Award-winning play Wonder Boy tours to Royal & Derngate
The UK tour of Wonder Boy culminates at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate, where the play can be seen from Thursday 21 to Saturday 23 November.
Winner of Writers’ Guild Award for Best Play 2023, Wonder Boy was written by Ross Willis (Wolfie) and directed by the Olivier Award-winning Sally Cookson (A Monster Calls). It had its triumphant premiere at Bristol Old Vic in 2022, before embarking a UK tour this autumn, which plays its final dates in Northampton.
Wonder Boy is a heart-warming and inspiring story about the power of communication told through the experiences of 12-year-old Sonny who lives with a stammer and has to find his way in a world ruled by vicious vowels, confusing consonants and the biggest beast of them all – small talk.
Packed with playful humour, dazzling visuals (set and costumes by Katie Sykes) and thrilling original music by Benji Bower, this innovative production includes live creative captioning on stage throughout, designed by award-winning Limbic Cinema.
Making their professional theatre debut in the cast are LAMDA graduates Hilson Agbangbe (Princess Mirror-Belle) who plays Sonny and Naia Elliott-Spence (La Boheme) as Roshi. Ciaran O'Breen (Can Bears Ski?) plays Captain Chatter with Eva Scott (Fool Me Once- Netflix; EastEnders) playing Wainwright and Jessica Murrain (As You Like It; King Lear) as Sonny's Mum/Fish.
Catherine Woolley, Children and Families Programme Lead from STAMMA (the largest UK charity and membership organisation representing people who stammer) said: "While the play tackles some complex and at times emotionally challenging concepts, it does so with a masterful blend of light and shade. Wonder Boy will make you laugh. It might make you cry. It will definitely make you think. Most importantly, it highlights that communicating confidently, not being fluent, is the real success."
Iain Gillie, CEO of PW Productions, best known for The Woman in Black and An Inspector Calls said “We are proud and excited to be producing Ross Willis’ marvellously imaginative Wonder Boy on its first UK tour. Sonny is a young hero for our times and his story is sure to captivate audiences across the country in a piece rich with theatricality, humour and emotion.”
Recommended for ages 12 and upwards (containing strong language throughout), Wonder Boy takes to the Royal stage at 7.30pm from Thursday 21 to Saturday 23 November, with matinees at 2.30pm on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets – from £17* – can be booked by calling Box Office on 01604 624811 or online at www.royalandderngate.co.uk/wonder-boy.
* A non-refundable £4 per-transaction fee applies for bookings of £20 and over. Does not apply to Groups, Members and Access Patrons. Prices may change subject to availability.