WHEN actor, writer and comedian David
Walliams was a boy he used to sit captivated at the knees of his two
grandmas as they span him tales of their lives. The youngster was amazed
at how dramatic and exciting their experiences had been.
Decades later, when the adult David was a
successful author, he decided to return to those days of his childhood
and recreate that special bond between children and their grandmothers.
His best-selling novel
Gangsta Granny
was the result. Published in 2011, it went straight to number one in the
children’s book charts and has gone on to be the most successful of all
his novels so far.
And this autumn it comes to the theatre with an
adaptation by Birmingham Stage Company which will tour the UK from
November 16.
Gangsta Granny tells the tale of Ben and his
grandma. Ben has to spend every Friday night with his gran while his
parents go ballroom dancing – and it’s an ordeal. Ben believes his gran
is boring and only interested in cabbage soup and Scrabble. Then one day
he discovers a tin filled with diamonds and jewellery and a whole other
side to Granny.
In fact she is anything but dull because in her
heyday Granny was an international gem thief. Her one desire is to
undertake the biggest heist ever - to steal the Crown Jewels. And she’s
counting on her grandson to help her.
While David’s grannies were no mobsters, he
admits that he did take a touch of inspiration from them.
“When I was a child I would spend lots of time
with my grandmas,” he says. “Sometimes I would selfishly think spending
time with them could be boring but when I got them on 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. I realised
everyone has a story to tell.”
And there are some cheeky elements of their
characters in Gangsta Granny.
“There was definitely a smell of cabbages in one
of my grandmas' houses,” David admits. “The other did break wind like a
duck quacking when she walked across the room.”
But they were also greatly loved – just as there
is a special bond between Ben and his gran.
“I think grandparents love being grandparents
because they get to give the children back to the parents,” says David.
“Children love spending time with their grandparents because they love
hearing their stories and being allowed to stay up past their bedtime.”
Born in London, David studied drama at Bristol
University before joining with Matt Lucas to create the television show
Little Britain. Initially a radio show, Little Britain
became a
 television
sensation gaining a host of awards including three BAFTAs and being
screened in more than 100 countries.
Ben settles down to another boring Friday night of
cabbage soup . . . yum, yum . . .and Scrabble with his granny
The duo went on to tour with Little Britain Live
which was seen by more than a million people in the UK, Ireland and
Australia.
Now a well-known actor, David decided to try his
hand at fiction.
“Ten years ago I had an
idea for a story,” he recalls. “What if a boy went to school dressed as
a girl? I thought it would be a thought-provoking children's book. That
became The Boy in the Dress,
my first of eight children's novels.”
Those novels, including
Ratburger, Demon Dentist, Mr Stink
and Billionaire Boy,
have all been hugely successful, topping charts and winning a host of
awards. David now has more than 6 million book sales to his name, with
his stories translated into 40 languages. His most recent book,
Awful Auntie,
was the fastest selling hardback of 2014 and went on to win the National
Book Awards for Children’s Book of the Year and Audiobook of the Year.
Writing for children is a real passion for him.
“The only limitation in a children's book is your
imagination. You can take children on magical journeys in books that
many adults would be reluctant to go on,” he says.
“Children love to be scared but it can't be too
horrifying. Children love to laugh but it can't be too rude. You always
have to be the right side of the line.”
David has frequently been compared to Roald Dahl,
his own childhood writing hero.
“I think Dahl's books
always feel a little bit forbidden. He manages to balance the humour and
scary elements in his stories perfectly. My favourite is
The Twits
which is utterly hilarious and I love that it is a children's book with
no child characters.”
David was also a fan of American writer Dr Seuss.
“I loved Dr Seuss books
as a child, especially Green Eggs and
Ham. His books are like nightmares come
to life. They are rich and strange and utterly unlike anybody else's
work.”
Keen to ensure his own novels prove to be just as
memorable for children, 44-year-old David believes his popularity is
down to the fact his books are laced with humour and never patronise
youngsters.
