Sensory Synposis for
About this Sensory Synopsis
This resource is writen to help you prepare for your visit to see The Enormous Crocodile The Musical.
Live theater is exciting. It can be loud, bright, shocking at times, and occasionally some of the efects we use, or the themes our show explores, can be upseting or surprising.
This sensory synopsis is to help you prepare and let you know where the more overwhelming parts in the show are. It will also help you get to know some of the characters and explain what is happening in the show.
But be warned, this does include some plot spoilers. If you’d rather keep it a surprise, don’t read this!
This icon appears when the content might be sensorily overwhelming, particularly technical elements like sound and light. This icon appears in places that might be emotional, frightening or sad.
The Enormous Crocodile is a musical - which means that the characters sing and dance, as well as speak their lines. There are lots of music and songs, which is very fun but can also be loud sometimes.
About this Sensory Synopsis
Themes within the play which may be upseting, include:
A crocodile with secret plans and terrible tricks…who wants to eat children!
Threat and peril to children and animals throughout.
Some of the staging, sound and light might be overwhelming, these include:
Puppetry
Cast members (in large costumes) in the audience
Audience interaction
Loud music, including drums and symbols
Thunder sound efects
Whistles
Squealing balloons
Other Information Resources
There is a range of other information that you might find useful, including:
htps://enormouscrocodilemusical.com/ about-the-show
htps://roalddahl.com/stage/the-enormo us-crocodile
There are educational resources available here:
htps://roalddahl.com/stage/the-enormo us-crocodile
Practical Details
The running time is 60 minutes. There is no interval (break in the middle) so the play takes place in one run.
If you would like any more information or have any questions then please contact info@pwprods.co.uk.
Te Show
Synopsis
(A summary of the story)
The story is set in a jungle. The Enormous Crocodile is roaming the jungle, looking for a child to eat.
There is a Teacher and her pupils on a field trip in the jungle and the Enormous Crocodile stalks them and tries lots of tricks to get close enough to eat them! The other animals in the jungle want to stop him, but they need to be very brave to stop him and keep the children safe!
Warning: The story is all about a big, scary crocodile trying to eat children!
The Set
When you come into the theater, before the play starts, you will see all of the seats in the auditorium and the stage.
The stage looks a jungle swamp, with lots of plants and trees.
The set might look a litle diferent depending on the theater.
Photo by Glen Stubbe.
Characters and Cast Members
There are lots of di characters in the play, many of them are animal-puppets but some of them are humans.
Trunky the Elephant
Humpy Rumpy the Hippopotamus
The Enormous Crocodile
Roly Poly Bird
Teacher and Children
Muggle Wump the Monkey
Other puppet characters we meet include:
Frogs, other crocodiles
Mosquitoes, dragonflies, buterflies
Birds, snails, bushbabies
Bushbabies
Sensory Synopsis & Story
Pre-show and Incoming, Orchestra Overture
We hear strange jungle noises… Bubbles and squelches, croaks and screeches.
The actors come into the auditorium playing Mosquitoes, greeting the audience as they enter. Don’t worry, the Mosquitoes are soft and cuddly and won’t bother you!
Voice over from Crocodile. Audience interaction. This might be scary. the Enormous Crocodile.
Photo by Glen Stubbe.
Scene 1: The
Swampy River
The Storytellers tell us about the Enormous Crocodile…who appears from the water and sings and snaps.
The Enormous Crocodile is threatening.
Loud organ music.
Loud singing.
Loud burp.
Scene 2:
The Crocodile Dentist
We see the Enormous Crocodile and other crocodiles at the dentist, having their teeth cleaned by the dentist birds.
The Enormous Crocodile tells the other crocodiles about his plans to find a child to eat for his lunch.
Song Secret Plans and Clever Tricks.
Threat - Crocodile reveals his plan to eat a child. Raised voices.
The Enormous Crocodile sings about his plans to find a child to eat.
Volume (Loud jazzy-outro to song).
