Preview: Daisy Donald at ACW

Daisy Donald

Arts Centre Washington

Thursday 24 October 2024

North-East actor, writer, and creative Jade Byrne, takes her 2019 children’s book, Daisy Donald (adapted into a musical show for families), on the road later this month with an autumn stage tour. 

Jade, who is creator and star of the one-person Type-1 Diabetes play, Pricks (alongside renowned director Ruth Mary Johnson), counts numerous credits on both stage and television throughout her  acting career, including Inspector George Gently (2011) and Casualty (2015). 

Following the early success of Pricks (now also an award-winning short film), Jade took to writing her first children’s book, Daisy Donald, and it has since gone on to receive a number of 5-star reviews, resonating with children and adults alike.

“Daisy Donald is an inspiration for times when we all need a little more encouragement and selfbelief,” explained Jade. “The theme itself is timeless but important, especially for young audiences. 

“Turning what Daisy feels is a lonely negative into a complete shebang of a positive - with a little bit of help from the audience - this show celebrates diversity and disability. Daisy Donald looks at diabetes, difficulties and difference; learning to embrace them and help Daisy become the shining, dazzling person she was born to be.”

With a limited number of closed shows for schools and at Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Jade will also be taking in her hometown of Darlington, along with shows in Washington in October. 

As Daisy sings, “She’s a Warrior – not a Worrier” – and rightly so; looking at real life of children with diabetes through their eyes, Jade has certainly done wonders with the book; and now she’s taking it to the stage as well. 

The new family show has been co-created via workshops with ‘Type 1 Kidz’ (part of Investing in Children) and is not just aimed at the families of young people living with Type 1 Diabetes. Along with the support of the ‘Young Creative Team’, Daisy Donald is a new voice to help young people of all ages understand what it’s like to live with an invisible illness on a day-to-day basis, and how we can all learn to embrace and accept difference, irrespective of what that is.

Miranda Thain, Artistic Producer of Theatre Hullabaloo added of the show: “All the ingredients of Daisy Donald are authentically rooted in children’s experiences, with the creative team weaving a show full of important messages, but far from didactic and dull, it’s a joyful and vibrant piece of family theatre.”

Cast and Creatives:

Writer & Artistic Producer, Jade Byrne; 

Director, Ruth Mary Johnson; 

Composers, Jeremy 

Bradfield & Calum Howard; 

Producer Support, Sophie Halford; 

Set Design & Costume, Alison Ashton; 

Puppet Georgia Hill

Actors – Jade Byrne, Christina Berriman Dawson, Alberto Dumba and Kieron Michael

On the web:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PricksOfficial, 

X https://x.com/PricksOfficial,

Instagram @pricksofficial 

Tickets:

Daisy Donald 

24.10.24 Arts Centre, Washington, performances at 10:30am and 1:30pm 

https://www.sunderlandculture.org.uk/whats-on/daisy-donald/

Performances are approx. 50 minutes long