Kingston’s legendary children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson is “thrilled to bits” that her book Hetty Feather - which last year became a West End hit - is returning to Kingston’s Rose Theatre.

The award-winning writer and former Children’s Laureate first published the first in a series of books about a fiery red haired girl and her adventures at London’s Foundling Hospital for abandoned children in 2009.

It has been adapted for television and a stage show debuted at the Rose before winning an Olivier Award nomination in the West End.

It returns to the Rose from February 24 to 28. Fans will also get the chance to meet Dame Jacqueline at Bourne Halls on Saturday, February 6.

Speaking to Vibe, Dame Jacqueline said: “It’s lovely, the whole set fits the Rose’s stage perfectly it looks absolutely great.“

She added: “Any boys out there will probably think ‘oh boring’, but I promise it’s full of fun and excitement.

“Each time I’ve seen the production you see the boys beforehand being a bit like ‘oh I don’t want to be here’ and they end up liking it just as much as the girls.”

The play has been adapted by the award winning script writer Emma Reeves and directed by Sally Cookson. 

Dame Jacqueline said: “As an author it’s absolutely exciting if you’re lucky enough to have one of your books adapted for the stage because it’s your only opportunity to sit amongst all the children and see which parts go down well.

“And often when the lights go up, it’s children’s parents that have tear stains - which is very sweet.”

Dame Jacqueline was highly impressed with the cast and spoke highly of Phoebe Thomas who plays the main character:

She said: “She’s just made that part her own, you just couldn’t imagine anyone else playing it now. She’s got the ability to make you believe in her no matter what age she’s playing, and her trapeze act is in incredible.”

The acclaimed author, who has lived in Kingston since she was three, is a big fan of the Rose and sees it a vital part of the community.

She said: “It’s there for really world class theatre. But as well as all these big productions they do a lot of things for young people in the community and their summer workshops are brilliant.

“And the Rose is open all day so young mums can come with their babies, there’s even a knitting group that comes for the slightly more mature members of the community.

“It’s got a good cafe – it’s everything that you would want and I think that it’s a delight that it’s here in Kingston.”

Dame Jacqueline is renowned for tackling difficult subjects such as mental illness in her books and she told us told us the reason she did so was because the books she read growing up were ‘kind of bland’.

She said: “They didn’t really cover any real sad or worrying things, parents were always very middle class and whatever they said was meant to be right.

“And that’s lovely if you have parents like that, but if you don’t it must be a bit bewildering, and I’ve just always been attracted to writing about children who are the odd ones out.”

Meet Jacqueline Wilson at Bourne Hall on Saturday, February 6. Tickets cost £5. Go to epsomplayhouse.co.uk. Hetty Feather is at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, from February 24 to 28. Tickets cost from £8. Go to rosetheatrekingston.org

Like our Vibe page on Facebook for entertainment news, interviews, reviews and features.