BIRMINGHAM Stage Company have brought Awful Auntie by David Walliams to Darlington Hippodrome. They are probably the best theatre company with productions for schools and families and on the first night the children were enthralled throughout.
Awful Auntie opens with Stella played by Annie Cordoni, waking up after being in a coma for 3 months. Hearing from Aunt Alberta played by Neal Foster, that her parents have been killed in a car accident and she’s been badly injured. Aunt Alberta is very much over the top, which was certainly loved by all the children in the audience. The butler Gibbon played by Zain Abrahams, provides some perfect comedy. Wagner, the owl with puppeteer Emily Essery. Soot played by Matthew Allen, supporting and helping Stella as not everything Aunt Alberta has told Stella is really the truth.
It wasn’t just the brilliant acting which kept the audience engaged, the puppetry was superb, not only Wagner the owl, but the actors using their own puppet with perfect manipulation to add extra elements to the story.
One of the highlights with Birmingham Stage Company is the set, designed by Jacqueline Trousdale, it swiftly changes between scenes with an ingeniously constructed set.
This production is perfect for families of all ages.
Awful Auntie runs until Sunday 14th July.
