The UK’s best-selling children’s paperback of 2016,
AWFUL AUNTIE
comes to Richmond Theatre 2 November 2017
The Birmingham Stage Company are delighted to announce that the world premiere of David Walliams’ Awful Auntie, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, will open at The Capitol Theatre in Horsham on 20 September prior to an eighteen-month UK tour.
It follows the BSC’s record-breaking tour of David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny which recently finished a sell-out fifty-week tour of the UK. The show will begin a new tour from 15 February before it transfers to the West End for a summer season at The Garrick from 26 July to 3 September.
David Walliams said today: “The Birmingham Stage Company’s Gangsta Granny is truly brilliant, so I’m hugely excited that they’re now bringing Awful Auntie to the stage. It promises to be a thrilling show and a total hoot – Wagnar and I can’t wait to see it!”
Awful Auntie was published in September 2014 and went to No.1 in the children’s book chart for seven weeks. The paperback was published in February 2016 and has sold 212,000 copies, making it the best-selling children’s paperback of the year. Combined sales of the hardback and paperback have reached 950,000 copies. It has helped to make Walliams one of the country’s best-selling children’s authors, with four of his books charting in the 2016 children’s top ten. They have also been translated into over 50 languages, bringing worldwide sales to 16.7 million.
Walliams began his publishing career at Harper Collins in 2008 with his debut novel The Boy in the Dress. Since then he has written nine more books plus five picture books. Three of his books have won National Children’s Book Awards.
Awful Auntie tells the story of Stella, who when she set off to visit London with her parents had no idea her life was in danger. Waking up from a coma three months later, only her Aunt Alberta can tell Stella what has happened. But not everything Aunt Alberta tells her turns out to be true and Stella quickly discovers she’s in for the fight of her life against her very own awful Auntie. David Williams’ amazing tale of frights, fights and friendship features a very old car, a very large owl and a very small ghost.
Awful Auntie will mark the Birmingham Stage Company’s 25th anniversary. Starting life at The Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham, the company’s productions now visit Australia, Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore. For twelve years they have produced all the Horrible Histories stage shows which now regularly feature in the West End. Their sixth anniversary at The Garrick this summer will feature More Best of Barmy Britain.
Families around the country will not want to miss Awful Auntie, which promises to be awfully thrilling fun for everyone over 5! Starting in September the tour will visit: Horsham Capitol, Glasgow Theatre Royal, Stoke Regent Theatre, Oxford new Theatre, Shrewsbury Theatre Severn, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Richmond Theatre, Milton Keynes Theatre, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Birmingham New Alexandra Theatre and Newtown Theatr Hafren. All theatres open booking today except Cambridge which will be on sale soon.
Twitter @_AwfulAuntie