IT TOOK Phileas Fogg 80 days to get around the world.

Now story-telling schoolchildren will aim to do it in a single day – in a manner of speaking, at least.

Stories from across the globe will be performed by schoolchildren at the Pegasus Theatre in Magdalen Road, East Oxford, next week.

Pupils from eight schools are taking on classic tales from India, Australia and Africa, next Thursday and Friday.

Malu Jayakrishnan and Liyam Ghomshei from Sandhills Community Primary School, Headington, said they were excited to get the chance to play the heroes of the Diwali story.

Liyam, eight, and Malu, seven, will play Rama and Sita in the traditional Hindu festival of light.

Liyam said: “My favourite part is when I kill Ravanna because everyone is happy because I kill him.”

Malu said: “I love doing the performances. They are one of the best things we do at school.

“My favourite part is the wedding.

“We get married and everyone makes an alley for us to walk through.”

The performances are part of Learning Through Stories, a literacy project with Artswork, Oxford Inspires, Oxford City Council and The Story Museum in Pembroke Street, Oxford.