Awful-ly good!
David Walliams’ books fill my daughters bookshelf, but we are yet to read Awful Auntie, so we were excited this evening to see the show. Birmingham Stage Company are notorious for making seamless transitions from page to stage and although I can’t compare the stage show to the book in this particular instance, it felt as captivating as the previous shows we have seen (Demon Dentist, Billionaire Boy and Gangsta Granny).
Audiences are treated to a mix of humour, suspense, a couple of jumps, and some heartfelt moments that make for a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all of the family.
Awful Auntie tells the story of twelve year old Stella (Annie Cordoni), who, after a mysterious ‘accident’, wakes from her coma to find herself in the care of her dreadful Tiddlywinks cheat, Aunt Alberta (Neal Foster).
As she pieces together the truth about her parents’ fate, Stella quickly realises that her aunt is far from trustworthy and with the help of a friendly ghost named Soot (Matthew Allen) and the ever-present owl Wagner (Emily Essery), she embarks on a mission to reclaim her life.
I have got to admit that my favourite parts of the show were the scenes with the use of puppetry. Puppet Designer and Director, Yvonne Stone has probably created my favourite stage puppets to date. The miniature puppets of Stella and Aunt Alberta resembled the actors brilliantly and had so much character. It also gave the production the opportunity to portray scenes that otherwise would be hard to do – car chases, climbing buildings, swooping owls!
The production features a cast of just five (very talented) actors who all bring to life Walliams’ eclectic characters with energy and skill. Matthew Allen, who plays the role of the ghost Soot, had my girls and us laughing lots. And at the end, I’m not ashamed to say I had a tear in my eye – why do we wish to be adults so quickly when being a child is so magical? Annie Cordoni plays the role of Stella with enthusiasm, engaging well with the young audience.
Neal Foster makes the perfect Aunt Alberta, giving us plenty of giggles with his funny comments, exaggerated gestures and mannerisms. He strides across the stage, larger than life with a gleam in his eye, sinister smile, embodying the very essence of being a villain. It must be so fun to play this part!
Zain Abrahams embraces the role of Gibbon, a cooky old family Butler who is innocent to everything going on around him, whilst Emily Essery is the puppeteer behind Wagner the owl, moving Wagner in a realistic manner, so much so, that you forget there’s a puppeteer and think there really is a flying owl, all by itself!
Want to experience the show, too?
You can catch the show at The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, until 19 October 2024.
Book tickets here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/awful-auntie/the-alexandra-theatre-birmingham/
Disclaimer: I was invited along to the press showing for the purpose of writing a review for our website.