Converting Britain’s history, “with the nasty bits left in,” into a book series and then a play series requires a generous dose of creative thinking. So it should come as no surprise that the producers of the Horrible Histories Live On Stage shows, written by Neal Foster and based on the children’s books by Teddy Deary, are now the first to revive the West End. But not in London, where the play was meant to start a run at London’s Apollo Theatre in July—rather, in parking lots across the country. Birmingham Stage Company has partnered with Car Park Theatre, a new company committed to safe entertainment, to bring Horrible Histories to viewers who will watch it from the safety of their own cars. The two-actor, multi-character show is also adapting the script to fit the times: look out for a spoof of Henry VIII’s struggles with social distancing. —J.V.

Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain was featured in the July 25, 2020 issue of Air Mail. Read on