Kingdom comes

He talks to Viv Hardwick about turning the clock back to play a 14-year-old castaway

SINCE 1999, Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo's story Kensuke's Kingdom about a boy washed ashore on a remote Pacific island, who befriends a Japanese soldier in hiding, has become a firm favourite with children. Now a stage version, by the highly impressive Birmingham Stage Company, is on tour and fields a cast which includes budding Stockton-born actor Iain Ridley. The production reaches Darlington's Civic Theatre next week and tickets are already selling well for June 27July 1 visit to Newcastle's Theatre Royal.

This is Ridley's big debut, even if it means going back into short trousers to play a 14-year-old when he's 22 and two years out of drama school.

"I'm 22 but people say that I look about 16. Hopefully, I'll look as young when I reach 30 but it is useful actually looking something like the age I'm supposed to be, " Ridley admits.

For the benefits of the older audience he adds: "Kensuke's Kingdom is one of those books that if you're over the age of 16 you wouldn't necessarily have heard of it. However, Michael Morpurgo the author is rapidly becoming one of the most popular children's authors and was children's laureate for two years running. Several of his books have already been turned into plays (Private Peaceful about a First World War solider facing the firing squad has just opened in London) and Kensuke's Kingdom is on the curriculum this year so we're playing to an interested family audience. While children are getting the most out of it, there is something for everyone so parents who have come along thinking 'I can just sit back and doze off for a couple of hours' end up being drawn into the story. It's really well-written for a children's story and doesn't patronise, " he explains.

Stuart Paterson, who has strong links with Newcastle's Northern Stage, has carried out the adaptation and Micahel Morpurgo gave the show his blessing and arranged to see the touring version at Canterbury. "We didn't know when he was in the theatre before and sometimes it's not great to learn that the writer is around, but he came backstage and told everyone he was really pleased."

"I don't like to read a book after I've seen the film version because then all you can do is picture someone like Hugh Grant as the hero. Hopefully, for most the children, it's the other way round because they'll have a picture in their imagination from the book and I'll be somewhere near that picture.

"I hadn't heard of the story before I auditioned but my sister, who is 28, actually had a copy of the book.

That's when I realised that it was a popular story and I read it before the audition and I quickly understood how it would work on an emotional level in the relationship between Michael and Kensuke, who is more like a big kid than a man."

Ridley was born in Stockton and his family lived in Gleneagles Road, Billingham, when his father worked at ICI. "My mum's parents have always lived in the North-East and my mum is up in Teesside at the moment visiting the family. They're all coming to see the play at Darlington because my mum is one of nine children called Waters and I've already heard from one of my aunties who has booked tickets. I'm really looking forward to playing Newcastle in June because I'm told that tickets are going quite well there, " he says.

Ridley actually grew up in Lincolnshire when his father switched jobs to Conoco but says of this region: "People really seem to enjoy going to the theatre in the North-East and there is a family tradition of coming along particularly when you can get a family ticket for £31."

He has two sisters, one, Helen, works in stage management in Melbourne, Australia, and the other, Jennifer, works for BP in Wimbledon. Ridley studied at Lamda in London and his first job was on a music video as one half of a boy-girl love story created in song by an Italian DJ. "It was real hardship. We had to go all the way to Barcelona to film in the sunshine, " he laughs.

Kensuke's Kingdom, Darlington Civic Theatre, Monday-Saturday.

Box Office: (01325) 486 555 Newcastle Theatre Royal, June 27July 1, Box Office: 0870 905 5060