About the Play:
Babe, The Sheep-Pig is a drama for young audiences by David
Wood. This is a tale of high adventure in the farmyard; of humble
beginnings and courageous triumphs. Based on the book by Dick
King-Smith, which inspired the hugely successful film, Babe.
Babe, The Sheep-Pig is the story of one piglet's rise to
become the world famous "sheep-pig". When Babe is won by
Farmer Hogget at the village fair an extraordinary friendship
develops, one that will change the whole farm. With the help of his
new "mother", the old dog Fly, Babe fast learns the herding
instinct, and it's not long before this most polite of pigs wins over
the most suspicious of sheep. When the day of the Grand Challenge
Sheep-Dog Trials dawns, the whole farm holds its breath to see
whether Babe will triumph, against all odds, to become the hero of
the hour.
Babe, The Sheep-Pig was first performed in 1997 by
Whirligig Theatre at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking and on a
nationwide UK tour, in association with the Manchester Library
Theatre Company and the Birmingham Hippodrome. The play has had
several productions in the United States, including the Dallas
Children's Theatre, and is becoming popular in Germany. Presented for
Christmas 2002/3 by the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, the play is popular
with community theatres.
Cast: 10 female or male, 10 boy(s) or girl(s) (flexible casting: The
original cast employed ten actors and ten children (playing puppies
and sheep). Most of the actors played several roles. Companies with
more actors available could use a larger cast.)
What people say:
"There comes a happy point in
children's theatre when one can almost forget the word 'children's'
and declare: This is real theatre, with an appeal to all, from infant
to octogenarian, in whom a sense of wonder and a bright imagination
are alive and well. So it is in David Wood's adaptation…."
— Eastern Daily Press
"The show is absolutely
enchanting. It's aimed at kids but the drama, the tension, the
humour, the lovable heroes and menacing villains, make it compelling
theatre for grown-ups too… a crackling good story, beautifully
adapted for the stage." — Evening News
"What marvellous theatre …
As for the denouement – well, children applauding Babe for driving
the sheep through the trial gate is just terrific theatre… First
class." — The Stage
"When a packed theatre is
chanting the lead character's name at the end of a production, it's
fair to assume you've got a hit on your hands. So it was with Babe,
The Sheep Pig as the hundreds of young children (and a few adults)
acclaimed a masterful adaptation… A delight." —
Birmingham Evening Mail
"David Wood's script is the
real star… The kids in the audience revelled in the slapstick…
Everyone got involved when Fly beseeched the crowd to recall a
password to help Babe… This production should inspire many more
across the country." — Dallas Morning News
About the Playwright:
David Wood is an English writer and actor who has been
writing, adapting, directing and acting in plays for children for
more than twenty-five years. Described by The Times as "the
national children's dramatist," his plays have enjoyed
international professional success and entered the repertory of
amateur companies and school dramatic societies.