Along with Mrs Hatter and our two mini Hatters (five and eight) we took another trip to the Grand Opera House York, this time to review Gangsta Granny based on the bestselling children’s story.
I’ve seen Birmingham Stage Company many times before, from their Roald Dahl adaptations to numerous Horrible Histories shows. This is the first time I’ve seen them take on the works of Walliams though. So what did we think? Find out below!
Gran Turismo
It quickly became clear that is a fairly faithful retelling of the beloved book. For those unfamiliar, Ben visits his Granny every Friday evening and soon finds out that she has a secret…and that their time together is going to get a lot more exciting!
Isabel Ford as Granny has that balance of sweet old lady and mischievous gangster down to a (cabbage) tea. She also plays the poignancy of Gran’s illness sensitively too, with some truly touching moments in an otherwise silly show. If your child has experienced loss and doesn’t know the original Walliams story, it might be worth preparing them.
Whether buzzing around on her mobility cart, scuba diving, escaping hospital from a rooftop ladder or dishing out the Murray Mints and farting at will, I thoroughly enjoyed her performance.
Justin Davies plays grandson Ben expertly too. Adults playing child roles can often feel false, but Davies has that innocence, and it’s clear that the young audience warm to him quickly. His ill-prepared dance sequence was painful to watch, and intentionally so!
Strictly Speaking
Irfan Damani plays shopkeeper Raj, complete with outrageous special offers and out-of-date confectionary. Some might feel that the character is out of date too, and in Walliam’s books he has been criticised, but the role didn’t feel overly-stereotyped here. Later, Damani returns as the fabulous Flávio, and works the Strictly crowd with every shimmy, shake and hair flick.
With a large cast, there are too many members to mention individually here but the whole ensemble work brilliantly together. There is no weak link and they certainly didn’t give a lesser performance with an unfortunately small audience.
With less bums on seats, the atmosphere of a big buzzing crowd wasn’t there and so some moments fell flat. This is no reflection on the show itself though, and I think largely down to the fact that it was a school night. I’m sure subsequent performances will be fuller, and the cast, crew and creative team deserve more!
What a Gas
The show is packed with toilet humour, from talk of hairy bums to cabbage-induced farting…and even a royal who needs a pardon! Granny doing naked yoga gets a big laugh too! This approach is a safe bet for the target audience, and the kids (and big kids!) went wild for it.
Cabbage is a recurring theme and prompts many ‘eurghs’ and ‘ewws’ from young audience members. A dream sequence with dancing cabbages and soup slurped from a giant spoon, is as silly as it is surreal.
Gran about the Town
A special mention must go to Jacqueline Trousdale’s ingenuous set design. The stage is transformed into everything from a living room, bedroom, hospital, newsagents, dance studio, busy motorway, the Thames and the Tower of London.
Townsfolk seamlessly swing the set into place, opening hidden doors and pulling out panels to reveal props. Expect police offers, delivery drivers, doctors, nurses, milkmen and even a lollipop lady…all changing scenes through the magic of dance! These energetic transitions help keep the show pacey, especially as the plot itself seemed fairly gentle until the heist sequence.
That’s not to say the story is boring though; our two boys were gripped throughout. However the show isn’t action-packed and laugh-out-loud throughout either.
The narrative is engaging, and it’s a delight to see how the story unfolds. A highlight for was me was a sequence with Gran telling Ben stories from her past, which included elephants (cleverly done!), Russian soldiers and even a bear attack.
Anyone who knows me, personally or professionally, knows I love puns – so a gag-packed dance costume sequence was also a hit. Quickfire wordplay with increasingly outrageous outfits, what’s not to like?!
Whilst perhaps not as fast-paced as some of Birmingham Stage’s previous shows, fans of the book and TV adaptation will enjoy the familiar story and flatulent fun. Neal Foster directs a show with more polish than the Crown Jewels…a right royal riot of entertainment.
We look forward to Billionaire Boy in July!
MAGIC RATING
VALUE FOR MONEY
OVERALL
Hop on your mobility cart and scoot along to the Grand Opera House to catch Gangsta Granny until Sunday 6th February. Tickets from £13.
Gangsta Granny, Billionaire Boy and several Horrible History shows are currently touring the UK, with The Demon Dentist coming soon too. For more details visit the Birmingham Stage website.
Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.
Review Wizard 