“I deal with quite big topics - cross-dressing,
homelessness, grief etc,” he says. “I know children are a lot smarter
than most grown-ups think.”
Two years after it was
published, the BBC made a film version of
Gangsta Granny
which was shown as part of its Christmas schedule. With Reece Buttery as
Ben and Julia McKenzie as Granny, its star-studded cast also included
Joanna Lumley, Rob Brydon, the singer Robbie Williams, Miranda Hart as
Ben’s mum and David Walliams as his dad.
After the success of
the television film, it seemed only natural that
Gangsta Granny
should become a stage show so David joined forces with Birmingham Stage
Company. With a string of Roald Dahl adaptations under its belt
including James and the Giant Peach,
The Witches and
George’s Marvellous Medicine,
BSC has a strong track record so was the obvious choice to bring
Gangsta Granny
to the theatre.
Birmingham Stage
Company has built a strong reputation for quality children’s theatre
since being formed more than 20 years ago. As well as
 Dahl
classics, it has also staged a number of
Horrible Histories
adaptations,
The Borrowers, Skellig, Tom’s Midnight Garden
and The Jungle Book.
David has plenty of
stage experience having taken roles as diverse as Foster in Harold
Pinter’s No Man’s Land
and Bottom in Shakespeare’s
A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
So he needed to ensure his Gangsta
Granny was in safe hands.
Or maybe not . . . grannies can crown everything and
surprise you sometimes
It was after seeing
BSC’s Horrible Histories
that he decided it was the theatre company to take on the stage
adaptation.
“Their
Horrible Histories
show was superb. I loved the humour and the interaction with the
audience so I look forward to seeing more of that. Productions for
children need to be fun and fast-paced. I think from pantomimes,
children like audience interaction too. They like to be involved.
“It's a huge thrill
seeing Gangsta Granny
have this whole new life on the stage. There is lots of action in
Gangsta Granny,
especially when they try to steal the Crown Jewels. The challenge will
be bringing those scenes to life.”
David is looking forward to watching some of his
characters take shape.
“I like the characters
of Ben's mum and dad. They have an obsession with ballroom dancing which
should be funny so I can't wait to see them brought to life. The great
thing about seeing Gangsta Granny
on stage is you will get to share it with an audience. So hopefully you
will laugh and cry along with everyone else. That's what makes theatre
so special.”
It’s been a busy year
for David. Not only has he been working with BSC on
Gangsta Granny
but he also took the role of Agatha Christie’s detective Tommy in the
BBC drama series Partners in Crime.
David’s varied career
has seen him in films such as The Look
of Love with Steve Coogan, Stephen Fry
and Anna Friel and Run Fatboy Run
with Simon Pegg and Thandie Newton. He played Frankie Howerd in the
biopic Rather You Than Me
and has written and acted in the sitcom
Big School
with Catherine Tate.
A trustee of BBC’s Comic Relief, he has
undertaken a number of challenges for the charity including swimming the
English Channel in 2006 and the River Thames in 2011.
In 2012 he became a
judge on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.
So, bearing in mind the obsession Ben’s parents have for ballroom, has
David ever considered donning his rhinestones to enter the television
competition Strictly Come Dancing?
“I can't dance at all
(as you might have seen in the TV adaptation of
Gangsta Granny
when I tried to dance with Miranda Hart). So I would say my chances are
less than zero,” he laughs.
David is hoping BSC’s
Gangsta Granny
will be the perfect outing for families – and that a granny or two are
in the audience. And, casting his mind back to his own childhood, he
says that in all the craziness of
Gangsta Granny, at its heart is a very
special relationship.
“The moral of the story is ‘don't assume old
people are boring just because they are old’,” he says. “In fact they
are likely to have had a much more interesting life than yours. Talk to
old folk, listen to their stories. They are bound to be full of magic
and wonder.”
Diane Parkes
The Gangsta Granny tour sees it at The New Alexandra Theatre
from 7-12 of December, Coventry Belgrade 16-20 February 2016 and returns
to the Alex 27 June - 02-July, 2016
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