Children’s Television Animation Takes Centre Stage in New London Drama
Brock’s Mill brings stop-motion animation and a story about a former children’s television animator to London’s Lyric Hammersmith in May 2027.
The colourful world of children’s television animation is becoming the subject of a new stage drama, with a production exploring the personal lives of the people responsible for creating familiar fictional worlds.
Brock’s Mill, written by Stewart Pringle and directed by Rufus Norris, is heading to London’s Lyric Hammersmith Theatre from 13 May to 5 June 2027, following its previously announced Stratford-upon-Avon engagement.
The London run was confirmed on Tuesday 27 October 2026, with stop-motion artist Astrid Goldsmith joining the creative team.
What is Brock’s Mill about?
The play centres on a former children’s television animator whose past becomes the focus of a family drama.
While animated programmes often become treasured childhood memories, the people responsible for creating them can have complicated lives away from the characters and stories audiences recognise.
Brock’s Mill explores that contrast through a character whose professional background is closely connected to a form of entertainment associated with childhood.
The production also brings together theatre and animation, two creative disciplines that use very different methods to tell stories.
Why is stop-motion animation part of the production?
Stop-motion filmmaking involves photographing physical objects or models in slightly different positions, creating the appearance of movement when the images are played together.
It is a technique closely associated with British children’s television, where handcrafted characters and miniature environments have entertained generations of viewers.
Astrid Goldsmith, whose work includes award-winning animated films, is creating animation for Brock’s Mill.
The production has not yet fully explained how that animation will be incorporated into the staging, so it is not confirmed whether audiences will see animation being created during performances or presented as part of the finished production.
That distinction is important because the involvement of a stop-motion artist does not necessarily mean the animation itself will be performed live.
When can audiences see Brock’s Mill?
The play will run at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre from 13 May until 5 June 2027, following its Stratford-upon-Avon engagement with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Rufus Norris’s involvement is another notable element of the production following his departure from the National Theatre, where he served as artistic director.
For audiences interested in the creative work behind children’s television, Brock’s Mill offers a theatrical story centred on an animator rather than the fictional characters appearing on screen.
Further production information and booking details are available through the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.
