Book tickets: David Walliams’ Grandpa’s Great Escape at Manchester Arena

David Walliams’ much beloved children’s book, Grandpa’s Great Escape, is set to hit arenas this January with a live stage adaptation featuring The Young Ones star Nigel Planer in the titular role. On Wed 1 Jan, Manchester Arena will play host to this exciting live translation of Walliams’ eighth book, following the popular small-screen adaptation which aired on BBC One last Christmas. Best known for playing long-haired hippy Neil in the much-beloved BBC2 cult comedy The Young Ones, Planer will star as the show’s eponymous Grandpa following glowing appearances in other big-budget theatre productions like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Hairspray and We Will Rock You. During this colourful, thrilling and family-friendly show, audiences will be transported thousands of feet into the sky, as the multi-million pound stage design created by the experts behind Cirque du Soleil and Beyonce’s live shows send Grandpa’s life-size spitfire through a handful of iconic London landmarks like Buckingham Palace and the River Thames. With the book selling over 2 million copies worldwide, the Manchester-leg of this crowd-pleasing show is set to be the perfect post-Christmas family outing. Tickets are available now from £25.