The Lion Inside theatre show has already captured the hearts of audiences across the country with its gentle humour and compelling performances. Based on the book by Rachel Bright and Jim Field, it tells the story of a shy mouse who wants to find his roar - and who better to learn from than the lion who lives on top of the rock? A talented team brought the tale to life, with Sarah Punshon at the helm as Director. Let’s learn a little more about her.

Training

Sarah Punshon had a lot of training before kicking off her career, first at Cambridge University and then at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire, on the Regional Theatres Young Directors Scheme. After a stint at the BBC’s Drama Directors Academy in 2006, she was mentored by Olivier Award-winning director Sir Richard Eyre as a Clore Leadership Fellow. During these years she directed Frozen (Theatre-by-the-Lake, Keswick), The Lady In the Van (Salisbury Playhouse) and The Beauty and the Beast (Creation Theatre Company) among others.

A love of family theatre

During her early years as a director, Sarah developed a special affinity for family audiences and among her later credits are many family shows such as Aladdin (The Dukes, Lancaster) and The Three Musketeers (The Dukes, Lancaster) which was nominated for the UK Theatre Award for Best Production for Children and Young People in 2018. She has also directed several Christmas productions for The Dukes, Lancaster, including Peter Pan, Cinderella and The Jungle Book. Sarah is the founder and Artistic Director of One Tenth Human, an award-winning theatre company that works with artists and scientists to create adventures that place children and their grown-ups at the heart of the experience. The company has been commissioned by a range of organisations, from Lancaster Arts to Polka Theatre.

Directing The Lion Inside

Directing the adaptation of Rachel Bright and Jim Field’s book The Lion Inside was one of Sarah’s favourite projects to date. The show, which was first brought to life in 2024, is a heart-warming tale about confidence and friendship. She said of it, “Bringing such well-known and well-loved characters to life on stage is a big responsibility! Rachel’s words and Jim’s pictures are embedded in so many families’ hearts. My script needed to be true to the story we all know, but find its own theatricality.”

The result of Sarah’s work - and her collaboration with the skilled cast and crew, which includes Musical Director Eamonn O’Dwyer - is a fun, lively and magical show that kids of three years and up can engage with and be inspired by.

Find The Lion Inside

If you love The Lion Inside book, don’t miss the stage show, which is touring the southeast of England this summer. Sarah Punshon’s retelling of this enchanting lion and mouse story will run from 14 July to 12 August at the Unicorn Theatre in London before moving to Southampton and Chelmsford. Book your tickets now to join the fun.