The Lottie Project (NHB Modern Plays)

An adaptation for the stage of this modern children's classic by the best-selling author and 2005 Children's Laureate.

For her history project, Charlie hits on the idea of writing the diary of Lottie, a young Victorian serving girl. When Charlie's mother loses her job as a shop manageress and starts work as a cleaner, Charlie's previously happy and comfortable lifestyle is threatened, and she finds her own hardships and struggles are not so different from Lottie's.

First staged at the Polka Children's Theatre in 1999, this adaptation is suitable for young actors as well as young audiences. The adapter, Vicky Ireland, has provided production notes to indicate how the play can be staged even with minimal resources - plus a lot of ingenuity!

Jacqueline Wilson is author of over 20 books for children, she has sold nearly 20 million copies. In 2004 figures from the Public Lending Rights office showed her as the most borrowed author from UK libraries. In May 2005, she was declared the new Children's Laureate. Vicky Ireland was artistic director of Polka Theatre for Children for fourteen years until 2005, when she returned to freelance directing.