Gangsta Granny is a 2011 British children's comedy fiction book, written by David Walliams,[1] illustrated by Tony Ross and published by HarperCollins. A sequel, Gangsta Granny Strikes Again, was released in 2021.

Gangsta Granny
First edition
AuthorDavid Walliams
IllustratorTony Ross
PublisherHarper Collins
Publication date
27 October 2011 (2011-10-27)
ISBN978-0007371440
Preceded byBillionaire Boy 
Followed byRatburger 

Plot

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Ben,12 year old, a curious boy, hates having to stay with his old Granny every Friday because his parents go to see a dancing show named Strictly Stars Dancing which is a parody of Strictly Come Dancing. He finds it boring and repetitive as his Granny always feeds him cabbage-related dishes, most commonly cabbage soup and cabbage chocolate, and they are constantly playing Scrabble, plus her television hasn't been working since the 1990s. Ben loves plumbing and is a long-term subscriber to the magazine Plumbing Weekly, which he buys every week from Raj's news-agency. Ben's parents disapprove of him being a plumber, as their ambition for their only child was to be a professional ballroom dancer like the one they used to watch every Friday.

Film adaptation

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The book has been adapted into a one-hour film for BBC One, which aired at Christmas in 2013.[2]

Theatre adaptation

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The book has also been adapted into a 130-minute theatre performance by the Birmingham Stage Company.[2] It toured the United Kingdom until July 2017. It then became a play at the Garrick Theatre in the West End from 26 July to 3 September 2017.

Ride adaptation

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On 21 March 2020, Alton Towers Resort in Staffordshire, England launched David Walliams World, with the main theme of the area being focused on the Gangsta Granny book. The new area was to feature a 4D dark ride titled Gangsta Granny: The Ride, where guests embark on a crown jewels tour which is then sabotaged by Ben and Granny who persuade the guests to join them on a heist of a lifetime to steal the crown jewels. Gangsta Granny: The Ride finally opened on 17 May 2021.[3]

 

References

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  1. ^ "Gangsta Granny By David Williams - Review". The Guardian. 3 January 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b Rees, Mark (14 March 2017). "World premiere of David Walliams' Gangsta Granny comes to Swansea". WalesOnline. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Alton Towers POSTPONES New Attraction 'Gangsta Granny: The Ride' Until Spring 2021". Theme Park Tourist. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.