Every Friday, Ben (Tom Cawte), an eleven-year-old boy, is dumped at his granny’s house by his parents (played by Jenny Gayner and Jason Furnival) who are strictly ballroom enthusiasts. His parents are equally neglectful of the granny (played by Louise Bailey) as they are of their plumbing enthusiastic son.
Ben initially thinks his granny is boring and smells of cabbage and complains to his parents. The granny overhears him and he feels really bad. He goes to see her and sees her leaving her house on her motor scooter wearing a balaclava and dark clothes. He decides to follow her and what he finds out will result in a new found bond between the two.
It turns out Ben’s granny is not your average grandmother. She has a big secret … she is a jewel thief. Together Ben and granny concoct a plan to go on a journey to London to steal the Crown Jewels.
This incredible journey is thrilling to watch on stage thanks to the innovative staging (Jacqueline Trousdale) and lighting (Jason Taylor).
Gangsta Granny 2018 by David Williams at The Birmingham Stage Company Adapter and Director: Neal Foster Designer: Jackie Trousdale Lighting Designer: Jason Taylor Composer: Jak Poore Sound Designer: Nick Sagar Cast: Tom Cawte, Jenny Gayner, Jason Furnival, Louise Bailey, Aosaf Afzal, Emma Matthews, Oliver Hume, Danny Hendrix, Lauren Taylor
Gangsta Granny, a thoroughly entertaining show, adapted and directed by Neal Foster, has returned to Westend for a limited time only.
In a time when the elderly population is being ignored and overlooked, David Walliams’ fantastical tale of Gangsta Granny has a moralistic undertone. It reminds us that we should not neglect the older population. There are over 1 million older people that are chronically lonely.
If you can fill a theatre with children to watch this with their parents, maybe you can create more cross-generational awareness of the issue. It is also one of the most entertaining plays I have seen in the Westend.
