IN 1942, Enid Blyton published the first of the (soon to be) Famous series. To mark its 75th anniversary, two of Yorkshire’s most innovative theatre makers are joining forces to produce a theatrical adventure for families to savour these cherished stories again.

Working in association with Enid Blyton Entertainment, Gobbledigook Theatre, from the fields and forests of North Yorkshire, will bring the stories to life at literary festivals, in back gardens and as part of a national celebration of Enid Blyton’s life and works at RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate, including a Famous Five-themed picnic party on August 11, on what would have been Blyton’s 120th birthday.

The production is directed by Alexander Wright, of York companies The Flanagan Collective and Guild Of Misrule, and produced by Gobbledigook’s Phil Grainger. Together they have been making headlines with The Great Gatsby, first staged in York, then transferred to The Vaults Theatre in London for an extended run and now confirmed for a further transfer, this time a secret location from June 1, with more details to follow.

Wright wrote and directed that show, which ran originally in York at The Fleeting Arms in Gillygate in 2015 and was revived at the 41 Monkgate theatre last Christmas, with Grainger appearing in both those casts and in the London transfer. The pair will be teaming once more to produce Robin Hood in the open air at Bolton Abbey, near Skipton, from July 27 to August 6 after last year’s successful run of The Wind In The Willows: the first theatrical show to be staged by the River Wharfe at the abbey.

Gobbledigook specialise in immersive theatre where the audience is an integral part of the action, making The Famous Five ideal for this York and Easingwold company with its nostalgic trip around the English countryside, smugglers coves and seaside dens as Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy bring a picnic with lashings of ginger beer to enact some of the most memorable moments of the Blyton stories.

Wright says: "Having grown up reading Enid Blyton, it’s a real privilege to be working on a theatrical re-telling of her much loved stories. In the age of gaming and online entertainment, there’s something magical about four children and a dog discovering adventure in the outdoors. We’ll focus on play and imagination while making the most of some enchanting outside settings."

Rosanna Brear will play George, Sam Gannon, Julian, Robert Heard, Dick, and Tori Klays, Anne, in Wright's production, for which he is joined by assistant director Lizzie Whynes and designer Ed Wren.

The opening week of The Famous Five previews will run at The Mill in Stillington, a magical garden location near York, from April 26 to April 30 at 7pm with weekend matinees at 2pm. Tickets cost £8.50 to £12.50 at gobbledigooktheatre.co.uk

The RHS Harlow Carr shows in Harrogate will take place on August 10 to 12 and August 17 to 19 at 6pm; in between come August 15 and 16 performances at Sheffield Amphitheatre in association with Theatre Delicatessen. On the festival circuit, The Famous Five go to Hay Literary Festival on June 1; Camp Bestival, at Lulworth Castle, Dorset, July 27 to 30; Bath Literary Festival, October 7, and Cheltenham Literature Festival, October 8.