The Stone Baby

From Summer 2026 to January 2027, we will be touring our adaptation of the classic Greek myth of Kronos and his children to primary and special schools in North Solihull, Walsall and East Staffordshire.

The tour is aimed at children aged 5-11 and involves two adaptations of the story by our Associate Artist Chris Cooper: one for children aged 5-8; the other for those aged 8-11. It intertwines a performance of the story with an exploratory Theatre in Education programme.

The story of ‘The Stone Baby’ centres around the mighty Titan Kronos, god of gods. He is told of a prophecy that one of his own children will overpower and replace him. Compelled by his own survival, he decides to devour all his children. His distraught wife Rhea eventually saves their new-born baby Zeus, by substituting him with a stone.

Kronos: They will not have what is mine …

Rhea: Eat up, husband …

But what is it that the mother feeds her husband ?

‘The Stone Baby’ is a tale as old as time, a tale that isn’t just a thing of the past.

It is a tale about control and power, but also about revenge. But what is the difference between revenge and justice, greed and hunger?

Our TIE programme will give time and space for children to explore the meaning of the story and these concepts.

Big Brum sees ‘The Stone Baby’ as a necessary story for the children we work with. People have kept coming back to the story for thousands of years. How else can the young survive in a world driven to consume them?