Threat to children.
Scene 3:
No Children in the Jungle Scene 4: Safety First
The birds talk about the Enormous Crocodile’s plans to find a child to eat. They think it'll be okay as there aren’t any children in the jungle…but then some children appear.
A teacher and her pupils are walking through the jungle looking at the plants.
Song Safety First - the teacher sings to the children about the dangers of the jungle.
Audience interaction: the birds will ask you to join in and make animal noises. You can be as loud or as quiet as you like!
The actors have child puppets to show they are children.
The song mentions dangerous things like choking, poison and “vicious beasts”.
Screams; the children’s laughter is high pitched.
The guide leader shouts quite loudly.
The circus music is quite loud.
Scene 5:
Animal Riddles (Trunky)
Two snails talk about the children, and how dangerous it is to be in the jungle with the Enormous Crocodile around.
We hear loud stomps…geting louder… It’s Trunky, the elephant.
Peril to children.
Loud and reverberating elephant footsteps.
The Enormous Crocodile and Trunky meet; The Enormous Crocodile tells him that he is going to eat the children.
Threat to children.
Volume - The Enormous Crocodile’s sounds are loud and echoey.
Loud shouting.
Song
Volume.
Scene 6: Animal Riddles
(Roly Poly Bird)
We are in the heart of the jungle, among the trees. The children are playing hide and seek.
The Roly Poly Bird comes in and sings.
Song Roly Poly’s Song.
While Roly Poly is singing, the Enormous Crocodile comes in behind her.
The Roly Poly Bird comes through the audience, but don’t worry, she won’t disturb you!
Roly Poly Bird sings about how fabulous she is!
And tells her about his plans to find a child to eat.
Loud volume of song.
Roly Poly Bird screams (high-pitch).
Threat to children .
Threat to Roly Poly Bird .
Scene 7: Animal Riddles
(Muggle Wump the Monkey & Humpy Rumpy the Hippo)
Part 1.
We are in a diferent part of the jungle now, surrounded by a muddy swamp.
The children are still playing hide and seek.
Song Muggle Wumps’ Song.
Muggle Wump sings about being silly.
Loud volume of song.
Song Humpy Rumpy’s Song.
Humpy sings about being nervous.
Scene 7: Animal Riddles
(Muggle Wump the Monkey & Humpy Rumpy the Hippo)
Part 2.
Muggle Wump tries to help Humpy Rumpy get out of the swamp.
The Enormous Crocodile appears at the banks of the swamp and talks about finding some children to eat.
Muggle Wump and Humpy Rumpy can’t believe that the Enormous Crocodile wants to find a child to eat and try to persuade him not to.
The Enormous Crocodile doesn't listen to him and carries on singing about finding a child to crunch….
After the Enormous Crocodile has gone, Muggle Wump and Humpy Rumpy discuss his horrible plan and how they can stop him.
Roly Poly Bird arrives and tells them that there are children in the jungle…how can they stand up to the Enormous Crocodile?
Threat to children.
Scene 8:
Brave
Song Brave.
The animals sing about finding courage to stop the Crocodile.
Trunky’s Trumpet is loud.
The song gets louder throughout.
Roly Poly Bird talks to the audience about her colorful feathers.
Scene 9: Coconuts
The Enormous Crocodile is in a coconut grove.
Song I Could Eat… (Part 1)
The children appear and Croc spots them. Croc disguises himself as a coconut tree, to try and trick the children…
Threat to childrenmore singing about eating children.
Song So Close (Part 1)
The children are hungry and decide to eat a coconut…Croc is waiting for them, disguised as the tree, waiting to snap….
Humpy charges the Enormous Crocodile and knocks him over to give the children an opportunity to escape!
Peril to children. High pitched screams.
Scene 10:
Seesaw
Song I Could Eat (Part 2)
The Enormous Crocodile is still hungry and looking for a child to munch!
The children appear.
Croc disguises himself as a log, and the children think it is a seesaw…they go over to play on it.
