Look out Elphaba, there's a new Witch flying in to the West End

The Worst Witch will fly into the West End for 7 weeks only, over the summer holidays, from 24 July * to 8 September (*all tickets for the 24 July performance are just £20.00!) following its hugely successful premiere at Royal & Derngate and hit UK tour. This new story, adapted for the stage from Jill Murphy’s original books by Emma Reeves (who won a Royal Television Society Award for Best Children’s TV Programme and 2017 British Screenwriters Award for Best Children’s Programme for the televised version of The Worst Witch) was launched last November as Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton 2018 Christmas show.

The Worst Witch is the story of an ordinary girl who finds herself in
an extraordinary place: a school for witches.

Accident-prone Mildred Hubble and her fellow pupils leave a trail of mayhem
behind them as they find themselves at the centre of a battle
that’s being fought for their future.

Featuring Jill Murphy’s much-loved characters, the production includes original songs, music, magic and a dose of Mildred’s unique brand of utter pandemonium!

Jill Murphy says: “My first trip to the theatre aged four, opened up a magical world – so real to me, that I had to be restrained from climbing onstage to help the children in peril! My mum was quite cross with me, but I never wanted the show to end and sang the songs loudly all the way home on the bus. Imagine how proud I feel, all these years later, seeing my own Mildred Hubble on stage with all the characters from Miss Cackle’s Academy. I still feel thrilled to bits when I go to the theatre and The Worst Witch is a magical production.”

Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch stories have sold more than five million copies and been made into films and TV series by HBO, ITV and CBBC. There are now eight Worst Witch titles. The Worst Witch was made into a television series for ITV in the early 1990s and there is currently a major television series with CBBC. Jill is also well known for her picture books. She was commended for the 1980 Kate Greenaway Medal for Peace At Last. Five Minute’s Peace, the first in her series about the Large Family (of elephants), won the 1987 Parents Magazine Best Books for Babies Award, as well as being shortlisted for the 1986 Children’s Book Award. From the same series, All In One Piece was highly commended for the 1987 Kate Greenaway Award and shortlisted for the 1987 Children’s Book Award, and A Quiet Night In was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1994. The Last Noo-Noo won the 0-5 category of the 1995 Smarties Book Prize and in the same year was shortlisted for the English 4-11 Outstanding Children’s Book of the Year, going on to win the 1996 Sheffield Children’s Book Award. The Last Noo-Noo won the 1996 Gateshead Gold Award and in the same year was adapted as a play and performed at the Polka Theatre, London.

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