David Baddiel Story Takes To The Stage
AniMalcolm
Darlington Hippodrome
Thursday 18 - Friday
19 April 2019.
To many, David Baddiel is known for his award-winning
work as a comedian and presenter including Newman and Baddiel, Fantasy
Football, Baddiel & Skinner Unplanned and his platinum number one single
Three Lions. Less is known about his writing of children’s books such as
AniMalcolm – the stage adaptation of which is coming to Darlington Hippodrome
on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 April.
Since making his debut
with The Parent Agency in 2015, his children’s novels have gone on to sell over
one million copies. One such novel is AniMalcolm, a runaway bestseller which
tells the story of Malcolm, a boy who doesn’t like animals whilst his family
are wild about them. Now AniMalcolm has been adapted for the stage as a
gloriously funny musical from the award-winning Story Pocket Theatre, and after
a smash-hit debut at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the production will
play at Darlington Hippodrome as part of a major UK tour.
“AniMalcolm was my
third book for children, and I think it’s my funniest” says David. “Animals are
loveable, cute, sweet, friendly, and nice to cuddle, but they are also, always,
funny.”
The amount of animal
memes now swirling around the internet is testament to how entertaining we find
our furry companions, but why exactly do we find them so funny? David explains;
“They are what we in comedy call deadpan, meaning their faces never really
change. So in almost any situation you put an animal in, they always just look
like ‘OK, this is happening’. Which if they’re falling off a sofa, or running
into a plate glass window, or eating a pair of sunglasses, is definitely the
funniest face to make.”
A self-confessed
animal-lover, David has always been interested in our curious relationship with
our pets. “I myself have four cats and a guinea pig. I wrote AniMalcolm partly
because I’ve never lived without animals, and I’m often struck by how wonderful
it is that pets just happily accept living with you in your house, even though
they haven’t paid rent, or had an interview to become your lodger”.
“But then I wondered
what it would be like if you didn’t immediately feel drawn to animals, or find
them cute or funny, what a strange thing that would be. So I created Malcolm,
who just doesn’t get animals, but lives in a house full of them. And the story
took off from there.”
Now AniMalcolm has been
adapted for the stage by Story Pocket Theatre and is set to tour the UK
throughout Spring 2019. “It has been such a thrill to see AniMalcolm brought to
life on stage, and as a musical! Story Pocket have done a wonderful job with
this adaptation, and it will be a real treat seeing Malcolm adventuring around
the UK with his menagerie of animals in tow”.
Tickets:
For more information or to book call 01325 405405 or
visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
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