Legendary children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson’s book Hetty Feather - which last year became a West End hit - is heading to the stage in Dartford.

The award-winning writer and former Children’s Laureate first published the first in a series of books about a fiery red haired girl and her adventures at London’s Foundling Hospital for abandoned children in 2009.

It has been adapted for television and a stage show debuted at the Rose before winning an Olivier Award nomination in the West End.

It comes to the Orchard Theatre from March 23 to 27.

The play has been adapted by the award winning script writer Emma Reeves and directed by Sally Cookson. 

Dame Jacqueline told us: “I couldn’t be happier with the way it has been adapted.

“I mean, I sit there in the audience and afterwards people recognise me yet really it’s nothing to do with me because I didn’t write the script, Emma Reeves did and Sally Cookson directed it. The actors did a wonderful job.

“I mean, I get the praise but they’ve done all the hard work.”

She added: “As an author it’s absolutely exciting if you’re lucky enough to have one of your books adapted for the stage because it’s your only opportunity to sit amongst all the children and see which parts go down well.

“And often when the lights go up, it’s children’s parents that have tear stains - which is very sweet.”

Dame Jacqueline was highly impressed with the cast and spoke highly of Phoebe Thomas who plays the main character.

She said: “She’s just made that part her own, you just couldn’t imagine anyone else playing it now. She’s got the ability to make you believe in her no matter what age she’s playing, and her trapeze act is in incredible.”

Dame Jacqueline is renowned for tackling difficult subjects such as mental illness in her books and she told us told us the reason she did so was because the books she read growing up were ‘kind of bland’.

She said: “They didn’t really cover any real sad or worrying things, parents were always very middle class and whatever they said was meant to be right.

“And that’s lovely if you have parents like that, but if you don’t it must be a bit bewildering, and I’ve just always been attracted to writing about children who are the odd ones out.”

Hetty Feather is at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford, from March 23 to 27. Go to orchardtheatre.co.uk or call 01322 220000.

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