Adapted from the popular novel by Michelle Magorian, the Children’s Touring Partnership’s production of Goodnight Mister Tom hit the stage at the New Theatre this week.

Made famous by John Thaw’s TV portrayal of the loveable, grumpy old Thomas Oakley, the tale of evacuee William Beech leaving war-torn London, and finding safety and comfort in the Dorset countryside is a story that has touched the hearts thousands of people over the years.

For anyone who is familiar with the story, I wondered how they were going to emulate the integral character of Sammy, the Border Collie, on stage but who would have thought that a puppet and puppeteer Laura Cubitt would have done such a fantastic job.

Undoubtedly the stars of the show were the child actors Oliver Tritton Wheeler, who played William, and his best friend Zach, played by Max Longmuir, who really brought home the traits of the characters to the audience.

Oliver Ford Davies, who played Mr Tom, is a familiar face on stage and TV, and has appeared in National Theatre productions such as Much Ado About Nothing and Racing Demon to name just a few.

Following in the footsteps of such a well-loved actor as John Thaw is not an easy task but he did an outstanding job in combining humour and emotion in a sterling performance.