KIDS | Previews 62 THE LIST 1 Sep–3 Nov 2016 62 THE LIST 1 Sep–3 Nov 2016
BOOK ADAPTATION GANGSTA GRANNY King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 7–Sun 11 Sep; King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 5–Sun 9 Oct
Underneath all the wild, sensational happenings in David Walliams’ 2011 book, Gangsta Granny, lies a gentle message. A suggestion that older people may not be quite as tedious as the younger generation thinks – something Walliams himself found to be true as a child. ‘I would spend lots of time with both my grandmas,’ he recalls. ‘Sometimes I would think it would be boring, but when I got them onto a subject like living in London during World War II, when bombs were raining down, they would become very animated and I would be enthralled.’
In Walliams’ book, a young boy is forced to spend Friday
night with his gran, a woman whose love of cabbage knows no bounds and is sure to be unbearably boring. Except, of course, she isn’t and he ends up having the adventure of a lifetime.
‘So the moral of the story is don’t assume old people are boring just because they are old,’ says Walliams. ‘In fact, they’re likely to have had a much more interesting life than yours, so talk to them and listen to their stories.’
Birmingham Stage Company, the people behind the
hugely popular Horrible Histories theatre productions, have transferred Walliams’ story from page to stage, and everyone – author included – thinks they’ve done a fine job of it. ‘People seem to really like Gangsta Granny, it’s my bestselling book by far, and it’s a huge thrill seeing it have this whole new life on the stage,’ says Walliams. ‘There’s a lot of action in it, especially when they try to steal the Crown Jewels, so it was quite a challenge for Birmingham Stage Company to bring those scenes to life. But they do it so well, I think it’s a brilliant show – better than the book!’ (Kelly Apter)
FESTIVAL MAGIPUP FESTIVAL Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, Glasgow, Sat 15–Sun 23 Oct
There’s something almost magical about puppetry – the way, within seconds, we stop seeing the handler and build a meaningful relationship with what is essentially an inanimate object. So what happens when you fuse puppetry and actual magic? A special kind of alchemy worthy of its own festival, thinks the Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre. ‘The MAGIPUP festival was created five years ago to highlight the ancient and popular link
between magic and puppetry,’ explains the centre’s executive director, Malcolm Knight. ‘The name is a fusion of the words magic and puppets, and came out of a desire to work in partnership with puppeteers and magicians, and with anyone who uses both magic and puppets in their acts. We also wanted to programme popular and accessible shows that would combine surprise and entertainment with mystery and fun.’
This year’s MAGIPUP features a wide-ranging mix of shows and workshops, including magic, puppetry and music performed in a caravan by the Great Ta-Da, family show The Magic Circus, a traditional Japanese folk tale and ancient European legend.
‘All our shows are generally suitable for age three and upwards, and we look for material that will
appeal to people of all ages,’ says Knight. ‘We aim to create a quality child-friendly experience in an artform that is a root, and not simply a branch, of the theatre. And in previous years the public response has been consistently solid and enthusiastic.’ (Kelly Apter)
BOOK GROUP LITERARY LITTLES Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 10 Sep
When a group of adults meet to discuss a book, there’s lots of chatting, tea and perhaps the odd glass of gin. But children need a far more interesting way to express how they feel about reading, which is why Allison Everett, bookshop manager at Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket Gallery, set up Literary Littles – a book group with a difference. ‘I started running the monthly events as a way to share fantastic children’s books with the families who frequent the gallery,’ explains Everett. ‘I make a programme for each exhibition based on what great books are coming out, which authors are available to read them. And then work out how we can frame the book with a craft activity to help children think about the story and process it visually. The events are always laid-back, informal and centred around how fun reading can be.’
Previous Literary Littles have featured Mac Barnett reading from Leo, A Ghost Story, after
which everyone made heraldic family shields, and the hugely popular Vivian French, again with a craft activity to follow. The next event will take place on 10 September, when Everett herself will be reading from Tatiana Glebova’s Where am I?.
‘It’s a Russian visual novel that invites you to find the missing person or animal in each image,’ explains Everett. ‘The book is aimed at 3 to 9-year-olds, so after reading it we’ll all create our own hidden image drawings.’ (Kelly Apter)