Two world première productions are to take to the Northampton Royal and Derngate stages at Christmas 2018, The Worst Witch and The Everywhere Bear.
Emma Reeves’s adaptation of Jill Murphy’s series of novels The Worst Witch will be staged in the Royal before a major national tour.
It is the story of an ordinary girl who finds herself in an extraordinary place: a school for witches. Accident-prone Mildred Hubble and her fellow pupils leave a trail of mayhem behind them as they find themselves at the centre of a battle being fought for their future.
On adapting the novels for the stage, Emma Reeves said, “we’re creating a new story as well as revisiting moments from the books. Jealous Ethel Hallow is out to spoil Mildred’s fun and Miss Hardbroom is opposed to fun in general. But without giving too much away Mildred faces a greater danger than she ever imagined as an old enemy returns with a plan for revenge that could threaten not just the school but the whole world.”
The Worst Witch will be directed by Theresa Heskins, artistic director of the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme. It runs from Tuesday 27 November until Sunday 30 December.
In the Underground studio, Royal and Derngate will present an adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb’s The Everywhere Bear. It arrives in Northampton after playing at its co-producing venues Polka Theatre and Little Angel Theatre.
It will be adapted and directed by Polka Theatre’s Peter Glanville with music composed by Julian Butler. Aimed at under-sevens and their families, the show will run from Thursday 29 November until Sunday 6 January 2019.