No matter what David Walliams does – whether it’s sketch comedy such as Little Britain, serious acting in Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime or judging on Britain’s Got Talent - it is obvious he is a born performer. So it is little wonder his writing is coming to life too.

The Merton-born, Banstead-raised comedian-actor-writer’s fourth and most successful children’s book Gangsta Granny has been turned into a stage show which will tour the country over the next year.

The story is of young Ben (played by Longfield’s Ashley Cousins) who is bored every time he is made to stay at his grandma’s house – until he finds out she was once an international jewel thief and they plan to steal the crown jewels.

Wandsworth Times:

Speaking to Vibe, David – a former pupil at Collingwood School for Boys in Wallington – said: “It was definitely partly inspired by my own childhood.

“I used to spend a lot of time with my grandmas and I’d be playing Scrabble and eating cabbage soup and I’d sometimes be a bit bored and thinking I would rather be doing something exciting.

“And then I’d ask them about something like living in London during the Second World War with bombs raining down and they would become incredibly animated and tell these brilliant stories.

“Everyone has an interesting story to tell.

“In this, Granny is an international jewel thief – my grannies weren’t international jewel thieves.

“When you’re young and you meet an old person, you think they have always been old and didn’t have a life of adventure when they were younger. My grannies certainly did and I loved hearing about it.”

Gangsta Granny, which was first published in 2011, won the Red House Children’s Book Award and has already been adapted for television, in 2013.

Describing it as his favourite of his books, David said he was delighted to be approached by the Birmingham Stage Company about bringing it to the stage.

He said: “I’ve seen their brilliant shows before for a family audience. The Horrible Histories shows they have been doing for a long time really brilliantly. I was delighted that the book would have another life.”

With David’s flair for performance, it is easy to see how the story will be brought to life.

Birmingham Stage Company’s manager Neal Foster said: “Because David’s background is very theatrical, when he writes it is not difficult to see how it can be transferred onto the stage.”

David added: “I act out all of the characters when I write. I came from writing Little Britain and comedy show and then you would write to perform so I still write in that way.

“So I do all the voices, if people see me when I’m writing...”

David may have written the book but he will not be appearing on the tour, instead leaving it in Neal’s reliable hands.

He said: “I’ve been involved so far. Neal’s adapted the book into a play and I thought it was all brilliant.

“I’m going to come to rehearsals, but not every day. I’m not going to stand over his shoulder annoyingly.

“I trust him. He’s very, very talented and I’ve met the cast and they’re fantastic so I’ll let them get on with it and support them as much as possible.

“If they had set it all on Mars or something, I might do something, but I know that’s not going to be the case.”

Gangsta Granny is at: