[Ad-gifted] Both our children are avid readers and huge fans of David Walliams, the bestselling children’s author, hence they were thrilled to be invited to watch the brand-new production of Demon Dentist, an award-winning production by Birmingham Stage Company which is currently showing at The Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent.
The Demon Dentist tells the story of the strange things that takes place in Alfie’s (played by Sam Varley) home town where children leave their tooth for the tooth fairy and wake up to discover something gory such as toe nails, fox tails or even rats under their pillow. Funnily enough, these strange happenings have been taking place ever since a new dentist, Miss Root (played by Emily Harrigan) came to the town. Alfie and his classmate ‘girl’ friend Gabz (played by Georgia Grant-Anderson) are determined to uncover the mystery and find out who is behind these oddities.
This show was funny and the multi-talented cast kept the performance interesting for both the children and parents alike. The antics of Winnie (played by Misha Malcolm) as well as shopkeeper and newsagent Raj (played by Zain Abrahams) kept the crowd in stiches. There were also a few heart-warming moment when Alfie chats with his sickly dad (played by James Mitchell)who is in a wheelchair. It was wonderful to see the father-son connection which they had. Emily Harrigan is such a talent, and plays the evil Miss Root excellently.
A huge shout out goes to designer Jackie Trousdale and Movement Director Richard J. Hinds for the great set designs and ease of movement of the cast and props from one scene to another. It was just effortless. The stage was attractive and the cleaver use of lighting especially in the mining cave when Alfie goes down the lift shaft was perfectly done thanks to Lighting Designer Jason Taylor.
My children thought that the show was good. They liked how expressive the actors were and how cleverly they used the props. They also loved the fact that each of the actors could sing and their voices were amazing! They added that the cast should be really proud of themselves. My daughter added that when she read the book she thought it was impossible to turn a book such as the ‘Demon Dentist’ into a theatre production but the actors did a great job of bringing the characters to live.
CAST
- Emily Harrigan – Miss Root
- Sam Varley – Alfie
- Georgia Grant-Anderson – Gabz
- James Mitchell – Dad
- Zain Abrahams – Raj
- Misha Malcolm – Winnie
- Ben Eagle – PC Plank
- Aaron Patel – Ensemble
- Mia Overfield – Ensemble
CREATIVE TEAM
- Adapter and Director – Neal Foster
- Designer – Jackie Trousdale
- Lighting Designer – Jason Taylor
- Composer – Jak Poore
- Sound Designer – Nick Sagar
- Choreographers – Paul Chantry & Rae Piper of Chantry Dance
- Movement Director – Richard J. Hinds
- Costume Supervisor – Nia Evans
- Casting – Kay Magson
- Production Manager – Adrian Littlejohns
How much do the tickets cost?
Tickets are priced from £13 to £44.50. The show is suitable for children aged 5+.
How do I book tickets to watch Demon Dentist?
Tickets are now on sale and available from the Box Office, by calling 0844 871 7615 or by visiting ATG’s website here.
How long is the show for and what are the timings?
The show will be running until Sunday, 2 April 2023. The shows will be performed at the following timings:
Where is The Regent Theatre in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent?
Piccadilly
Stoke-on-Trent
ST1 1AP
Tel: 08448717649
About Regent Theatre
The Regent Theatre is a theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Constructed in 1929 as a cinema, it is one of several theatres in the city centre and one of two owned by the Ambassador Theatre Group. The building was converted for full-time use as a theatre in 1999, and since then has hosted a number of shows and musicals. The theatre is also the northern base for the Glyndebourne Touring Opera.
About David Walliams
David Walliams is one of Britain’s best-loved comedians. LITTLE BRITAIN, his creation with Matt Lucas, won numerous international awards including three BAFTAs, and now plays in over 100 countries. It was followed by one of the most popular comedies of all time, COME FLY WITH ME. David has also been a judge on the ITV talent show BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT since 2012. A best-selling children’s author, David began writing books in 2008. His novels have been translated into 55 languages, selling 50 million copies worldwide.
Tips / Information
- Masks and Covid passes are not mandatory in the Theatre at the moment
- Ample public car park spaces are available near to the Regent Theatre. The nearby John Street car park is the closest and it closes at 11.30pm while the Pottery Centre carpark charges a fixed rate of £1.50 (after 6pm) and this carpark closes at 12am (midnight)
- Accessibility: On arrival at the theatre there are nine steps leading from the front doors to the foyer. There is a small lift suitable for wheelchairs and buggies
- There is lift access to all levels from the foyer (with an audible announcer)
- There is an infra-red sound enhancement system in the auditorium
- Guide, hearing and other working dogs are welcome in all parts of the theatre, and water is provided for them on request
- Accessible toilets are available
You may also want to read this:
Review: MAMMA MIA! at The Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent
Review: The Addams Family Musical Comedy at The Regent Theatre
Review: Horrible Histories – Awful Egyptians Live on Stage
Photo Credit: Regent Theatre/Mark Doute
* We were provided with press tickets in exchange for a review. All opinions are our own.
30 comments
This seems to be a very interesting play! I love theaters a lot! I would go weekly if I could.
So glad to hear that, I hope you get the chance to visit and watch some shows
Sounds like a really fun play and I bet the kids loved it. So nice to have more things aimed at kids x
Mine enjoyed it indeed as they both loved reading the book
It’s so fun to see the shows live. There’s nowhere around here that does it but sometimes we’ll drive to the big city.
Hope you do get a chance to watch it at your nearest biggest city
Seems like a great and fun play. I want to watch this in person in theaters.
Hope you do get the chance
This sounds like a fun production. I’ve heard of David Walliams and he’s very funny too. I’m sure I would enjoy this a lot.
I bet you would, such a lovely show and worth watching it
It sounds like a great show, based on your review. I would love to see them too.
So glad to hear that Beth. Do watch it if you can
Looks like a very lively and animated performance! I’ve never heard of this one before but it definitely sounds like an entertaining night out!
Worth checking it out, or getting a copy of the book to start with
A trip to the theatre is always a good day/evening out. This fun show just looks perfect for a family day out. Such fun xx
I agree, such a great form of escapism for the whole family
Beautiful experience and pictures from the play. Are you a once-a-week theater-goer? Lucky you that you have local production troop and theater near by.
We are lucky to live close to a number of theatres so we try to feature as many shows as we can
I’ve never heard of this show, but it looks like a lot of fun! Sounds like it was a great show, and very entertaining.
A fabulous family entertainment
My kids love reading anything by David Walliams, I’m sure they would love to go and watch this show.
I bet they would Jenny, worth checking the show out if it tours near you
Fantastic review! Seems like this play has a great story portrayed by a talented cast. Thanks for the practical information like pricing and parking!!
Such a good selection of cast, loved their singing voices
Wow, this theatre review of David Walliams’ “Demon Dentist” at the Regent Theatre is fantastic! It’s so detailed and descriptive, I feel like I was actually there.
Such a good production especially if you are a fan of David Walliams
This looks like such a great play and one that would be very investing and fun to see. I loved seeing plays with my aunt when I was growing up…. so much fun and a must for everyone to see at some point. Nothing like a live play!
It is a fabulous family entertainment especially if kids have read the book
What a twist on a classic! I really like the look of the stage at this performance – so many big props and bright costumes! Thank you so much for sharing.
Agree, the costumes were great and the stage set-up was well done according to the script