The Little Yellow Digger
By Betty and Alan Gilderdale
Adapted for the stage by Tim Bray
Songs by Christine White
5 April – 9 May 2025
Created for Ages: 3 – 10
Show Run Time: 60 mins (no interval)
Auckland Regional Tour
Big dreams, small machine – the Little Yellow Digger is on the scene
Join us for The Little Yellow Digger, a delightful play with original songs, based on the beloved children’s picture books by Kiwi authors, Betty and Alan Gilderdale. When the little yellow digger gets stuck in the mud, a series of bigger … and bigger … diggers are sent to finish the job, but then things get really tricky!
Join this plucky little hero on a fun-filled journey through several adventures, including The Little Yellow Digger Saves the Whale, The Little Yellow Digger at the Zoo, The Little Yellow Digger and the Bones, and The Little Yellow Digger Goes to School.
Children big and small will love this heartwarming tale of the little digger that gets the job done.
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Making theatre accessible to all
We have ticket options available for:
- Deaf patrons at NZSL interpreted performances
- Blind patrons at Audio Described performances
- Neurodivergent patrons at Sensory Relaxed performances
- Disabled patrons at all performances
- Companion ticket discounts
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Audio Described + Touch Tour
The PumpHouse Theatre, Takapuna:
- Tuesday 8th April at 10.30am + Touch Tour at 9.30am (School Term performance)
- Saturday 19th April at 1pm + Touch Tour at 12pm
Māngere Arts Centre, Māngere:
- Wednesday 7th May at 10.30am + Touch Tour at 9.30am (School Term performance)
Sensory Relaxed
The PumpHouse Theatre, Takapuna:
- Wednesday 9th April at 10.30am. The pre-show introduction starts at 10.15am
- Monday 14th April at 10.30am. The pre-show introduction starts at 10.15am
Due Drop Events Centre, Manukau:
- Wednesday 30th April at 10.30am (School Term performance). The pre-show introduction starts at 10.15am
Māngere Arts Centre, Māngere:
- Thursday 8th May at 10.30am (School Term performance). The pre-show introduction starts at 10.15am
NZ Sign Language Interpreted
The PumpHouse Theatre, Takapuna:
- Thursday 10th April at 10.30am (School Term performance) + Deaf Stage Experience after show
- Saturday 26th April at 10.30am
Due Drop Events Centre, Manukau:
- Thursday 1st May at 10.30am (School Term performance) + Deaf Stage Experience after show
“The simplicity and creativity in the show brought imagination to life and sparked giggles of appreciation from adults and children alike. The slapstick humour, the clever script and even the ‘magic tricks’ as my nephew called them – like the water appearing and disappearing on the stage delighted the gala audience….This is a great gift to your children or grandchildren in the holidays when you are looking for something to do – books, music, laughter and fun!”
– Sharon Hewlett, Broadway World (2019)
Term 1, 2025 – Takapuna, Manukau and Māngere
Schools, Early Childhood Education providers and Home School Groups enjoy a discounted ticket price of $14.50 per person for School Term performances with a minimum booking of 15 tickets (plus booking fees). Details of Terms and Conditions for invoiced bookings.
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Gift a Seat® Outreach Programme
Our Gift a Seat® outreach programme offers the opportunity to attend our shows at no cost to students from:
- Schools that need support
- Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education
- BLENNZ (Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ)
- Specialist schools, and
- Make-A-Wish (NZ) families
Apply for Gift a Seat® tickets to The Little Yellow Digger.
Tickets are generously funded by individuals who attend our shows, or are regular donors, and organisations and trusts that support Gift a Seat® through funding grants.
Teacher Resources
We provide a comprehensive cross-curricular Teachers’ Resource Guide (TRG) free of charge for all School Term bookings. These Guides are packed full of activities and show learning outcomes to support further learning before and after your students attend our performance.
Here’s a sample of our Teachers Resource Guide from our show of Roald Dahl’s The Twits.