VISUAL STORY
James and the Giant Peach
A visual resource for children and young adults on the autistic spectrum or with learning,
sensory or communication differences.
This is Northern Stage, welcome to our theatre!
This booklet will help me prepare for my visit.
When I walk in the doors I will be in the foyer.
This is the Box Office. This is where I can collect my tickets for the show, if I haven’t got
them already.
I will see people who are dressed in red tshirts and are carrying books and shoulder bags.
They are called ushers and it is their job to help me find the theatre and to show me to my
seat.
This is Fran. She is one of the Duty Managers. It is her job to make sure all the audience
get into the theatre on time and then she can tell the actors when to start the show. When
I come to Northern Stage I might see Fran, or it might be one of the other Duty Managers
I see. They can answer any questions I might have about the theatre.
The Duty Manager will tell me when the doors to the theatre are open. This means I can
go in, if I like. The show takes place in the theatre called Stage 1.
This is the theatre and at the front is the stage where the actors will tell the story.
There are lots of seats and it will say on my ticket which seat I can sit on. I can ask one of
the ushers if I need help.
When the show is ready to start, the big lights will go out very slowly, but it won’t get
completely dark. Some people might still be making a bit of noise, but this is nothing to
worry about.
The actors will come on to the stage and the show will start.
The story the actors will tell me in the play is called James and the Giant Peach.
James Henry Trotter is a very sad and lonely little boy who lives with his horrible aunts.
They make him do all the work and James isn't allowed any friends to play with or even
books to read.
But one day this all changes, with the help of one thousand magical long slimy crocodile
tongues!
James watches in amazement as the peach tree in his garden grows a peach so
enormous it's almost as big as a house.
Inside the peach James meets Old Green Grasshopper and his insect friends. They help
James escape his cruel, selfish aunts and together they go on an exciting adventure.
James's new friends help him realise he's capable of much more than he ever imagined.
He fights off sharks, lassoes seagulls and even lands the peach in New York City.
Here are some of the characters I will see in the show. Some of the actors play more than
one character and they sometimes play different instruments:
This is James. He is the hero of the story and goes on an adventure inside the giant
peach. The actor who plays James is called Stan.
This is Aunt Sponge. She is one of James’s two horrible aunts. The actor who plays Aunt
Sponge is called Michael.
This is Aunt Spiker. She is the other of James’s two horrible aunts. The actor who plays
Aunt Spiker is called Alice.
This is Earthworm. He is one of the big insects that travel with James inside the giant
peach. He plays the guitar. The actor that plays Earthworm is called Michael and he is the
same actor who plays Aunt Sponge!
This is Miss Spider. She is one of the big insects that travel with James inside the giant
peach. She plays the trumpet. The actor that plays Miss Spider is called Clara.
This is Ladybird. She is one of the big insects that travel with James inside the giant
peach. She plays the saxophone. The actor that plays Ladybird is called Lana.
This is Old Green Grasshopper. He is one of the big insects that travel with James inside
the giant peach. He plays the accordion and the piano. The actor that plays Old Green
Grasshopper is called Tim.
This is Centipede. She is one of the big insects that travel with James inside the giant
peach. She tapdances. The actor that plays Centipede is called Maria.
During the show, the actors will tell the story and that might make me feel lots of different
emotions.
HAPPY
ANGRY
SAD
SURPRISED
The story might make me feel happy and sometimes it might make me feel scared or sad.
That’s ok, I can feel that way if I want to. If I want to leave the theatre at any time I can do
that too, the ushers will help me.
At the end of the show, everyone will clap their hands to show the actors that they’ve
enjoyed it. I can clap too if I like.