Theatre review - Gangsta Granny Live on Stage

At the weekend the four of us went along to the Pavilion Theatre in Worthing to watch Gangsta Granny Live on Stage, the award-winning stage adaptation of the book by David Walliams which is currently touring the country.  

"It’s Friday night and Ben knows that means only one thing - staying with Granny! There will be cabbage soup, cabbage pie and cabbage cake and Ben knows one thing for sure - it’s going to be sooooooooo boring! But what Ben doesn’t know is that Granny has a secret - and Friday nights are about to get more exciting than he could possibly imagine, as he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime with his very own Gangsta Granny!"

The show was a sell out in Worthing, and it seemed as though almost everyone I know was taking their children to see it at some point over the weekend! So we had very high expectations, and I'm pleased to say that it didn't disappoint. This review may contain spoilers...

Ben hates having to stay with his Grandma every Friday night. But as the local newsagent reminds him, old people often have secrets if you take the time to get to know them, and the message of making sure that you look after your older friends and relatives is repeated throughout the show. When Ben discovers that is Grandma has an exciting past as a jewel thief he persuades her to let him accompany her on the most audacious theft imaginable - stealing the crown jewels! There's a lot of fun and jokes along the way, perfect to keep even smaller children entertained, and we really enjoyed the dancing show parody.

The staging was also very clever, with a series of sets that folded in and out, set up for the different scenes by various cast members and accompanied by dancing interludes to continue the theme.

I had been pre-warned by a friend that the story has a sad ending which might upset the children. Harry has read the book a couple of times, and as the end neared I could tell that he knew what was going to happen and he started cuddling in to me. But it is all handled really sensitively and it finished on a high and cheerful note, with the audience clapping and cheering along.

We were provided with a family ticket in exchange for this review. You can find out more details about the tour here - Gangsta Granny Live on Stage tour dates.