The only problem with David Walliams’ books is that they are so very good that transferring them to the stage means that the company responsible needs to produce a show that is of an equally good quality in order to do them justice. Birmingham Stage Company have taken Gangsta Granny and produced a show that not only equals the book in quality, but is also one of the finest childrens’ shows ever to grace the stage.
With a stunningly intricate set, superb lighting, top quality sound and a cast of nine supremely talented actors, Gangsta Granny has everything that a great show needs, and more than enough to keep the many hundreds of children (and adults), sitting attentively in the Assembly Hall Theatre, totally silent from start to finish.
Ashley Cousins plays Ben, an 11 year old boy who dreads Friday night because he knows that means only one thing – staying with Granny! There will be cabbage soup, cabbage pie and cabbage cake to eat and Ben knows one thing for sure – it’s going to be soooooo boring! Despite being several years older than his character, Cousins is totally believable in the role and, together with the title character, has the audience eating right out of his hands from the very beginning.
Granny, who holds a secret that transforms Ben’s boring Friday nights into the adventure of a lifetime, is played to perfection by Gilly Tompkins. Whether she is climbing ladders, swimming up sewage pipes, zooming round the stage on her mobility scooter or “quacking” as she walks across the stage, Tompkins brings every facet of the book character to life in the most entertaining way possible.
Rachel Stanley and Ben Martin, as Ben’s ballroom dancing obsessed parents, provide a huge amount of the comedy throughout the show. With stunning costumes and some nifty moves to go with them, they samba their way through the scene changes and rumba their way right the way through the production.
The rest of the cast work well in the variety of roles that they take. Matt Barkley, Liz Garland and Richard James shine when they take the stage as the ballroom dancing competition judges and Devesh Kishore is magnificent as “Strictly” professional, Flavio, and as the local shopkeeper, Raj.
The two main scene stealers don’t appear until act two, but when they do they have a massive impact. One of them is the Queen, also played by Liz Garland, who is suitably regal for most of the time, but certainly beats Granny in the farting contest! The second scene stealer only appears for the finale but, despite that, Black Cat totally steals the show by displaying his own, seriously cool, dance moves.
Adapter and Director, Neal Foster, together with Designer, Jackie Trousdale, have taken David Walliams’ book and turned it into a wonderfully slick, supremely classy, action-packed blockbuster of a show that certainly deserves the West End run that begins in July.
***** Five Stars