Gemma Curry with Whale, the central character in Hoglets Theatre’s The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale. Picture: Andy Curry
HOGLETS Theatre’s new show is a celebration of the beauty of being yourself and the magic of being different, inspired by the 52-hertz whale and the neurodivergent world.
Presented by the husband-and-wife team of writer and composer Andy Curry and performer, director and puppet-maker Gemma Curry, The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale will be staged by the York company at York Theatre Royal on Friday and Saturday, followed by further Yorkshire performances at Masham Town Hall on October 28, Guiseley Theatre on October 29 and Ripon Arts Hub on October 30.
Fresh from an award-winning, five star-garlanded run at the Underbelly at this summer’s Edinburgh Fringe, Hoglets Theatre invites audiences aged four upwards on an exciting, 40-minute adventure packed with beautiful handmade puppets, sea creatures, original songs and gentle audience interaction aplenty.
“I can hear someone out there. They’re singing to me,” vows Whale as he sings his heart out into the deep blue sea but nobody sings back. Is he the only one like him in the whole ocean?
On the cusp of giving up, a mysterious voice echoes through the waves. Determined to find the singer, Whale embarks on an unforgettable adventure, diving through glowing coral caves, dodging wibbly jellyfish and facing wild-eyed sea monsters. Yet will he ever find a friend who hears his song in this story of the power of friendship, empathy and inclusivity?
“There was a documentary about the 52-hertz whale on Disney+ that Andy discovered about five years ago, where he’s on his own because no-one sings like he does, on his frequency, whereas other whales bond through singing, so we saw it as quite an analogy for autism.”
“At the end, Whale realises there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with him and nothing wrong with being different,” says Gemma Curry
Andy and Gemma’s younger son has been diagnosed as autistic. “That was one of the things that led to us doing the play because we realised it was a world that’s not geared to make his life easy because everything is geared to the neurotypical, and teaching kids about neurodivergence does doesn’t tend to happen – although his school has been awarded ADHD Friendly School status,” says Gemma.
“They’re ‘naughty’ or ‘weird’ is what other kids say about autistic children, when actually, no, they are just different.”
Hence the parallels with the 52-hertz whale, so here is the science bit. The 52-hertz whale, known colloquially as 52 Blue, is a whale of an unidentified species that makes its calls at the frequency of 52 hertz; higher than usual for any whale with migration patterns.
“In our story, we’ve made him a Humpback whale, swimming around on his own, encountering lots of jellyfish, an ADHD turtle, and a Moray eel, who wants to meet others but thinks he looks ugly so he stays in his cave,” says Gemma.
“At the end, Whale realises there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with him and nothing wrong with being different. Our story is about belief in yourself and learning about yourself. When we’re born all we know is ourselves; we don’t know how to think. We’re completely questioning ourselves, so we have to find who we are and what we believe in a world where there’s bullying.”
Gemma Curry: Won the Derek Award for Best Children’s Show at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe with The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale
Gemma and Andy worked with Tang Hall SMART and their students when researching and writing the play. “We gave them the script, asking them ‘Does it ring true?’, and asking them how they wanted to be perceived, what questions would you ask and what would you tell your younger self?” says Gemma.
“Hearing their stories was really inspiring: how they had become assured and confident and knew who they were, though a lot of them had experienced issues of being bullied, or not understood, or overlooked, but they were such amazing people.
“I had a little cry when I took the show back there and this guy gave me a hug to say how how much he loved the show.”
Now York at large has the chance to see the Derek Award winner for Best Children’s Show at the Edinburgh Fringe. “We won out of 147 children’s shows, so that was wonderful,” says Gemma.
The last word goes to Gemma’s mum. “As a typical Yorkshire woman, she has a great saying on being different: ‘It wouldn’t do if we were all the same’.” How right she is.
Hoglets Theatre in The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale, York Theatre Royal Studio, October 3, 4.30pm; October 4, 11am and 2pm. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Age guidance: Primary aged children and families.