Christopher Gray talks to Jonathan Lloyd who fashioned Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play for its theatrical tour

Children’s favourites Charlie and Lola take to the stage of Oxford Playhouse next week in a captivating production that has wowed audiences wherever it has been seen. Author and illustrator Lauren Child’s lovable siblings — whose life together is chronicled in the BBC TV series that gained them worldwide fame — are brought to life by five brilliant puppeteers in Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play.

Despite the title, this 90-minute fun-packed show actually dates back to early last year, when Jonathan Lloyd, who wrote the stage adaptation, was artistic director of the children’s company Polka Theatre, which teamed up with BBC Worldwide to take the show out on tour.

Jonathan is now the artistic director and chief executive officer of Oxford’s Pegasus Theatre, which of course has always had a firm focus on introducing young people to the magic of theatre. He has two keen children of his own.

“I’m up in Edinburgh,” he says in the opening words of a telephone interview with The Oxford Times on Monday. This is hardly a surprise, given that this is festival time when swathes of the country’s artistic community pack into the Scottish capital. In Jonathan’s case there is a very good reason to be there, sussing out suitable shows to bring south, and having a first look at some already booked into the Pegasus.

He is speaking from a cafe in between shows. Two down and a third still to go. Last up was Richard Marsh’s new father-and-son comedy Wingman, which was booked unseen on the reputation of the writer. Jonathan loved it (phew!). So did lots of the critics. It’s at Pegasus on September 27.

Jonathan’s involvement with the good-sort Charlie and his imaginative little sister Lola dates back more than six years when he blended parts of the books with some of the television scripts to create Polka’s Charlie and Lola’s Best Bestest Play. People enjoyed it, and so did critics. The Guardian verdict: “A gentle little show, pitched just right for its target audience. An ideal early theatre experience.”

Jonathan says: “I love the fact that the books supply a self-contained world of childhood. Mum and dad are a presence in the background but you don’t see them.

Oxford Mail:

“What you find is a lovely combination of simple domestic situations and the children’s perception of them. There’s Lola, for instance, preparing for her first day at school and worrying about meeting friends. In another story she is faced with tidying up a messy room.

“In the first show, we presented what called be called a ‘day in the life’ of the pair. Our challenge in the second was how we could give a whole new feel to the story of their activities. The angle this time is to focus on their lives through the different seasons of the year.

“There’s a lovely episode when Lola and her best friend Lotta want to look after the dog, Sizzles. Unfortunately, they lose him . . .”

Lola’s attitude to Sizzles – who is transferred from book to stage as the same lovable pointy-nosed pooch – is cited by Jonathan as supplying an example of Laura’s rich imagination. “She thinks he can do anything – walk a tightrope, play the flamenco guitar. But Sizzles is just, well, a dog.”

The puppeteers ply their craft in full view of the audience, using their special skills to focus attention on the characters they create. “If you see the television series, there is a distinct two-dimensional, cut out style to the visuals. We have tried to preserve some of that.”

Dialogue is recorded, using children’s voices – always a trademark of the television show. There is music, too.

The directing of the show is in the experienced hands of Roman Stefanski, who has been with Polka Theatre for more than 30 years. He has worked as an actor, director and puppetry advisor, as well as fulfilling technical and management roles.

Roman teaches at drama school and is a puppetry consultant for various theatre companies .

As well as working in theatre, Roman has been with the Jim Henson Company, doing ‘skin work’ and puppeteering in films and commercials. He contributed to the TV programme Spitting Image, manipulating latex caricature glove puppets as well as programming automata characters like ‘Margaret Thatcher’ and ‘Prince Charles’ at corporate engagements.

Jonathan says: “While our show all looks quite effortless, I can assure you that a lot of work went into it.”

He is confident, however, that the reward comes in the enjoyment evident on the faces of the threes-and-upwards at whom, the show is targeted. Confident, too, that accompanying adults will also find the experience entertaining rather than irksome.

Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play
Oxford Playhouse
Thursday (21) and Friday 11am and 1.30pm, Saturday 11am, 1.30pm and 4pm
Box office: 01865 305305, oxfordplayhouse.com