An interview with My Pet Star author Corrinne Averiss
Tue 3 Dec 2024
What was your inspiration behind My Pet Star?
My inspiration was the incredible instinct young children have to nurture and care for a small being, creature, inanimate object who they decide needs their love and attention. To be the carer, to feel empowered to help in a world of bigger people where they are often on the receiving rather than giving end. We’ve all heard the phrase ‘fallen star’ to mean a shooting star but I loved the idea of seeing this through a child’s eyes. Falling is such a big part of being little – all those scrapes, bumps and bruises and the image of this little fallen Star, found in the wild, needing to be loved and fixed was irresistible.
How do you feel about your book being produced on stage at the Marlowe Theatre this Christmas?
Ros and I were thrilled to hear that the Marlowe Theatre were producing a stage adaptation of our book. It’s a dream come true for authors and illustrators to see the world they build come to life, and kudos to the Marlowe Theatre’s producer, Millie Brierley, who discovered My Pet Star and had the vision.
With families of our own, we understand how special family theatre experiences are, how they stay with you. And knowing we had a book that captured such big universal emotions as love and loss in a uniquely child-like and magical way, we just felt the ingredients were there to make the best kind of theatre, that touches your heart but with a huge side-helping of pure joy. And Lily Dyble (director, book and lyrics) has done just that!
The show features original songs – what has it been like to see a musical element added as your story is brought to life on stage?
Storytelling through song and music is a wonderful way for children to viscerally feel the emotions of these characters and we were so impressed to hear the treatment from Zara Nunn, an incredibly talented composer to score this production… longing, anger, affection, concern, playfulness: all served up to brilliant effect, and no doubt woven into some wonderfully complimentary movement direction from Natasha Harrison.
The book won the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book of the Year and Best Picture Book in 2019, as well as the Stockport Children’s Book of the Year 2020. How did it feel to see the book recognised in that way?
It’s a lovely thing to have this acknowledgement, Ros and I were thrilled but it’s even better to know that because your book has been picked from the pack and shared in this way, more children will discover it. And so its message of unconditional love, kindness and letting go reaches more families!
The book has themes of kindness, friendship and letting go ‘in an entirely positive way’ (Booktrust) – what are some of the main things you hope young audiences take away from watching the production?
Aside from the obvious magical energising spectacle of live theatre, we hope young audiences leave the theatre feeling seen and better understood, feeling less alone. To see their need for love and connection acknowledged; to see sadness and frustration validated; to see loss, experienced, shared and lived with ‘in an entirely positive way’ (to quote Booktrust!).
My Pet Star runs from Saturday 7 December to Saturday 4 January, with various performance times. Tickets are available.
Corrinne Averiss headshot by Helen Roscoe.