THE spring Studio season at York Theatre Royal opens with Engine House's Grandad's Island from Tuesday to Saturday.

Presented in association with the Theatre Royal, Benji Davies's award-winning story for five to eight year olds has been adapted for the stage by director Matt Aston, with a design by Barney George, sound design by composer Julian Butler, lighting design by Jason Salvin and audio-visual design by Will Simpson.

In Grandad's Island, Syd's favourite person in the whole wide world is Grandad, and likewise Grandad’s favourite person is Syd. You are invited to join the intrepid duo as they head off on a heart-warming adventure filled with songs, humour and jungles that will change their lives forever, as Davies's book is brought to life by the team behind Flat Stanley and Red Riding Hood.

Davies is a children’s illustrator, author and animation director from east London, whose first self-penned picture book, The Storm Whale, won the inaugural Oscar’s Book Prize and was later Dutch Picture Book Of The Year in 2017. His second, Grandad’s Island, won the children’s book category of the AOI World Illustration Awards in 2015 and was crowned Best Picture Book and overall Children’s Book of the Year at the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards the same year.

He studied animation at university and has since worked on diverse projects, ranging from picture books and animated short films to music videos, commercials and title sequences.

Performances start at 11am and 1.30pm, Tuesday to Saturday, except Friday, when the times will be 1.30pm and 6pm. Tickets can be booked on 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.