Framlingham to host world premiere performance of award-winning book

Children from Sing Praise, a church after-school club called in Framlingham, are preparing to perform an adaptation of the 2019 Waterstones book of the year – Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse.

The youngsters will perform over three nights at St Michael’s Church in Framlingham, after receiving a grant from the Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation, which enabled them to put on the show.

The production will include original songs written by Suffolk composer Bryan Hall, and will run over three nights (Image: Reverend Chris Davey)
Reverend Chris Davey, the production's scriptwriter, said: “As the children started to come back after lockdown, we wanted to do something that would help them to address some of the anxiety issues and fears that Covid had brought.

“So, we were looking for a vehicle that allowed us to do that. We were well aware of the book, so I created a story from the book and we have added some original songs set to music composed by Suffolk musician Bryan Hall.”

Reverend Chris Davey wrote the adaptation of the award-winning children's book after noticing a decline in the children's mental health following lockdowns due to Covid (Image: Reverend Chris Davey)

Rev Davey said the production offered the children a chance to speak about their feelings after the negative impacts of coronavirus lockdowns.

He said: “We’ve used the journey of putting the performance on to allow the children to talk about feelings, so we have done some journaling with them.

“Each week we have taken an image from the book. The first image was what do you do when your heart hurts. We have used those kinds of images to allow the children to talk about their feelings and to be reflective.

Children from the Sing Praise after school club are performing in the world premiere of the book (Image: Reverend Chris Davey)

“It’s always good if children talk about their feelings, in a way they know is safe, and singing and drama is a really good way for children to enter into that space of emotion.”

The children, from Sir Robert Hitcham Primary School and Thomas Mills High School, both in Framlingham, will first take to the stage on March 25.

Rev Davey said: “They are enjoying performing. We have a really good director and musical director so they are enjoying being together again and working with purpose.”