Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile Brings “Radical Joy” to Cardiff
Interview with Marienella Phillips, who plays Muggle‑Wump the Monkey
Roald Dahl’s mischievous jungle tale has been reimagined for the stage as The Enormous Crocodile: The Musical, arriving at the New Theatre Cardiff next week. Packed with colour, music and a gleefully villainous reptile with an appetite for chaos (and, worryingly, children), the show promises a riot of family fun.
Originally developed at Leeds Playhouse in 2015, the musical has grown into a full‑scale, joy‑driven production. Director Emily Lim famously describes it as an act of “radical joy” — a phrase that instantly caught the attention of performer Marienella Phillips, who trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and returns to Cardiff playing the energetic Muggle‑Wump the Monkey.
Below, Marienella speaks about joining the show, the magic of performing Dahl for all ages, her connection to Wales, and why audiences should listen out for one particularly juicy line.
Interview
(Listen in Full at the Base of this Article)
You’re bringing The Enormous Crocodile to Cardiff. Yes! Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile: The Musical is hitting Cardiff very soon — next week, to be precise. The crocodile is a dastardly villain: incredibly hungry, absolutely massive, and very pleased with himself.
How did you get involved with the project? I already knew of The Enormous Crocodile. Its first concept was staged in 2015 at Leeds Playhouse. Around the middle of last year, I was invited to audition. It was a really special audition — they gave us a brief summary of the project, and Emily Lim, the original director, described the show as radical joy. You don’t often get a description like that in an audition room. It makes you think, “Okay, I can be fully myself here.” The show calls for that kind of energy, and it absolutely upholds it. That’s what drew me in, and that’s why I’m still here.
It’s aimed at young audiences, but Dahl has such cross‑generational appeal. Is it a show for all ages? Definitely. It’s designed for ages three and up, but the most beautiful part is seeing the full‑circle experience — grandparents who read the book to their children, who then read it to their children. My sister is ten years older than me and works as an engineer, and even her coworkers say, “Oh my gosh, your sister’s in The Enormous Crocodile! I loved that book as a kid — I read it to my child now.” Adults get just as into the singing, the music, and the silliness as the kids do.
For anyone who hasn’t read the book, what’s the story? You’re dropped into the jungle of South Sudan during the dry season, when food is scarce and animals rush to the river. But lurking there is a very large, very hungry crocodile who sets himself a mission many would call impossible — and some would call immoral — to catch a juicy little child.
Along the way he encounters four characters: Trunky the Elephant, Muggle‑Wump the Monkey (that’s me), the Roly‑Poly Bird, and Humpy‑Rumpy the Hippopotamus. He teases them with his dastardly plan, and they decide they must join forces to stop him. But the crocodile is trickier than they expect, and they have to be very brave. How it all plays out… well, you’ll have to join us in the theatre.
Is this your first time performing in Cardiff? Cardiff is very special to me. My dad’s family is from Abergavenny, and I trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama from 2018 to 2022. I have so many good memories — on various stages and around the city. It’s a special place.
And your first time on the New Theatre stage? Not quite! I played Tuptim in the UK and West End production of The King and I in 2023, and we performed at the New Theatre then. It’s sweet to return with a completely different vibe of show.
Where are you in the tour at the moment? We’re just launching the UK tour. We were based at The Lowry in Manchester for a month over Christmas, then spent four weeks in Chicago at the start of this year. We’re currently in Newcastle, about to open shows this week, and we’ve got another two to two‑and‑a‑half months ahead of us. Never a dull moment — with a family show full of kids, you can’t always predict what’s going to happen!
Do you meet many fellow Royal Welsh grads while touring? Absolutely. Royal Welsh grads are doing fantastically across the board — theatre, cabaret, television. It’s such an active college, and because every department is catered for, it really feels like a microcosm of the industry. The representation is strong, and I’m very proud to come from the college.
Before we go — do you have a favourite line from the show? There are so many! Each character has great lines, but it’s hard not to enjoy the crocodile’s. One of his iconic lines you’ll hear throughout the show is: “A nice juicy little child.” So keep an ear out for that.