CityLife

Danny The Champion of The World

HOW do you create, on stage, a forest full of pheasants and a filling
station full of sqwaking chickens?

You'll have to go along to the Octagon to find out in its fifth Roald Dahl
classic Danny, The Champion Of The World.

Delightfully adapted for the stage by David Wood, this cracking story
deserves an ingenious setting and Linbury award-winning designer Helen Wood has created a corrugated tin set full of innovative surprises.

Dahl is unafraid to tackle serious issues and this tale of nine-year old
Danny, who lives in a caravan with his dad, raises several. Director Mark Babych has chosen a terrific cast of seven, four of whom play several roles.

Des O'Malley, who trained at City College in Manchester plays Danny whose mum has died.

Filling station

Dad (Stephen Chapman) is coping reasonably well with looking after his son and the filling station, apart from the odd bit of poaching.

Dahl skirts round the ethics of whether poaching is really stealing with the excuse that they are killing for food whilst the wicked landlord is killing for sport.

The boundaries are blurred even more when Danny and his dad are
shopped to Social Services because Mr Hazell, the landlord wants their strip of land.

Brummie baddie

Morgan George has fun playing Mr Hazell as a Brummie baddie and the rest of the cast work their socks off.

There's a torch-lit chase reminiscent of ET, a breath-taking car-ride with thrills and spills and some audience participation.

Howard Gray's music keeps the action moving, although the only thing missing were some songs.

However, the Octagon has pipped the Oldham Coliseum to the post by presenting the first Christmas show of the season.

An enjoyable alternative to panto which will appeal to all ages.

Danny The Champion Of The World is at The Octagon Theatre, Bolton until Saturday, January 17. For tickets call 01204 520661.

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