David Walliams and the Birmingham Stage Company have teamed up again for a new production of the family adventure Awful Auntie, and director Neal Foster, who is also an actor and writer, is now appearing in it for the first time, playing the title role.
The production is the latest collaboration between Walliams and the company in a series of shows which includes the Olivier Award-nominated Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy.
Neal, the manager of the Birmingham Stage Company – which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022 – says: “I do all the Horrible Histories shows, but it’s the first time I’ve been able to be in it as well as direct it because I’m normally too busy writing and directing it.
“I’m co-directing it this time, with Richard Hinds, and yeah, finally playing one of the big parts in the show so I’m really excited about it.
“David saw it for the first time last week and was over the moon – so we’re all very happy that he’s happy and really enjoying the tour.”
Awful Auntie, which is touring the UK until 7 December, begins its run at the Cambridge Arts Theatre this evening (Wednesday, 29 May) and is on at various times over the coming days, until Sunday (2 June).
It is the fourth David Walliams book to be translated into a play by the Birmingham Stage Company.
Neal says: “I like that it’s a comedy thriller. It’s all set in this giant mansion, which is by designer Jackie Trousdale.
“She has created this fantastic mansion where Awful Auntie is trying to effectively knock off her niece because she wants to take possession of Saxby Hall.
“It’s this thrilling adventure story of Stella, who manages to get the help of a ghost called Soot, to try and beat the Awful Auntie at her evil plan to knock off her niece and take Saxby Hall.
“So it’s this wonderful thing, which is hard to pull off in a way, to have something that’s really thrilling but also hilarious at the same time – and that’s why I so much wanted to play Auntie.”
Neal has played a number of female characters before and reveals that one of his “favourite ever” parts was playing Grandma in a stage version of the Roald Dahl classic, George’s Marvellous Medicine.
Speaking of the much-loved author, Walliams’ books are often compared to Roald Dahl’s.
“Yeah, they are,” says Neal, who notes that the Cambridge Arts Theatre is one of his favourite venues to visit.
“David loves Roald Dahl and drew inspiration, I think, from the style of Roald Dahl to create his stories – and he’s done an amazing job.
“Roald Dahl was a genius, he created such fantastic characters and stories, and David’s stories are really beautifully crafted – like the ones we’ve done, that have been Gangsta Granny, Billionaire Boy and Demon Dentist, as well as Awful Auntie.
“And they’re great stories, because they’re not just really fun and very funny, they’ve got some really great and touching human relationships in them.
“Very often, I think you could say in almost all of our shows, the adults in particular end up crying at the end, because it’s so moving and it really draws you into the characters and you begin to love them.
“You get involved in the story and then when things happen that are empathetic, it’s really touching.”
Neal believes the play can be loved and enjoyed by people of all ages. He adds: “We don’t lose the audience at any point. One of the hallmarks of our shows is that we want you to be absolutely engrossed for the whole two hours.
“None of this rubbish that people can’t concentrate anymore – they can absolutely concentrate if you give them something worth watching.”
Awful Auntie is for theatre-goers aged five and over. It starts its run at the Cambridge Arts Theatre this evening (Wednesday) at 6.30pm. Check the website for the other times.
Tickets, priced £25 for adults and £20 for children, are available from cambridgeartstheatre.com.
