The Water Babies: Play [Acting Edition]

by Willis Hall, John Cooper (Songs), Charles Kingsley (Source Material)

Charles Kingsley's well-loved story of The Water Babies is enchantingly brought to life in this adaptation by Willis Hall. The tale of young Tom, apprentice to the unpleasant chimney-sweep Mr Grimes, and his underwater journey to the End-Of-Nowhere is interspersed with delightful songs by John Cooper. In the original professional touring production, puppets were used to represent The Water Babies and underwater creatures, but small children could be used to play these parts in, for example, schools' productions.6 women, 3 men

64 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 1987

About the author

Willis Hall was an English playwright and radio and television writer who drew on his working class Leeds roots in much of his material.

His most famous creation was probably Billy Liar (1960), co-written with life-long friend and collaborator Keith Waterhouse, and based on the latter's novel. His rise to fame had come from his play about British soldiers in the Malayan jungle The Long and the Short and the Tall.

He wrote more than a dozen children's books, including a series about a family called the Hollins who meet a vegetarian vampire called Count Alucard. He also wrote a book, Henry Hollins and the Dinosaur. His membership in the Magic Circle was a source of inspiration for these books. He also wrote 40 radio and television plays, as well as contributing to many TV series, including The Return of the Antelope and Minder.

He wrote a musical about the scarecrow Worzel Gummidge, and others based on the books Treasure Island and The Wind in the Willows. He also wrote Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure.