Awful Auntie

Owls and Howls Taunt Aunt

Awful Auntie

by David Walliams, in a stage adaptation by Neal Foster

Birmingham Stage Company at Richmond Theatre, until 12^th May

Review by Heather Moulson

A young girl’s bedroom forms the deceptively simple setting, where the (quite literally) awful Aunt Alberta makes an effervescent entrance in her splendid tartan suit.  There is no messing around with Auntie, she makes her motives clear from the start. 

Neal Foster, who has a natural gift of comedy, plays the eponymous harridan, Aunt Alberta, the flamboyant focus of this stage version of the children’s book Awful Auntie from the pen of one of Britain’s best-known comedians.    Foster is also the adaptor and co-director, an ambitious task carried out skilfully and successfully.

Twelve year old Stella Saxby, fighting her evil aunt’s manipulation, is played by Annie Cordoni in a good balanced role as childlike and innocent … but not overly so.   Stella is vaguely cared for by the desultory decrepit butler, Gibbons, played by Zain Abrahams.

Stella is determined not to sign over the deeds of Saxby Hall to Auntie Alberta.  Shoved brutally into the cellar, Stella encounters Soot, a very physical ghost played by Matthew Allen, an especially flexible performer with very impressive movements and body language.  Soot, a former chimney sweep, spouts Cockney and is an instant ally to Stella as the new Lady Saxby. 

Wagner, a beautifully designed puppet owl, owned by Auntie, captures hearts with his deeply felt expressions and skilled movements by puppet captain Emily Essery, striking yet subtle.  There are also some clever Hitchcock-like features to the puppetry that convey some vital action and plot, detailing Stella’s attempt to escape.

The somewhat dull curtain is pulled away to reveal an intricate and atmospheric set, that is astonishingly detailed.  Set and costume designer Jacqueline Trousdale produces colourful and effective results, that enhances the drama to follow, and there is indeed a lot of that.  Slapstick in the form of revenge for Auntie is genuinely funny and goes down well, particularly with the young audience. 

Atmospheric back-lighting among other effects are well designed by Jason Taylor, whilst Nick Sagar’s tense sound design carries along the plot.  Movement by co-director Richard J Hinds pulls off a gripping plot. 

Awful Auntie is Walliams latest stage collaboration with Foster’s Birmingham Stage Company, following on Gangsta Granny, Billionaire Boy and Demon Dentist.   Foster has also written and directed all of the most recent Horrible Histories stage series.

At the curtain call on press night, the writer himself, David Walliams came up on stage and praised the cast.  He had touched upon the right nerve that appealed to all children, and the audience were an array of children of all ages. 

Heather Moulson, May 2024

Photography by Mark Douet