Category: Plays

The Herds come to London!

Posted on June 19, 2025 by - Songs

Roaming through cities in West Africa and Europe, herds of life-size puppet animals will invade city centres on an epic journey across the world. THE HERDS is a visual dramatisation of the climate crisis and a stark warning of what may come if animals are forced to flee their natural habitats.

Join us on Friday 27 June as 100 local children from the Unicon Theatre’s Creative Hub’s projects become the first to welcome THE HERDS to the UK in an early morning encounter created by the Unicorn’s Artistic Director, Rachel Bagshaw, including an original song written by me and composed by YolanDa Brown.

Find out more here or on my Events page!

The Last Wild – the play!

Posted on April 30, 2025 by - Books, Plays

Delighted to announce that The Last Wild is going to be a play,  in a new version for primary school audiences, adapted by Jude Christian from the award-winning novel by Piers Torday, will be directed by the Unicorn Theatre’s Artistic Director and former Peter Hall Associate, Rachel Bagshaw, in a co-production with The National Theatre.

Opening at the Unicorn Theatre in February 2027, the production will tour to venues and schools in areas across England, doubling the reach of previous National Theatre primary tours.

For more details see the full announcement by The National Theatre here.

Stephen Fry to host Plum: Homage to Happiness!

Posted on March 31, 2025 by - Plays

The Pleasance Theatre Trust has announced a theatrical tribute to PG Wodehouse. Plum: Homage to Happiness is devised by me and directed by Amy Lane. It’ll be hosted by Stephen Fry, and feature Alexander Armstrong, Stephen Mangan and Miss Baby Sol, as well as music from the Simon Beck Quartet playing Gershwin, Cole Perter and Jerome Kern.

Commemorating 50 years since his death, the evening is described as “a joyful celebration of words, dance and songs from one of the best-loved and funniest writers ever to put pen to paper.”

Lyricist Wodehouse, who once had a record-breaking five musicals running simultaneously on Broadway, based the characters in his stories on those shows. He went on to create Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, Lord Emsworth and his prize pig, Mr Mulliner, Uncle Fred and Psmith.

The Cazalet family, who are step relatives of Wodehouse, said: “Come celebrate the glorious world and words of PG Wodehouse at Wilton’s Music Hall in the only way he’d approve – by having a dashed good time! Where Imperious Aunts, Grunting Pigs, Bertie and Jeeves and a host of his beloved characters come together under one roof, for one night only, in a grand homage to humour.”

The event will take place at Wilton’s Music Hall in London on 20 May 2025, in aid of The National Literacy Trust.

See you there!

Box of Delights cast announced!

Posted on September 20, 2023 by - Plays

The cast has been announced The Box of Delights at the RSC!

The complete cast includes Nana Amoo-Gottfried (as Joe/Ensemble), Callum Balmforth (as Kay Harker), Stephen Boxer (as Cole Hawkings/Ramon Lully/Grandpa), Melody Brown (as Mayor/Dame Eleanor of Chasuble/Ensemble), Alex Cardall (as Ensemble/Puppeteer), Tom Chapman (as Rat/Puppeteer), Janet Etuk (as Herne the Hunter), Jack Humphrey (as Peter Jones), Tom Kanji (as Charles), Richard Lynch (as Abner), Annette McLaughlin (as Caroline Louisa), Mae Munuo (as Maria Jones), Molly Roberts (as Ellen/The Head/Ensemble), Rhiannon Skerritt (as Ensemble/Puppeteer), Timothy Speyer (as Bishop/Ensemble), and Rosie Wyatt (as Papergirl/Duchess of Musborough/Ensemble). Nia Gwynne and Claire Price will be job-sharing the role of Sylvia Daisy Pouncer.

Our director Justin Audibert commented: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work on The Box of Delights again, this time creating a bigger, and even more spectacular production for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage.

“It’s a show that features trains, boats, planes, mythical creatures, a good and a very bad magician, and characters that magically turn into tiny versions of themselves, characters that transform into animals that fly through the air and swim in the sea – how exciting is that? We’re telling the story through the imagination of a child, so the staging promises to be a fantastic mix of the inventive and the breathtaking.

“In many ways, The Box of Delights was the first fantasy story for children, and with its classic good versus evil narrative, and three young children as the heroes, you can see its influence on books like the Harry Potter series. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”

Further creative team members include designer Tom Piper, Prema Mehta (lighting), Ed Lewis (music), Claire Windsor (sound), Simon Pittman (movement), Nina Dunn and Matthew Brown (video), Samuel Wyer (puppetry), Kev McCurdy (fight direction), Réjane Collard-Walker (dramaturg) and Matthew Dewsbury CDG (casting).

The Box of Delights runs from 31 October 2023 until 7 January 2024, with a press night set for 8 November.

 

The Box of Delights at the RSC

Posted on June 1, 2023 by - Plays

Today would have been the former Poet Laureate John Masefield’s 145 birthday. So what better day to share that my adaptation of his joyful children’s classic #TheBoxofDelights is coming to The RSC this Christmas?

This fantastically festive production, originally produced for Wilton’s Music Hall, is directed by Justin Audibert (The Taming of the Shrew 2019, The Jew of Malta 2015) and designed by RSC Associate Designer Tom Piper.

Can Kay Harker save Christmas now that the wolves are running?

BOOKING OPENS FOR PUBLIC ON 22 JUN

New Domestika course launches

Posted on February 22, 2023 by - Plays, Teaching

Following the success of my course on how to write your first fantasy novel for children, I’m delighted today to launch by second Domestika course; “Playwriting for Children’s Theater,” which teaches you how to write your first play for children and families.

The course is focused on how to make live work for young audiences, but a lot of the content will be applicable for anyone writing a play. So if you have ever fancied retelling or sharing a story with a live audience, why not buy your front row ticket and take a seat?

The Wind in the Willows Cast announced!

Posted on September 16, 2022 by - Plays

WITWW Cast and Crew

Delighted to finally reveal our incredible cast for The Wind in the W̵i̵l̵l̵o̵w̵s̵ Wilton’s at Wilton’s Music Hall this Christmas!

Darrell Brockis as Toad
Melody Brown as Badger
Tom Chapman as Weasel
Paula James as Duck
Corey Montague-Sholay as Mole
Chris Nayak as Otter
Rosie Wyatt as Rat

They can’t wait to welcome you down on the river, starting November 24th…book your tickets now!

The Wind in the Willows on stage!

Posted on August 9, 2022 by - Plays

Poop! Poop! I have been busy in my hole writing a new stage adaptation of a magical children’s classic, perhaps my favourite book as a child and one that has influenced my own writing ever since.

My play, a version of Kenneth Grahame’s much loved The Wind in the Willows, The Wind in the Willows Wilton’s is set in modern London . There will be puppets, songs, a lot of messing about… and just maybe the odd picnic.

It will run from November 24 to December 31 at Wilton’s Music Hall in London, as part of their Autumn/Christmas season.

The festive production is directed by Elizabeth Freestone. It has set and costume design by Tom Piper, original songs by me and Chris Warner, lighting by Zoe Spurr, movement by Emma Brunton and puppets by Sam Wyer.

Please come and join us down on the river – you can buy tickets here.