New Perspectives Theatre Company are to bring John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway’s world famous 1972 picture book The Giant Jam Sandwich to the stage for the first time in the UK, in a brand new production which will play at Wimbledon’s Polka Theatre from 23 to 26 February, ahead of a national rural tour.
The story goes… on one hot summer’s day, four million wasps invade the quiet village of Itching Down. The picnickers panic and the famer stops haymaking. The wasps are noisy, nasty and worst of all, they don’t mind who they sting! That is until the baker has an ingenious idea… to trap them in a jam sandwich the size of a mountain.
Lord and Burroway’s classic book has been enjoyed around the world for over 45 years, endlessly translated and adapted for radio, television and large scale orchestra. To date however it has never been adapted for the stage, and New Perspectives are delighted to have the honour to bring Bap the Baker, Farmer Seed and Mayor Muddlenut live to audiences for the first time.
Originally from Glossop, author, illustrator and teacher John Vernon Lord’s children’s books have been published widely and translated into several languages. His illustrations for The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear and Aesop’s Fables both won national prizes, including the W.H. Smith/V&A Illustration Award in 1990.
Following a successful collaboration on The Truck on the Track, John Vernon Lord teamed up with novelist Janet Burroway once again to adapt The Giant Jam Sandwich text, setting it to verse.
For more information and to book your tickets, visit the venue’s website.