See My Pet Monster And Me - in Newark Castle

A children’s theatre company based in Newark is to put on an open-air performance of its latest show in the castle grounds on August 20 at 5.30pm.

My Pet Monster And Me has been written by Bill Davis, the artistic director of Blunderbus, who also directs the show.

The production tells the story of six-year-old Sophie Bucket, played by Emily Sly. She lives on a farm with her father and spend most of her time alone day dreaming.

She longs for a pet that could be her friend. There are lots of animals on the farm but they all have jobs to do.

Then one day a parcel arrives containing an egg. Sophie keeps it warm and when it hatches out pops George — a cuddly baby blue monster.

Sophie takes to him immediately but George is more interested in eating as many cabbages as he can, which make him grow rapidly.

“Sophie’s a lovely energetic little girl who is not going to let anything get in her way to stop her having George as her friend,” said Emily.

“I get to know the children in the audience before the story starts, which is lovely because they then help by cheering her through her adventures.”

George is played by Ashley Sean-Cook, who said he was a wonderful character to play.

“The story takes place in the space of a day and everything is completely new to him,” he said.

“He has no inhibitions and it is great to be involved in something so original and creative.”

Benjamin Darlington plays Mr Bucket, who is bringing up Sophie by himself and doing the best he can.

“He knows Sophie longs to have a pet but he is worried that she is going to get too attached to it,” he said.

The show is full of puppetry, music and songs and lots of laughs along the way.

Blunderbus was set up in 1998 and performs for more than 200,000 children each year.

Outreach director Simon Sanchez said their tours have included performance across the world, including Malaysia, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore so it was lovely to be able to put a show on in their home town.

This is the first time they have used Newark Castle.

“We hope families will bring along a blanket or a chair and have a lovely afternoon,” he said.

“This show has lots of fun for little monsters and their grown-ups too.”

The show is suitable for children aged three and over.

Tickets cost £7.50 with a family ticket available for £25.

They can be booked through the box office on 01636 678900 or at www.blunderbus.co.uk