Shropshire Star

Review and pics: Gangsta Granny, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

"You're my granny. My gangsta granny!"

Published

There was hardly a spare seat in the house as the hit stage show of David Walliams' best-selling book rolled into Shrewsbury last night for the start of a five-night run in the town.

Schools, scout and brownie groups and families (with a fair few grannies too) laughed, clapped and danced along throughout the two hours at Theatre Severn.

The story, for those not familiar, centres around 11-year-old Ben, who is packed off to stay with "Granny" every Friday night as Mum and Dad entertain their passion for ballroom dancing.

It's a night he initially dreads – tea is always his "favourite" cabbage soup or some other meal with cabbage as its main ingredient.

We see early on conversation between the pair is strained and difficult, with often more noise coming out of Granny's bottom than her mouth! That will be the cabbage!

Ben makes a phone call home to his parents begging for them to come and pick him up, saying his Granny is "boring". Predictably, it gets short shrift.

But it all changes when he discovers a tin full of precious jewels in the kitchen while hunting for biscuits.

Gangsta Granny

It appears "Granny" is not all she seems – far from being boring, she is actually an international jewel thief!

The relationship blossoms between the two as increasingly wide-eyed Ben hears all of Granny's exploits.

They plot a daring raid on the Crown Jewels that ends up with an unexpected meeting with Her Majesty herself.

Gangsta Granny is, quite simply, a joy.

There is humour – but also poignancy too, with tears in the house as Ben waves goodbye to Granny for the final time as illness takes hold.

The message of the play and book, delivered throughout the show and reinforced in the Queen's Christmas speech at the end, is to make the effort with your grandparents while you still can, however old and boring they may seem.

We won't all have a "gangsta granny" but if we take the time to talk to our elders, we might be surprised at the stories they have to tell and the things they can teach us.

And what a lovely message it is too.

Gilly Tompkins as Gangsta Granny

The set shouldn't work, but it does. Two structures are manipulated, pushed, pulled and yanked around throughout to create the different scenes and backdrops.

Cars appear as mere steering wheels, the River Thames is depicted by a giant piece of blue cloth.

It's stuff an amateur dramatics company would use, but somehow it adds to the charm of the piece.

Strong performances are delivered in the two lead roles, with Ashley Cousins playing Ben and Gilly Tompkins as Granny.

A "gangsta rap" performed by the pair in the first section went down particularly well.

Gangsta Granny runs until Sunday at the theatre, with afternoon and evening performances.

Grab one of the limited tickets remaining and catch it while it's here. Take your nan. You won't regret it.

By Wayne Beese

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