids' bedrooms around 7.30pm, Ben 10 nightlights aglow, Dad's dead weight threatening permanent damage to their child's circulation.

There has been a follow-up story, The Gruffalo's Child, a short 2009 film adaptation and a musical play, which also visits the West End later this year, promising 'songs, laughs and scary fun'. Both shows are produced by theatre company Tall Stories. The stage versions have been created with input from the writer and illustrator and bear all the hallmark charm of the original.

The Gruffalo is at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, from 23rd November 2011, now booking until 15th January 2012.

We have tickets available now, starting at just £13. Note that there are no evening performances, with two daytime shows most (but not all) days, at 10AM and 12PM or 11AM and 2PM.

"All was quiet in the deep dark wood. The mouse found a nut and the nut was good". Almost as good as tickets for the show...