They created a land of make believe, yet think of their characters as real. As the stage version of children’s favourite Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom comes to Tunbridge Wells, we talked to two of the show’s original creators, Phil Davies and Mark Baker.

After the huge success of Peppa Pig, was there a lot to live up to with Ben and Holly?

Phil: Yes, every episode is a challenge, but we’re really pleased with the response from viewers.

How did Ben and Holly come about?

Phil: When we finished making the first 52 episodes of Peppa we were at a bit of a loose end. Making Peppa had been so much fun so we decided to think about developing a new series. We discussed some broad ideas and then Mark and Nev went away to work up some of the ideas.

Mark: Peppa is set in a world that’s basically the everyday world we live in. The stories come from everyday events. We thought it would be interesting to make a series which was set in a magical world but where the stories still start off from everyday events. Having “magic” as an element was exciting. We took the approach that the fairy “magic” would almost always go wrong and lead to unexpected results.

Is it pure escapism working on the series?

Mark: Working in animation is a fantastic job. Yes, animators do inhabit a world of make-believe. We have to believe in the worlds we create. We talk about the characters as if they are real people. Most animators are very much children at heart.

Do you feel as though you have the Midas touch – will you create new series ideas?

Mark: I used to worry about coming up with new ideas and storylines. But the interesting thing I’ve found is that more stories I write, the more stories I want to write in the future! It’s as if the creative process itself leads to more ideas.

THE SHOW

From the producers of the successful Peppa Pig theatre tours, Fiery Light Productions, comes the return of the live stage show, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom.

Entertainment One’s (eOne) Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom hails from the award-winning animation studio Astley Baker Davies, creators of the preschool phenomenon Peppa Pig, which is made up of Phil Davies, Mark Baker and Neville Astley. The show brings the magic from the small screen to the stage with a musical adventure.

Ben and Holly have fun helping ladybird Gaston clean up his messy cave, go on a trip to The Big World with tooth-fairy Nanny Plum and still have time to plan a surprise for King Elf’s birthday party – complete with an unplanned jelly flood.

THE DETAILS

Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom will be at the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells on Thursday, April 6 and Friday, April 7.

Tickets cost £16, and £14 for children. Book at assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk or in person at The Gateway, (Monday to Friday, normal office hours) or at the theatre counter on Saturdays from noon to 5pm.

The show is also at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford on Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2. For tickets at £18.50, or £16.50 for children, visit orchardtheatre.co.uk or call 01322 220000.