Dahl's Danny comes to the stage

9:56am Friday 6th June 2008

Gareth Warren might be the first to admit there's a childlike quality about him - but that can only help in his latest role as a ten-year-old boy.

Having recently graduated from drama school, Welsh-born Gareth has taken up the lead role in Danny The Champion Of The World, which arrives at the Oxford Playhouse this week.

"I thought, what were the things that amazed me as a child? I’m having to rediscover all that joy and wonderment I had as a youngster and try and use that again. It’s really all about finding that childishness in me."

Gareth Warren

Birmingham Stage Company has adapted the original tale, which was written by popular children's author and Bucks resident Roald Dahl in 1975.

The story revolves around a young boy named Danny, who lives in a caravan with his dad. Unknown to him, his father poaches pheasants during the night from Hazell's Wood.

Mr Hazell, the biggest landowner in the district, suddenly announces that he wants to evict both father and son from his land and so the battle is on to save their home. But can one little boy defeat a rich and powerful landowner?

Gareth, who landed the role of Danny nearly ten months ago, describes his time with the production as "superb".

He says: "When I was growing up, I was an absolutely huge Roald Dahl fan. I loved the way Dahl always empowered the children in his stories and I think that's the real genius of them.

"There are all these adult characters, but it's really the children who always hold the keys and can save the day."

But the role has presented Gareth with a huge challenge, in that he, a 27-year-old actor, must convincingly play a ten-year-old boy. I ask him if he feels he has done the part justice.

"Well, the biggest thing is to get yourself into the right frame of mind," Gareth tells me. "I thought, what were the things that amazed me as a child? I'm having to rediscover all that joy and wonderment I had as a youngster and try and use that again. It's really all about finding that childishness in me."

He continues: "Hopefully people will buy into it and see me as a ten-year-old boy, not a grown adult. But certainly that is my greatest challenge."

That said, Gareth tells me the reception to the show so far has been "unbelievable".

He adds: "The amazing thing really is to look out at the audience and see a couple of hundred kids jumping up and down in excitement and cheering.

"It's such a warm play that even the adults will love it."

Danny The Champion Of The World arrives from Tuesday, June 10 to Saturday, June 14 at Oxford Playhouse. Details: 01865 305305 or www.oxfordplayhouse.com

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