Watch out! David Walliams Awful Auntie is at Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre, for Easter.

The best-selling children’s paperback of 2016, No.1 in the children’s book chart for seven weeks, tells the story of Stella superbly played by Georgina Leonidas, who had set off to visit London with her parents whilst having no idea her life is in danger. Waking up from a coma three months later, only her Aunt Alberta can tell Stella what has happened. But not everything Aunt Alberta tells her turns out to be true and Stella quickly discovers she’s in for the fight of her life against her very own awful Auntie!

From the acclaimed producers of Gangsta Granny Horrible Histories’ writer Neal Foster has turned Awful Auntie – the biggest selling children’s book of 2014 – into a madcap stage adventure with an amazing tale of frights, fights and friendship, featuring a very old car, a very large owl and a very small ghost!

Designer Jacqueline Trousdale has also done a superb job designing a series of towering moveable cylinders, that represent the turrets of Saxby Hall. The stakes are further raised by an onstage car chase which was my children’s favourite scene.

This funny and exciting new show from Birmingham Stage Company was truly brilliant and a total hoot, thanks to Wagner the owl, brought to life by some impressive puppetry courtesy of Roberta Bellekom. A little dark at times for my 10-year-old (in particular the electrocution scene), the thrilling plot and comedic timing from the family’s doddery butler, Gibbon, made the show a thoroughly enjoyable evening for all the family.

Awful Auntie runs until Saturday 31 March.