The National Theatre have released their first children's book
Perfect for little ones who love the stageðŸŽ
The National Theatre has collaborated with award-winning publishers Walker Books to create a new picture book, Lola Saves the Show. This charming introduction to theatre behind-the-scenes is the first children’s picture book from the National Theatre and will be available to purchase from 4th May 2023.
Written by Katherine Halligan and illustrated by Guilherme Karsten, the book is for both daytime and bedtime. Packed with backstage drama, laugh-out-loud moments and references to theatre and the departments, it's the perfect gift for any budding creatives to explore the magical world of drama or little ones that already love the stage.
Katherine Halligan, author of Lola Saves the Show, said:
‘I was thrilled to be able to create a story for the National Theatre, featuring a lovable little goat called Lola. As a massive fan of the National Theatre and a great believer in the enormous value of theatre for children, this was a dream job, and it’s been an immense privilege to work on this book with Guilherme and the brilliant teams at Walker Books and the National Theatre. After such a long time being unable to enjoy our theatres, the release of this book feels especially celebratory and special, as we all return to the joy and magic of live theatre.’
You can buy Lola Saves the Show from the National Theatre Bookshop.
Have a look at musicals based on books:
Cabaret
Kander and Ebb's hugely successful Cabaret which is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic was based on John Van Druten's play I am a Camera which in turn was based on Christopher Isherwood's semi-autobiographical novel, Goodbye to Berlin.
Cats
A slightly different type of adaptation came with Cats. A collection of T. S. Elliot's poems about cats were published in 1939 in a book called Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.
The poems were used as lyrics in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1981 musical Cats which was at one point the longest running musical both in the West End and on Broadway.
The Color Purple
Alice Walker's 1982 novel The Color Purple has been voted one of the UK's most loved books and Alice became the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
The novel was adapted into a film by Steven Spielberg in 1985 and a musical that explores more of the themes included in the source material opened on Broadway in 2005. The musical version of The Color Purple is now being adapted into a film.
Doctor Doolittle
During the First World War, Hugh Lofting began sending illustrations to his children about a physician who could talk to the animals. He went on to publish the stories with the first one released in 1920.
The stories had their first big screen adaptation in 1967 with Rex Harrison as the titular character. The film and stories were adapted for the stage with the first run taking place at the Hammersmith Apollo with Phillip Schofield in the leading role.
Gypsy
Gypsy Rose Lee, who was famous for her striptease act, released her autobiography titled Gypsy: A Memoir in 1957. The book served as the inspiration behind Jules Styne, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents' iconic 1959 musical, Gypsy.
Legally Blonde
Now many of us know that Legally Blonde was based on the hit 2001 film starring Reece Witherspoon, but did you know that the film was based on a book of the same name?
Author Amanda Brown wrote a novel based on her own experience at Stanford Law School. Before the book was even published, the manuscript caught the attention of Hollywood and both the book and film were released in 2001 with the musical adaptation first opening in 2007.
Les Misérables
Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables is considered one of the best novels of the 19th century and it's fair to argue that Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's musical adaptation is one of the greatest musicals of all time. Having opened in the West End in 1985, it now holds the record as the world's longest running musical.
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins made her debut in P. L. Travers' children's stories with the first book released in 1934. It took Walt Disney 20 years to convince Travers to allow the film to be made - but she wasn't a fan of the final product.
When she was approached by Cameron Mackintosh for the stage adaptation, one of her conditions was that nobody from the original film could be involved with the production. This meant that the Sherman Brothers were barred from writing the additional music.
Matilda
Roald Dahl's beloved story of an intelligent young girl that had telekinetic powers was brought to the stage in 2010 when it opened in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Matilda the Musical has music and lyrics by Tim Minchin transferred to the West End in 2011 and won an impressive seven Olivier Awards.
Oliver!
It's fair to say that Lionel Bart's musical, Oliver! is one of the most famous British musicals around. It's fitting considering the musical's source material, Oliver Twist was written by one of the most famous British authors, Charles Dickens.
The Phantom of the Opera
There have been many adaptions of Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera - including multiple musicals. But it's Andrew Lloyd Webber's version that became an icon of the genre of musical theatre.
The musical first opened in 1986 and is now the second longest running West End musical and the longest running Broadway show.
South Pacific
A collection of short stories about the Pacific Campaign in World War II by James A. Michener was published in 1947. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was adapted into Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific which opened on Broadway in 1949.
Wicked
Considering Wicked's huge success as a musical, many don't know that the musical is in fact based on a novel. Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was first published in 1995.
It's worth mentioning that the content of the novel has much more adult themes compared to the musical adaptation.
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