The Famous Five musical to have world premiere this autumn

Enid Blyton's much-loved The Famous Five is getting the musical treatment, it has been announced.

Co-produced by Chichester Festival Theatre and Theatr Clwyd in Mold, the show sees Blyton's tale adapted for the stage by Elinor Cook, with music and lyrics by Theo Jamieson (U.Me) and directed by Clwyd's artistic director Tamara Harvey.

Lucy Osborne designs with choreography by Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster, musical supervision by David White and Benjamin Holder, musical direction by Katherine Rockhill, orchestrations by Theo Jamieson, lighting by Johanna Town and video design by Ash Woodward.

The show, which sees the quarter-score group embark on adventures to Kirrin Island and a ruined castle, is part of Chichester's 2022 season, which was unveiled this morning and features an anniversary production of Crazy for You with Charlie Stemp. It will run at Clwyd from 23 September to 15 October, before transferring to Chichester from 21 October to 12 November.

Harvey said today "I loved Enid Blyton's stories when I was a kid – the magical worlds she created and the daring adventures she and her characters took me on – and so it's a huge privilege to have the chance to bring The Famous Five to life on stage. Elinor and Theo have perfectly captured the spirit of the books, whilst also bringing their own wit and sense of mischief to this brand new musical.

"Blyton's work has inspired millions of readers for generations. Together with Chichester Festival Theatre and our team of brilliant creatives, I can't wait to share the joy of this new Famous Five adventure with audiences in North Wales and Chichester."

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