PW Productions is pleased to announce the UK Tour of Wonder Boy, 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 will tour for 12 weeks to theatres in 2024, opening at Bristol Old Vic on 6 September followed by Liverpool Playhouse, Shrewsbury Theatre Severn, Wolverhampton Grand, Blackpool Grand, Stratford East, Derby Playhouse, York Theatre Royal, Southampton MAST, The Lowry Salford and Northampton Royal & Derngate.
Wonder Boy is a heart-warming and inspiring story about the power of communication told through 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."
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