The Last Wild Imagines a World Without Animals in New Theatre Adventure
Piers Torday's bestselling eco-thriller The Last Wild becomes a new National Theatre and Unicorn production about a boy trying to save the world's last animals.
Piers Torday's bestselling eco-thriller The Last Wild is coming to the stage in a major new production from the Unicorn Theatre and National Theatre, following a boy who discovers that animals have not completely disappeared from the world.
In the story, twelve-year-old Kester lives in a future where animals are believed to be extinct. His life is lonely and tightly controlled until one night a group of animals begins communicating with him, including a flock of pigeons and a particularly bossy cockroach.
Kester is taken to a place where the last surviving creatures have escaped, throwing him into an extraordinary adventure. He must decide how far he is prepared to go to save them and whether he can help protect what remains of the natural world.
A children's adventure with an environmental warning
The fantasy premise gives the story its adventure, but environmental destruction is at its heart. Kester's world exists because humanity has damaged nature to such an extent that animals have disappeared, turning his journey into a fight for the survival of wildlife.
The stage production is being adapted by Jude Christian and directed by Unicorn Artistic Director Rachel Bagshaw. It is the first co-production between the Unicorn Theatre and National Theatre and will tour nationally following its London run.
The production is aimed at audiences aged seven and over and is being developed for primary school and family audiences. Its themes include environmental destruction, the importance of nature and the consequences of human actions.
When is The Last Wild on stage?
The world premiere runs at the Unicorn Theatre in London from 30 January to 7 March 2027 before touring nationwide.
The production is designed to combine action, humour and heart with its environmental themes, giving younger audiences a fantasy adventure while introducing questions about what happens when the natural world is pushed too far.
