PW Productions is pleased to announce the UK Tour of Wonder Boy (Writers’ Guild Award for Best Play 2023) written by Ross Willis (Wolfie) and directed by the Olivier-award winning Sally Cookson (A Monster Calls) following its triumphant 2022 premiere at Bristol Old Vic.
Wonder Boy opens at Bristol Old Vic on 6 September and will then tour the UK stopping here at MAST Mayflower Studios on 5 – 9 November 2024.
Wonder Boy is a heart-warming and inspiring story about the power of communication told through the experiences of 12-year-old Sonny who lives with a stammer and has to find his way in a world ruled by vicious vowels, confusing consonants and the biggest beast of them all – small talk.
Packed with playful humour, dazzling visuals (set and costumes by Katie Sykes) and thrilling original music by Benji Bower, this innovative production includes live creative captioning on stage throughout, designed by award-winning Limbic Cinema.
Iain Gillie, CEO of PW Productions, best known for The Woman in Black and An
Inspector Calls said “We are proud and excited to be producing Ross Willis’
marvellously imaginative Wonder Boy on its first UK tour. Sonny is a young hero for
our times and his story is sure to captivate audiences across the country in a piece
rich with theatricality, humour and emotion. Wonder Boy joins the PW Productions
stable of brilliant plays, brought to life by the brightest and best creatives in our
business. We are enormously grateful to Arts Council England for their substantial
support of this project as we continue our tradition of touring high-quality drama to
schools and family audiences across the UK.”
Catherine Woolley, Children and Families Programme Lead from STAMMA (the
largest UK charity and membership organisation representing people who stammer)
said: “While the play tackles some complex and at times emotionally challenging
concepts, it does so with a masterful blend of light and shade. Wonder Boy will
make you laugh. It might make you cry. It will definitely make you think. Most
importantly, it highlights that communicating confidently, not being fluent, is the real
success.”
Charlotte Geeves, Bristol Old Vic Executive Director said: “Bristol Old Vic’s
support of artists is a longstanding and crucial part of our work. Seeing Wonder Boy,
which began life here in 2016, grow and ultimately garner audience and critical
acclaim has been heartening. Wonder Boy went on to win Best Play at the Writers’
Guild of Great Britain Awards 2023 and was recently broadcast on Sky Arts; a
testament to Ross’ brilliant writing and the exceptional input of the creative team.
Thanks to support from Arts Council England, PW Productions is able to partner
with Bristol Old Vic and bring the magic of Wonder Boy to audiences across the
UK. The partnership is a great example of how the commercial and subsidised
sectors can collaborate to bring the best new, exciting drama to a much wider
audience.”
Hannah Lake, Director of Touring, Arts Council England said: “We are
immensely thrilled to be supporting PW Productions with their touring production of
Wonder Boy through our National Lottery Project Grants Programme. This is a
production that has inclusivity and relevance at its core and we can’t wait to see it
wowing audiences up and down the country.”