Song So Close (Part 2)
The children approach the Enormous Crocodile and are about to get on when Muggle Wump appears and warns the children that it isn’t a log, it is the Enormous Crocodile.
Muggle Wump throws a coconut at the Enormous Crocodile and it gets stuck in its mouth… The children escape again. It makes the Enormous Crocodile angry.
Peril to children.
Screams from the children are high-pitched.
Peril to children.
The Enormous Crocodile almost chokes!
Secne 11:
Dinner Time!
The Enormous Crocodile is geting even more hungry and determined to find some children to eat.
The teacher and children appear, they are telling her about their brush with the Crocodile.
Volume, loud snapping.
Loud scary laugh.
Scene 12:
Camping
It’s night time and the children and teacher are seting up camp.
Two bushbabies are talking in the bushes. They talk to the audience.
Yelp from the bushbabies is high-pitched.
They talk to the audience, you can answer them if you like.
Thunder noise.
Slightly spooky nightime noises.
Song Hygiene First.
The Teacher sings to the children about how important it is to brush your teeth.
The Enormous Crocodile appears at the edges of the camp…the children and teacher don’t notice….
The Enormous Crocodile is stalking, which is a bit scary.
Scene 13:
Still Brave
Humpy talks to the audience; he is confused about what the audience are doing in the jungle.
Muggle Wump appears and pretends to be Croc, which scares Humpy.
They talk about how they scared Croc away from the children and hope that Croc won’t be coming back.
Audience interaction as Humpy goes through the audience.
Humpy screams very high pitched when Muggle Wump tricks him.
Song Brave.
This song is quite loud.
The Enormous Crocodile is stalking, peril to children.
Scene 14: Lullaby
Teacher returns, dressed for bed… but it’s not the the teacher, it’s the Enormous Crocodile dressed as the teacher!
Croc sings a creepy lullaby as the children fall asleep.
Song Safety First.
Scary lullaby.
Scene 14:
Lullaby (continued)
Vanishing Croc.
We hear a whooshing and flapping, the Roly Poly Bird appears and wakes up the children, warning them that it’s not their teacher but the Enormous Crocodile!!
The animals persuade Croc not to eat the children…which he seems to accept but then an even more evil idea occurs to Croc… he’ll eat the children in the audience!
Muggle Wump talks to the audience and calls on them to help scare away the Crocodile.
You can throw the imaginary monkey nuts to scare of the Enormous Crocodile if you want to.
Croc says he’ll stop chasing the children on stage and go after the children in the audience - peril!
Loud drums/cymbals.
Audience participation - you can pretend to throw monkey nuts at the Crocodile as he comes near.
You can shout at the Crocodile!
The animals come through the audience, but don’t worry they won’t touch or disturb you.
Scene 15:
Trunky Saves the Day
Trunky appears with a loud stomping and trumpet.
Trunky rubs the itchy plant in Croc’s face.
The animals bundle on to Croc and pin him to the ground…Trunky grabs Croc and spins and spins and spins…and flings Croc of in to space!!!
This section is quite loud.
Elephant’s loud trumpets and stomping noise.
There is a loud noise as Croc blasts of into space.
Scene 16:
Space Oddity
We are in outer space…we see Croc flying through the universe…
They all realize that Croc is headed straight for the sun and is going to be burnt up…Croc collides with the sun and is sizzled up like a sausage.
The animals can’t believe they have defeated Croc…they all celebrate.
There is a loud explosion noise as Croc hits the sun.
There is a squeezy balloon noise as Croc is sizzled up and flies around the stage.
The rest of the animals celebrate loudly.
Scene 16: Space Oddity (continued)
Song Sizzled Up.
The animals sing and ask the audience to join in. You can join in if you want to!
You can join in with the song if you want to.
Curtain Call
The show is over - the actors will come out of character and take a bow to the audience.
You can clap and cheer now if you’d like to.
You can cheer for the actors, and after that, it’s time to leave the theater.