IF you love Enid Blyton and musicals, you are in for real treat this spring in Cumbria as Malory Towers The Musical opens at Theatre by the Lake on Friday 27 March.
As a child, I didn’t read anything else for more than two years than Enid Blyton, from Secret Severn onto Famous Five and then Malory Towers – with other little liaisons with other Blyton characters in between.
For my daughter’s generation, the wonderful Jacqueline Wilson had taken over the top slot as the favourite author for young girls – and quite rightly receiving super-star status with girls queuing around the block at book shops for her signings.
I cannot wait to see this version with my daughter, who is a passionate musical theatre fan before this production goes to the West End.
Described as ‘Nostalgic, naughty and perfect for now’ by the Theatre, Malory Towers is a musical of high jinks, high drama and high spirits.
If you don’t know the books, here’s a quick rundown of the plot for this performance. Darrell Rivers is starting school with an eager mind, a fierce heart and a quick temper. Can she learn to tolerate the infuriating Gwendoline Lacy? Can she rescue terrified Mary Lou from the grip of a raging storm? And who is the mysterious Wilhelmina whose bed lies empty at the start of term?
Malory Towers is the original ‘Girl Power’ story, reimagined for the 21st Century and set to sensational live music and breathtaking animation. A glorious celebration of friendship and finding yourself, this is a show for girls, boys and all us grown-up children who remember the joys – and pains – of growing up.
Emma Rice’s production has won the hearts of all who’ve seen it – whether you know the Malory Towers stories or not.
- Malory Towers runs at Theatre by the Lake from 27 March -18 April 2020.
- To find out more about the performance and to book tickets visit the Theatre by the Lake website
- Watch out for our review of Malory Towers – the musical at the end of the month on cumbria24.
