Saoirse Ruane helps launch Toy Show: The Musical

Saoirse Ruane joined Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show to announce the new show

This Christmas, there’s a new musical in town.

Yep, The Late Late Show is bringing The Late Late Toy Show to the theatre for the very first time.

The musical will follow one little girl's Toy Show adventure as she and her family prepare for the biggest night of their lives.

Toy Show favourite Saoirse Ruane helped launch the musical tonight, performing the musical's lead song All The Same alongside the musical's composer RuthAnne Cunningham and other Toy Show stars. 

Saoirse Ruane, with her mother Rosanna

Saoirse from Athenry, Co Galway stole viewers' hearts back in 2020, when she appeared on the Toy Show and shared the story of how she lost her right leg to cancer and learned to walk on a new prosthetic leg. She launched the Toy Show Appeal that same year which raised over €6m for various children’s charities.

Speaking to Ryan Tubridy tonight, Saoirse said she was a "bit nervous" to perform on the show tonight but she just wanted "to keep singing."

Saoirse's parents also spoke about the devastating news they recently received - that Saoirse's cancer has returned. But, they said it is but a "bump in the road" and courageous Saoirse will get through it just like she did last time.

'All The Same' was debuted by the musicals composer RuthAnne Cunningham tonight alongside guest appearances from a number of Toy Show kids 

While presenter Ryan Tubridy joked that he is a dab hand at dancing and singing, he said he won’t have a starring role in the musical production.

"I can hold a tune,” he said on Friday's Late Late, ”but I’m not in it!” 

“I will be using my skills to great effect on the Late Late Toy Show, the regular one, on the TV in November, which will be bigger and better than ever before.

“So, how about we leave the theatre stage to the theatre actors," he said.

RTÉ say the musical is a story about “family, tradition and how the magic of the Toy Show brings the whole world together each year for one truly amazing night.” 

This new Irish musical is created and produced by Late Late Show producers Jane Murphy and Katherine Drohan, with songs written by Grammy nominated composer and performer RuthAnne Cunningham.

• Toy Show The Musical will run from December 10, 2022, in The Auditorium, The Convention Centre, Dublin. Tickets, priced from €25, will go on sale from next Thursday, May 19 at 10am. See www.rte.ie/toyshowthemusical for tickets.