The Bolds

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Edelleen 2. luokan vinkkikirjoja luen. Tämä oli aika pitkähkö, eli vaatii jo hyvän lukutaidon ja keskittymiskykyä. Mutta sen verran höpsö ja kuvilla höystetty, että sopii kyllä 2.-3. luokkalaisille hyvin. Ultimately, The Bolds could benefit from some editing. At two hours the continuous stream of joke-telling becomes unfunny and, as a vehicle for young children, it’s just too long. But from the perspective of family entertainment, it does its job. A great book to share with a six-year-old. My boy spends hours reading through the joke collection which is superbly interwoven into the storyline. And I am so happy I did, because this book was amazing, it was funny, it was a bit sad at times, at times I was frustrated with a certain character, but generally I just laughed my butt off at the silliness, the bad jokes, the whole family (especially the dad).

The Bolds by Julian Clary, David Roberts | Waterstones

Julian Clary is an English comedian and novelist. Clary began appearing on television in the mid-1980s and became known for his deliberately stereotypical camp style. Since then he has also acted in films, television and stage productions, and was the winner of Celebrity Big Brother 10 in 2012. Heeeeeee hee hee! That's a hyena laughing, in case you were wondering. I loved this. Clary is a natural children's story-writer, and doesn't try too hard to make himself funny, instead putting the humour directly into the situation and characters, making it an entertaining read. David Ahmad as Mr Bold,Amanda Gordon as Mrs Bold, Mae Munuo as Betty Bold, Sam Swann as Bobby Bold and Charity Bedu-Addo as Minnie It just wouldn’t be Christmas without another celebrity children’s book adaptation for the stage. Some projects feel a tad cynical but The Bolds, based onJulian Clary’s popular series, isn’t a bad bet. It’s a quirky story about a family of hyenas who escape a national park in Africa and wind up living as humans in a semi-detached in Teddington. There’s plenty of fun physical comedy, endless jokes (Mr Bold writes them for a living) and – thanks to the hyenas – lots of laughter. We know the holiday season is upon us when fairy tales and children’s storybooks run amok as stage adaptations to compete with the manufactured jolly of Yuletide cheer. The Bolds – Photo by Ellie Kurttz.

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The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our The Bolds are just like you and me. They live in an ordinary house on an ordinary street, and they love to laugh. But there’s one slight difference… they are hyenas! It's no easy task to make art for both children and adults, but Clary's script manages to entertain all ages. Their jokes are layered, meaning the humour is accessible, and as a result, there isn't really a moment when the audience are silent. At its core it's very innocent, but there's a few cheeky innuendos thrown in for the grown ups - these will most likely go straight over the kids head, but you'll certainly find entertainment in them.

The Bolds – The Bolds The Bolds – The Bolds

We have a nefarious neighbour who suspects, but most of the story focuses o the family's adventures at overcoming their instincts and trying to be seen as human and accepted. I did love that little girl who was friends with the kids. I was worried about how the story would go when certain things came to light, but she really surprised me. I hope she will get a bigger role in the next one.

About Julian Clary

The full cast is David Ahmad as Fred Bold, Amanda Gordon as Amelia Bold, Sam Swann as Bobby Bold and Mae Munuo as Betty Bold, Sam Pay as Mr McNumpty, Charity Bedu-Addo as Minnie and Jon Trenchard as Uncle Tony. As the main couple David Ahmad and Amanda Gordon are joyful, energetic, caring and exactly how you would want a strong set of human parents to be. Sam Swann and Mae Munuo as Bobby and Betty are bouncy and playful, just like puppies should be. As the nasty neighbour, Mr McNumpty Sam Pay is a bit scary at times, but turns out to be a sweetie at the end. It all plays out in James Button’s lovely set. He’s given us intelligent simplicity with clear lines and big colours, and even a terrific see-through car for the Bolds to drive around in. Julian Clary has branched out into the wondrous world of children’s fiction! My 7 year old pronounced the book as “BRILLIANT!” as a reviewer for Lovereading4kids. But what will grown ups make of it? What happens around the middle of the book and which continues to the end? I loved it, I am sure I could have loved a story about The Bolds all the book long, but this brought some extra excitement and fun to the story. I can't wait to see these new characters in the next book, I am curious as to what happens in that one.

The Bolds by Julian Clary (9781783443055/Paperback The Bolds by Julian Clary (9781783443055/Paperback

Having expressed the above reservations, let it be said the children attending The Bolds– all wearing animal-like headbands, ie complimentary soft-toy animal ears of lions, tigers, elephants and giraffes, readily shouted to the actors when asked to participate and laughed uproariously in all the key places. But how long can they keep their beastly secret under their hats? Join Mr and Mrs Bold and their twins Betty and Bobby as they navigate work, school and friends whilst trying to hide their hairy tails and keep up their disguise living as humans in the quiet suburban town of Teddington. Whatever will the neighbours think?This is an upbeat, heartwarming book that is bound to be popular with children and adults alike. Furthermore, the book is an absolute must if you are a David Roberts fan with its very generous proportion of illustrations to delight young readers. I’m actually hoping they will produce a picture book spin off about Miranda the marmoset who is the cutest creature I have ever seen!