REVIEW - THE DETECTIVE DOG | Z-ARTS | 16/05/2026
- Sarah Monaghan
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
The Detective Dog at Z-arts – A Fun, Inclusive Family Theatre Adventure Full of Books, Music & Mystery
We are huge fans of Julia Donaldson books in our house, so The Detective Dog has always been a favourite with Alice and Leo. We first saw this production last year at Waterside Arts and remembered how much the children enjoyed it, so we were really looking forward to seeing Nell’s mystery adventure again during its visit to Z-arts Manchester.
Adapted and produced by Tiny & Tall Productions, The Detective Dog combines puppetry, music, projection and British Sign Language to bring Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie’s much-loved story to life for young audiences.
Directed by Peta Maurice, the production places a strong focus on accessibility and visual storytelling, with integrated BSL, dynamic captions and sensory elements helping create a welcoming and engaging theatre experience for families.
The production also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the original book this year, making it a lovely time to revisit this charming story on stage.
The story follows Nell and her owner Peter as they head to school each week for story time. Nell loves books just as much as the children do, so when all the books mysteriously disappear one morning, Detective Dog Nell is ready to sniff out the culprit.
Using her powerful nose, Nell follows clues through parks, farms and even the zoo in search of the missing books, leading to a fun mystery adventure packed with rhymes, audience interaction and plenty of laughs along the way.
The story works beautifully on stage and keeps younger audiences fully engaged throughout. There’s a lovely balance of silliness, warmth and gentle suspense, alongside a strong celebration of reading, libraries and imagination.
The interactive moments are especially successful, with children encouraged to join in guessing animals, solving clues and helping Nell during her investigation. Alice particularly enjoyed helping solve the mystery, while Leo loved shouting out the animals as they appeared on the screen during one of the show’s funniest sequences.
Visually, this production is absolutely lovely.
The set has been designed to look like a giant pop-up storybook, with bright colours, painted bookcases, oversized props and rolling scenery helping transport the audience into Nell’s world. The production photos really do not do justice to how vibrant the set looks in person.
At the centre of the stage is a large book-style screen which is used throughout the show to display illustrations, projected captions, sound effects and animated elements that blend beautifully with the storytelling. The captions feel completely natural within the design of the production rather than feeling added separately, which works brilliantly.
The use of projection also helps make the show much more accessible for deaf children and families, alongside the seamlessly integrated British Sign Language performed by the cast throughout the production.
The costumes are playful, colourful and perfectly suited to the style of the show, helping the actors quickly transform between multiple characters and animals.
The real visual highlight though is undoubtedly Nell herself. The puppet design is absolutely fantastic and captures the look of the character from the book perfectly. Nell feels full of life on stage thanks to the incredibly skilled puppetry work, from her wagging tail and twitching ears to the way she sniffs around the stage following clues. The children were completely fascinated by her from the moment she first appeared.
After the show the children were also able to meet Nell in the foyer, which was such a lovely extra touch. Alice and Leo absolutely loved seeing the puppet up close after becoming so invested in the story throughout the performance.
Lighting is used effectively throughout to help create different locations and moods while keeping the overall atmosphere bright, warm and child-friendly.
Musically, the show is full of catchy songs and playful energy. Jack Drewry’s score adds lots of fun to the production and several of the songs were still stuck in our heads afterwards.
One particularly unique feature of the production is its use of scent technology. Before the show began there were several sensory smell stations set up in the foyer, allowing children to sniff different scents inspired by the story and guess what Nell could smell. Leo absolutely loved investigating all the scent boxes before we headed into the auditorium.
It was also lovely to see ear defenders available for children who might need them, helping create a welcoming and sensory-friendly atmosphere for families.
This small cast works incredibly hard throughout the performance, constantly switching between characters, operating puppets, signing and leading musical numbers while maintaining huge amounts of energy.
Megan Brooks is excellent as Peter, bringing warmth and enthusiasm to the role while helping guide the audience through the mystery.
Eleanor Pead delivers a wonderfully energetic performance across multiple roles including the Librarian and one of the children, with fantastic physical comedy and expressive storytelling throughout.
Amy Murray is equally strong, bringing plenty of humour and personality to her various characters while also helping create some of the production’s funniest moments.
The chemistry between the cast feels very natural, and their energy quickly spreads into the audience. It is clear how much younger audiences connected with them during the performance.
A huge amount of credit must also go to the puppetry team because Nell truly feels like another cast member rather than simply a puppet.
The Detective Dog at Z-arts is a warm, playful and genuinely inclusive family theatre experience that perfectly captures the charm of Julia Donaldson’s original story.
While the production is fairly simple in scale, it more than makes up for this with creativity, imagination and heart. The combination of puppetry, music, audience interaction and accessibility features creates a show that feels welcoming and engaging for a wide range of children and families.
The integrated BSL, projected captions, sensory elements and relaxed atmosphere never feel like an afterthought — instead they are woven naturally into the entire production in a way that should honestly be celebrated.
Alice and Leo both thoroughly enjoyed the show, particularly the interactive moments and meeting Nell afterwards, and it was lovely seeing how engaged all the children around us were throughout the performance.
The Detective Dog may be aimed primarily at younger audiences, but its joyful celebration of books, storytelling and imagination makes it a lovely theatre trip for the whole family.
“A colourful, inclusive and heartwarming family adventure packed with puppetry, music and mystery.”
If you would like more information about the show, please click the button below to visit the show's official website.
Photo Credit - Paul Blakemore
*Our tickets for this show were kindly gifted in exchange for an honest review.
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