Two World Premieres Set For the Unicorn Theatre as Part of Rachel Bagshaw's Inaugural Season

Newly appointed Artistic Director Rachel Bagshaw has announced two world premieres of major book adaptations as part of her inaugural season at the Unicorn, plus the release of Roald Dahl’s The Magic Finger in partnership with Roald Dahl Story Company as part of Unicorn Online.

The full 24/25 programme is to be announced later this year. 

Rachel Bagshaw said, “I am delighted to start my tenure at the Unicorn by announcing two major shows in our 24/25 season as a sneak peek of the work to come.  

I’m hugely excited to be directing Odd and the Frost Giants this Christmas, a show that promises a wondrous mix of magic, bravery and humour, and captures both our imaginations and hearts in its storytelling.

I am also thrilled to be collaborating with Sheffield Theatres and Children’s Theatre Partnership on Pig Heart Boy, a major adaptation of a Malorie Blackman favourite. I can’t wait to see this landmark novel for young audience develop into its world premiere stage production.”

Odd and the Frost Giants

By Neil Gaiman
Adapted for the stage by Robert Alan Evans
Directed by Rachel Bagshaw
Tue 19 Nov – Tue 31 Dec 2024

Unicorn’s Artistic Director Rachel Bagshaw directs the world premiere of Neil Gaiman’s thrilling and daring myth Odd and The Frost Giants in a new adaptation by Robert Alan Evans.   

Based on the bestselling book by the award-winning author, Odd and the Frost Giants is a spectacular festive tale combining Norse legends, mythical creatures and epic adventures. 

It's going to take a very special kind of boy to defeat the most dangerous of all the Frost Giants and rescue the mighty Gods. Someone cheerful and infuriating and clever. Someone just like Odd...

This Christmas, follow unlikely hero Odd on an epic journey as he meets Norse Gods Odin, Loki and Thor, stuck in animal form in the human world. They are in trouble so Odd must use all his cunning to save them, and stop the invading Frost Giants from plunging the world into endless winter… 

Combining Gaiman’s signature mix of magic and humour, this spectacular festive tale is about finding friends in unlikely places, and the courage you never knew you had.  

 Neil Gaiman is the author of bestselling novels The Ocean at the End of the Lane (voted 2013’s Book of the Year in the National Book Awards), The Graveyard Book (winner of the prestigious Carnegie Medal) and Coraline, among many others. He has won numerous awards including the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy and Eisner awards, as well as Carnegie and Newbery medals.

With special thanks to Charles Holloway, Christmas Production Partner.

For ages: 7+

The running time is approx.:2 hours including an interval

Pig Heart Boy

Based on the novel by Malorie Blackman
Adapted by Winsome Pinnock
Directed by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu

Sun 26 Jan – Sat 22 Feb 2025 

Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu directs the world premiere of acclaimed writer Malorie Blackman’s extraordinary novel Pig Heart Boy, a highly original and gripping story about bravery, love and hope.  This new stage adaptation by Winsome Pinnock will open at the Unicorn Theatre in a co-production with Sheffield Theatres and Children’s Theatre Partnership ahead of a UK tour with full tour dates to be announced shortly.

‘Is it better to have a pig's heart that works … than a human heart that doesn't?’

Cameron is thirteen, and all he wants is to be normal – have friends, go to school, and dive to the bottom of his local swimming pool. But he desperately needs a heart transplant and time is running out. When he’s finally offered a new heart, Cameron must choose how far he’ll go to get his life back.

Malorie Blackman said ‘I am delighted that Pig Heart Boy will be staged at the Unicorn, the UK’s leading theatre for young audiences, ahead of a national UK tour.  Though I wrote the story a while ago, it is still as relevant today as it was when first published and the topic of organ donation is still an urgent one. The Unicorn has the most lively and enthusiastic audience and a world class reputation for tackling big weighty issues in an accessible way so it will be a thrill for me to see how audiences will react to the challenges Cameron, the main character, faces in the play.’

Award-winning British author and dramatist Malorie Blackman is a major voice in children’s fiction, holding the post of Children’s Laureate from 2013 to 2015. As well as Pig Heart Boy, which was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and adapted for a Bafta award-winning TV series, her novels include Hacker, Thief! and best-seller Noughts and Crosses, adapted for the stage in 2019 and Winner of Excellence in Touring, UK Theatre Awards as well as Finalist for Best Show for Children and Young People, UK Theatre Awards.

 Pig-Heart Boy © Malorie Blackman was first published by Doubleday in 1997, and now Corgi Books, both imprints of Penguin Random House.

For ages: 9 to 13 years.

The running time is approx.: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Roald Dahl’s The Magic Finger

Director Milli Bhatia
Designer Shankho Chaudhuri
Director of Photography and Editor Todd MacDonald
Sound Designer and Composer Elena Peña
Lighting Designer Jai Morjaria
Casting Director Jacob Sparrow
Performers Corinna Brown and Lucy Mangan 

AVAILABLE FREE ONLINE FROM THURSDAY 29 FEBRUARY VIA THE UNICORN’S WEBSITE.

Former Royal Court Theatre Associate Director Milli Bhatia directs Corinna Brown (Tara Jones in Netflix drama Heartstopper) and Lucy Mangan (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) in Roald Dahl’s The Magic Finger, a glorious and imaginatively filmed theatrical reading, available free online to schools and families across the UK from Thursday 29 February for the next 12 months. 
 

The Gregg family spend every Saturday morning out in the woods searching for animals and birds to hunt. But the girl next door cannot stand hunting, and she’s so angry about it she’s going to set the magic finger on them all. One thing is for certain, very strange and spectacular things are about to begin...

Alongside the film, a free teacher resource pack will be available to schools. Developed in collaboration with teachers, children and PSHE specialists, the pack’s curriculum linked activities focus on the PSHE unit ‘Relationships – Respecting Self and Others’ and offer teachers a creative way to link literacy activities within the delivery of the topic.

A Unicorn Online and Roald Dahl Story Company co-production, Roald Dahl’s The Magic Finger will be released with leading partners across the country with the collective aim of making high-quality digital theatre experiences freely available to as many schools and families as possible.

The film will be available to view for free online from 29 February on the Unicorn website and will be distributed nationally through partnerships with the Ambassador Theatre Group Creative Hub Venues, with further partners to be announced. The film will also be available via The National Theatre Primary Collection on Bloomsbury Publishing’s Drama Online platform from 7 March for the next five years. The National Theatre Collection provides plays and learning resources to all state primary schools across the UK for free.

Unicorn Online is generously supported by Backstage Trust. With thanks to Susie Sainsbury and The Bloomberg Digital Accelerator Programme.

For ages: 6 +

The running time is approximately: 3o minutes

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