British Theatre Guide panto editor Simon Sladen writes and directs children’s musical Nana and Nunu—The Big Sneeze! which will have four performances at Buxton Fringe.
Sladen and Helen Friel, who run production company Dame for a Laugh, are creators of the show which ran at Fairfield Halls, Croydon at Easter.
The musical tells the story of Nana and her cuddly but snuffly aardvark Nunu who gets the sneezes on his birthday. Venturing across snow, sea and sky, Nana along with grandchildren Jake and Sophie “tracks down a magical flower with the power to stop an aardvark’s achoo and helps save the day”.
In his second show for Dame for a Laugh, Steve Wickenden plays Nana. He has appeared in four pantos and at Christmas 2015 will play alongside Stephen Mulhern in Cinderella at Fairfield Halls, Croydon.
Drama Studio London graduate Chloe Van Harding will play granddaughter Sophie and Daniel-James Webster will be grandson Jake. Lee White completes the cast as the librarian, man in the sky and the gardener.
Nunu the aardvark is a puppet designed and constructed by Stitches and Glue, the workshop behind National Theatre shows The Light Princess and Elephantom.
Said Sladen, “I’m really excited to be working with a puppet. I’m looking forward to exploring how to make Nunu come alive—he’s the central star of the show yet he doesn’t speak.”
Choreographer is Leanne Everitt, set design is by Helen Friel, Poppy Heading is scenic artist, Sandie Sladen is stage manager and lighting design is by Simon Willetts.
Nana and Nunu—The Big Sneeze! will be performed in the Pavilion Arts Centre Studio, Buxton on Wednesday 22 July at 7:30PM, Thursday 23 and Friday 24 July at 5:45PM and Saturday 25 July at 7:30PM.