About the Play:

Danny the Champion of the World is a play for young audiences adapted for the stage by David Wood from the classic book by Roald Dahl. The charming and funny story of a father-and-son relationship focusing on Danny and his dad, who live together in an old camper trailer. Their peaceful lives are disrupted when Mr Hazel, the biggest landowner in the area, tries to evict them to make his estate larger. Danny must now come up with a plan that will save their home and make him the Champion of the World.

Danny the Champion of the World is tale of Danny and his Father, and how they dream up a fantastic plot against their rich and nasty neighbour Mr. Victor Hazel. Danny lives on the edge of the woods with his Dad in an old camper trailer beside their filling station and car repair business, and bond over flying kites and doing boyish things together. But nasty, greedy Victor Hazell, the biggest landowner in the district, has organised a pheasant shoot for all the local big-wigs, using birds he's bred for this purpose alone. Danny's Dad (and, as it turns out, one or two of the local villagers) may have poached a pheasant for the pot on more than one occasion, but the idea of breeding them simply to shoot them is plain wrong. When night comes, Danny and Dad set out to disrupt Hazell's plan – with hilarious results. Mr Hazell wants to evict them both and the battle is quickly on to save their home. But how can one little boy defeat a rich and powerful landowner? Danny has a plan and soon he and his Dad are caught up in a thrilling and remarkable adventure!

Danny The Champion Of The World premiered in 2004 at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, Wales. From September 2007 the production was toured by the Birmingham Stage Company, including a Christmas season at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London.

Cast: 1 boy, 5 men, 2 female extras (Several parts are doubled, so a larger cast could be used.)

What people say:

"David Wood's ingenious adaptation … the rapture shown by Dad and Danny when they succeed is lovely to behold." — The Times (London)

"… theatrical colour, real emotional depth and good old-fashioned fun … watching an audience of young people respond positively to a piece of live theatre is always a joy." — South Wales Evening Post

"… a fine celebration of one of our finest storytellers … justice is triumphant in the end, and we are left with the warm glow that the master of storytellers intended." — South Wales Argus

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.

Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, spy, ace fighter pilot, and medical inventor. He was born in Wales to Norwegian immigrant parents, so holidays were spent in Norway. When World War II began in 1939, he became a fighter pilot and in 1942 was made assistant air attaché in Washington, where he started to write short stories. His first major success as a writer for children was in 1964. Thereafter his children's books brought him increasing popularity, and his books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide.