ACTRESS Liz Crowther has spent the past couple of months sharing a stage with a 10 foot elephant, a family of orang utangs and a whole range of other jungle creatures.

And now she is preparing to bring this motley menagerie to the North West as Running Wild prepares to delight family audiences in Blackpool and Manchester.

Written by acclaimed children’s author Michael Morpurgo, Running Wild is based on real life events surrounding the Boxing Day tsunami in Indonesia in 2004.

As the tsunami hits, a young girl, Lilly, is saved by an elephant called Oona who takes her deep into the jungle to escape the raging floodwaters and that’s where her adventures really begin.

“It really is the most wonderful show,” said Liz. “It has every single ingredient of wonderful theatre - a fantastic design, a big cast, a strong story and the most incredible puppets and puppeteers.”

Liz plays Lilly’s grandma who leaves her farm in the UK to try and find her.

“I’m this brave and fearless granny who puts on her backpack and walking boots and gets stuck in,” she said. “I think she might change people’s perceptions of grandmas.”

Due to the demands of the production, which tours the country until June, three young actresses play Lilly.

“We’ve got three fantastic children who bring something different to role of Lilly. They really can teach us so much.

“The play is incredibly imaginative but it’s also very political which a lot of young audiences love. You definitely underestimate a young audience at your peril.”

As well as being an exciting adventure, Running Wild covers issues such as global warming and the exploitation of natural resources.

“One of our Lillies has actually started a petition against Nutella because palm oil is used in its production,” said Liz, “She has become so engaged through the show.”

The real stars of the show are the various jungle animals which add an extra dimension to the whole thing.

“You do forget that they are puppets,” said Liz. “The puppeteers who operate them are fabulous, it’s such a skill.

“In the show there is the most fantastic tiger puppet. After one show one lad asked how come the tiger didn’t eat the other animals when it was off stage. He’d got the concept of it being on stage but still believed it was a ferocious animal which is wonderful.”

Liz, daughter of comedian Leslie Crowther, is delighted to be heading to the North West with the show.

“I don’t think I’ve been to Blackpool even though my dad played there a lot, so I’m very excited by that. I think we’ll be playing the same theatre where he did summer seasons so that will be special and I’m so excited to be beside the seaside.

“And when we get to the Lowry I will be staying with my brother who lives in Manchester. I played there last year in a production of Kites. It’s a fabulous complex and I love the National War Museum there.”

Running Wild is aimed at audiences aged from seven upwards

“It is exciting and fast moving,” said Liz. “The audiences are simply transfixed by it.

“It is quite demanding and powerful, and some of it is a little bit scary but to see children - and adults - so engaged is incredible.”

Running Wild, Grand Theatre, Blackpool, Tuesday, April 4 to Saturday, April 8 (details from 01253 290190) and the Lowry, Salford Quays, Tuesday, April 18 to Saturday, April 22 (details from 0843 208 6000)