At a time when fully-grown adult politicians are failing us, it might be time to take a page out of a children’s book.
Where better to start than Mr. Stink?
Penned by comedian, actor and author David Walliams in 2009, the touching comedy centres on 12-year-old Chloe, who has a cruel, aspiring Prime Minister for a mum (Mrs Crumb) and a timid factory worker for a dad.
Neglected and alone, Chloe befriends the neighbourhood tramp Mr. Stink. When people try to drive him out of town, she hides him in the garden shed.
The stage adaptation, reworked by playwright Maryam Master, will open at Madinat Theatre from today until Friday. And it may be timelier than ever.
“In a world where mean tweets and trolling are sadly becoming commonplace, Mr. Stink is a great reminder of what’s most important in this life — and that is kindness. Not just in words, but in deeds,” she told Gulf News tabloid!.
“Helping those in need. Having the courage to stand up for what’s right. Not being a bystander when we encounter injustice. This old man with seemingly nothing to offer the world but his pungent aroma, teaches us all the most valuable lesson of all — the true meaning of friendship.”
When Master first read Mr. Stink, she “laughed out loud and cried projectile tears.” Walliams wasn’t protective over his words and gave her great freedom to tweak them into a different format, even allowing for new twists.
One of Master’s personal favourite characters is the villainous Mrs Crumb, played by former EastEnders star Hannah Waterman. One of the perks of the job for Waterman is that, for the first time, her five year old can watch her in something. Less positive, however, are the parallels between her character and real-world power-hungry politicians.
“Sadly, you only have to look to America at the moment and, indeed, many other countries of the world to see that people like Mrs Crumb do exist, certainly in the political arena,” she said.
“It would appear that some of her radical ideas are now the general norm. Some audience members in Australia have said she resembles [former speaker of the Australian House of Representatives] Bronwyn Bishop, who also likes a bright suit and big hair.”
While that reference might fly right over the heads of the play’s target audience — eight to twelve year olds — the kids in the crowd are just as vocal about their observations.
“Some of their reactions have been hysterically funny. At one point Mrs Crumb says, ‘I’m a terrible mother’ and one day a little voice piped up, ‘Yes, you are’,” said Waterman.
Play director Jonathan Biggins has no intention of looking down upon his audience, regardless of their comprehension level.
“You need to be on your toes when you’ve got four hundred eight year olds watching your every move. It’s an abbreviated sort of storytelling so the actors need to animate the characters very precisely and some of them play multiple characters, which demands even more,” he said.
The show — set during Christmas time in England — has a message of tolerance that’s suitable for all ages, including Biggins’ 17-year-old daughters, who loved it.
“If the adults are laughing or engaged, the kids often take their cue from them and enjoy it more. I also try to pitch the show a little older, as I think a lot of children’s theatre can be slightly condescending and we’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much the kids engage with the story,” he added.
But don’t expect highbrow humour anytime soon. A bit of silliness can go a long way, including “the puppetry, shadow shows and of course the odd fart joke,” said Waterman.
“Essentially, though, our job is to tell the story and that’s no different whether you are doing a show for kids or adults,” she said.
