Katherine MacAlister finds out about David Walliams’ family adventure

When actor, writer and comedian David Walliams was a boy he used to sit captivated at the knees of his two grandmas as they told him tales of their lives. The youngster was amazed at how dramatic and exciting their experiences of the Second World War had been.

Decades later, when the adult David was a successful author, he decided to return to those days of his childhood and recreate that special bond between children and their grandmothers.

His best-selling novel Gangsta Granny was the result. Published in 2011, it went straight to number one in the children’s book charts and has gone on to be the most successful of all his novels so far.

This autumn it receives its world premiere stage adaptation from the hugely acclaimed Birmingham Stage Company, and coming to the New Theatre from Tuesday. It was a last-minute Oxford booking, after the show’s six-week London run at the Bloomsbury Theatre was cancelled due to asbestos problems.

If you haven’t read the book or seen the TV adaption, Gangsta Granny opens with Ben having to visit his boring old grandma.

Ben has to spend every Friday night with his gran while his parents go ballroom dancing – and it’s always an ordeal of cabbage soup and Scrabble. Then one day he finds a tin filled with diamonds and gems which leads to the amazing discovery that his granny was once an international jewel thief. Persuaded by Ben, they decide to take on the biggest heist ever to steal the Crown Jewels and the adventure of their lifetimes is about to begin.

And while David Walliams’s grannies were no mobsters, he admits that he did take a touch of inspiration from them.

“When I was a child I would spend lots of time with my grandmas,” he says.

“Sometimes I would selfishly think spending time with them could be boring, but when I got them on a subject like living in London during World War II when bombs were raining down, they would become very animated and I would be enthralled. I realised everyone has a story to tell.”

David even added cheeky elements of their characters to his Gangsta Granny.

“There was definitely a smell of cabbages in one of my grandmas’ houses,” David admits. “The other did break wind like a duck quacking when she walked across the room.”

But they were also greatly loved – just as there is a special bond between Ben and his gran.

“I think grandparents love being grandparents because they get to give the children back to the parents,” says David.

“Children love spending time with their grandparents because they love hearing their stories and being allowed to stay up past their bedtime.

“But the moral of the story is ‘don’t assume old people are boring just because they are old’,” he says. “In fact they are likely to have had a much more interesting life than yours. Talk to old folk, listen to their stories. They are bound to be full of magic and wonder.”

Born in Surrey, David studied drama at Bristol University before joining Matt Lucas to create the television show Little Britain. Initially a radio show, Little Britain became a television sensation gaining a host of awards including three BAFTAs and being screened in more than 100 countries.

Now a well-known actor, David decided to try his hand at fiction. “Ten years ago I had an idea for a story,” he recalls. “What if a boy went to school dressed as a girl? I thought it would be a thought-provoking children’s book. That became The Boy in the Dress, my first of eight children’s novels.”

Those novels, including Ratburger, Demon Dentist, Mr Stink and Billionaire Boy, have all been hugely successful, topping charts and winning a host of awards. Awful Auntie was the fastest selling hardback of 2014 and his brand new book is Grandpa’s Great Escape.

Oxford Mail:

  • Gangsta Granny is played by Gilly Tompkins and Ashley Cousins plays Ben  

Writing for children is a real passion for him. “The only limitation in a children’s book is your imagination. You can take children on magical journeys in books that many adults would be reluctant to go on,” he says. “Children love to be scared but it can’t be too horrifying. Children love to laugh but it can’t be too rude. You always have to be the right side of the line.”

Keen to ensure his own novels prove to be just as memorable for children as his idol Roald Dahl, 44-year-old David believes his popularity is down to the fact his books are laced with humour and never patronise youngsters.“I deal with quite big topics – cross-dressing, homelessness, grief etc,” he says. “I know children are a lot smarter than most grown-ups think.”

Two years after it was published, the BBC made a film version of Gangsta Granny with a star-studded cast also included Joanna Lumley, Rob Brydon, the singer Robbie Williams, Miranda Hart as Ben’s mum and David Walliams as his dad.

After the success of the television film, it seemed only natural that Gangsta Granny should become a stage show. So what did he envisage? “Productions for children need to be fun and fast-paced so there is lots of action in Gangsta Granny, especially when they try to steal the Crown Jewels. The challenge will be bringing those scenes to life.”

It’s been a busy year for David, having also taken on the role of Agatha Christie’s detective Tommy in the BBC drama series Partners in Crime. A trustee of BBC’s Comic Relief, he swam the English Channel in 2006 and the River Thames in 2011 and in 2012 became a judge on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.

So, bearing in mind the obsession Ben’s parents have for ballroom, has David ever considered donning his rhinestones to enter the television competition Strictly Come Dancing?

“I can’t dance at all, as you might have seen in the TV adaptation of Gangsta Granny when I tried to dance with Miranda Hart. So I would say my chances are less than zero,” he laughs.

Where and when
Gangsta Granny
New Theatre
Jan 12-16
atgtickets.com/oxford 0844 871 3020