Dr Seuss's The Cat in the Hat

In recent years Christmas shows in the National Theatre's main house, the Olivier, have established a reputation among families looking for real theatre as opposed to the patronising pap of panto as an excellent choice for a multigenerational outing. But while productions such as 'His Dark Materials', 'Coram Boy' and 'War Horse' united older children, their parents and grandparents in pleasure, all had a darker edge and long running time that made them unsuitable for families with very young children. This Christmas, though, alongside an adaptation of Terry Pratchett's 'Nation' in the Olivier, the National will cater for more delicate sensibilities and shorter attention spans in the form of a show specifically for children of three to six in the Cottesloe , the theatre's smallest space. The 45-minute production is an adaptation of Dr Seuss's much-loved book about a mischievous cat whose instantly recognisable style involves a tall red-and-white-striped hat and a natty bow tie. It will be directed by the controversial Katie Mitchell , whose powerful visual sense must surely be an advantage here and whose tendency to impose her personality on original texts may be seen as a plus for parents who find the distinctive Seus repetition and rhyme a bit tedious.