Fans of The Gruffalo can look forward to another Jane Donaldson adaptation next week as Room on the Broom arrives at the Rose Theatre.

The show has been adapted and produced by Tall Stories, the company responsible for the hit West End production of The Gruffalo.

This time they have turned their attention to another of Donaldson's bestselling picture books. Sarah-Louise Young, who plays the witch, says: "Like a lot of Donaldson's stories, Room on the Broom is a hero quest and you follow one character through a series of adventures.

"The witch and her cat travel on her broomstick and they meet lots of characters along the way who all end up wanting to travel on the broom for different reasons. "There's a dog that's got passion for singing on the moon, a bird who's meant to be going off on holiday and has missed its friends and a frog who's running away from a princess.

"Gradually the broom gets heavier and heavier and more and more crowded until it snaps in two and they all fall into a muddy bog and have to fight a dragon.

"It's about the power of teamwork."

Tall Stories have been specialising in children's theatre for more than a decade and their success has taken them both to the West End and to Broadway. So what's their secret?

Young says: "I think sometimes companies decide to do children's theatre because they think it's going to be easy, but children are the harshest critics and they can tell immediately if you're flanneling it or don't know what you're doing. Tall Stories credit the audience with intelligence and treat the children with respect. "Children have great imaginations but they're used to seeing things just served up on a plate for them. We think it's important that they should have to use their imagination as well, so we invite them to really go with us."

As well as marking the ten year anniversary of Young's first job with the company, this production is significant for Young for another reason as well.

She said: "I bought my three-year-old nephew loads of Donaldson's books for Christmas and he's coming to watch me in Kingston on Saturday.

"It will be the first time he's ever come to see me in a play so I'm very excited. I don't know if he's quite got his head around that his auntie is the witch though."

Room on the Broom, Tall Stories, Rose Theatre, Kingston, January 27 to 31, Wednesdays 2pm and 4pm and Thursday to Sunday 11am and 2pm, £11 (Groups of 10+, £8.50). Visit rosetheatrekingston.org or call 0871 230 1552