Without the grotesqueness, sorcery or mischief of his other children's books, Danny The Champion of the World might stand out in Roald Dahl's canon as a bit tame.

But that hasn't stopped it from being a fans' favourite, being voted 132nd in the BBC's 2003 national book survey The Big Read. And now it has been brought to the stage courtesy of playwright David Wood and the Birmingham Stage Company.

David has previously written theatrical adaptations of Dahl's The BFG, The Witches, Fantastic Mr Fox and James And The Giant Peach.

"Dahl ticks the boxes for a good children's book," he says. "There is often a child protagonist, who is usually an underdog. Humour is very important, and he writes wonderful life or death situations.

"There's a subversive quality in him, he is cocking a snook at authority, and the whole thing of justice is incredibly important, too. Children from a very young age have a knowledge and awareness of justice."

Danny, the hero of the book, is thrown into a life-threatening situation of sorts when local landowner Mr Hazell tries to evict him and his father from their home and petrol station business. The audience will play the role of villagers protesting at Hazell's treatment of the family.

"I have taken the liberty of expanding Hazell's antagonism towards Danny and his father," says David. "Hazell is a nouveau riche landowner, who invites the local gentry around the county to come and blast birds out of the sky as a social thing."

Hazell's forests surround Danny's home. Danny soon discovers his father is a poacher who dreams of emptying the woods of every pheasant to get his own back on the bullying Hazell.

When his father has an accident while out in the woods, Danny has an idea to turn his father's dream into reality.

"My first thought on it was that it feels a very real story and you tend to think of very real stories of not being as potentially theatrical," says David. "Incredibly enough, Danny has as many opportunities for theatricality and theatrical moments."

The difficult role of Danny's eye-smiling dad was portrayed on the play's debut in Christmas 2004/5 by Cardiff-based actor Dafydd Emyr, who David describes as like a young Richard Burton.

"The relationship between him and Danny works terribly well," says David. "Having seen him play it in the original production I never thought he would be willing to go on the road for six to nine months but he tells me he loves doing it. He is going to be a hard act to follow."

  • Starts 7pm Tue and Sat, 10.30am and 1.30pm Wed and Thur, 6pm Fri and 2.30pm Sat, tickets £12.50/£10.50/£8.50. Call 01293 553636.
  • The play moves to the Connaught Theatre, Union Place, Worthing, from Tue, May 1 to Sat, May 5