It’s official: This Christmas, The Late Late Toy Show is being made into a musical

Oh, the excitement!

While Christmas may be the last occasion on anyone’s mind this weekend, we’re barely resisting the urge to go full on festive mode with the announcement that the country’s favourite television tradition is being made into a musical.

This Christmas, Toy Show The Musical will bring the magic of The Late Late Toy Show to the Convention Centre Auditorium and we cannot wait.

Inviting us to step inside one little girl’s Toy Show adventure as she and her family prepare for the biggest night of their lives, it’s a story about family, tradition and how the magic of the Toy Show brings the whole world together each year for one truly amazing night. Full of fun, laughter and love, we see how the show allows children to teach us that the magic needed to change their world already exists within them.

Running from December 10, 2022 in The Auditorium at The Convention Centre, Dublin, tickets for Toy Show The Musical will be priced from €25 and go on sale from Thursday, 19 May at 10am from the RTÉ website in partnership with Ticketsolve.

The Late Late Toy Show is a true phenomenon in modern Irish culture that has become much more than just a television show. The night itself heralds the official ‘start of Christmas’ across Ireland, when generations watch together for a truly special celebration of children, toys, community and festive spirit.

This new Irish musical is created and produced by The Late Late Show producers Jane Murphy and Katherine Drohan. “We are thrilled to honour the Toy Show and all of the joy and magic that it inspires across Ireland every year with this new creation, telling the story of one little family and their adventures on Toy Show night, through the eyes of a child.”

Speaking on The Late Late Show on Friday night, presenter Ryan Tubridy joked that while he’s a dab hand at dancing and singing, he’s happy to leave it to the theatre actors. “Now I know what you’re thinking!” Ryan quipped. “Ryan… the Toy Man… you’re a fine dancer! And yes, it’s true, I can hold a tune too. But I’m not in it!

“I will be using my skills to great effect on The Late Late Toy Show, the regular one, on the TV in November, which will be bigger and better than ever before. So, how about we leave the theatre stage to the theatre actors! And wishing the very best of luck to all of the brilliant team involved there.”

RTÉ has assembled a highly talented and experienced team of creative artists from the world of theatre, including director Séimí Campbell, award-winning playwright Lisa Tierney-Keogh, and Grammy nominated composer and performer RuthAnne Cunningham

Chair of the RTÉ Board Moya Doherty said, “Toy Show The Musical is such an exciting and ambitious creative departure for RTÉ. Building a new Irish original musical on the values and spirit of the Toy Show promises to offer theatre audiences something unique and magical this Christmas. That RTÉ has managed to assemble such a stellar team of musical and theatrical talent to develop this new show is a tribute to the enduring magic of the Toy Show and all who have contributed to making what it has become in our culture.”

The countdown is officially on!