Lionboy (NHB Modern Plays)

By Zizou Corder

Charlie Ashanti lives in a future where phones are powered by the sun, cars are banned and companies are more powerful than countries. Charlie is a perfectly normal boy, except for one thing: he can speak to cats.
When his parents are kidnapped, he sets off on a rescue mission – with a little help from a floating circus and its pride of performing lions.
Based on Zizou Corder's bestselling novels, Marcelo Dos Santos's adaptation fuses storytelling and circus in a gripping tale that provides great opportunities for amateur and school groups looking to perform a magical adventure.
Lionboy was commissioned and first produced by award-winning theatre company Complicite in 2013, and was revived in 2014 for an international tour.
'It twinkles with a sense of magical possibility... liveliness, invention and effortless appeal' - The Times
'A wonderfully imaginative adventure' - Evening Standard

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Release date: Jan 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781780015590

Book preview

Reviews for Lionboy (NHB Modern Plays)

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well-done world-building and character development. No cliches or tropes. The description of the circus is reason enough, imo, to read the book.

I love how Charlie is a kid - brave, clever, but still a kid. I love how we spend time with the parents - they aren't just vaguely waiting to be rescued. I love how even minor characters are well-developed.

I found the book both intelligent and exciting. My only quibbles are the big heaping pile of luck at the end, and the fact that I don't quite care enough to follow the rest of the adventure.

[ctmsnocr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is about an african american boy named charles, who lived in afica with his parents. One day his parents were parent napped by a bully named Rafi. Now scared by rafi Charles runs away to one of his parents friend who leaves africa on a HUGE ship that goes to france. On this boat is one big circus the charles works at throughout the story. He starts as a money trainer but then gets upgraded to the lionboy.

[devilish2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Inventive book set sometime in the future, post-environmental apocalypse.

[alpo10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

lion boy is about this seemingly normal kid name charlie ,but he has a secert he can speak cat.It happened when his DNA mixed with a leopard when he was in africa.It might help him ,when his parent and him are kidnapped, because they found the cure for asmua.He escaped ,but now he has to go to find them.

[yonitdm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic! A truly imaginative book with creative setting characters and plot. Not the same old recycled adventure! My only peeve is that the end hangs . . . I like closure! I can't wait to read the rest in the series.

[lhackstaff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Charlie's mum is English and his dad is African, from Ghana. He has lived with them in both places. His parents are scientists. They have been kidnapped, but Charlie does not know by who or why or where they are.He sets off from their home in London to find them, and ends up hired as a lion trainer on a circus ship- he is Lion Boy!This is good because he speaks "Cat".First book in the Lionboy trilogy.

[clurb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Classic adventure story replete with lions, big enjoyable characters, and a circus. Very readable, fast paced and highly entertaining.

[melanne1979 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Lion Boy trilogy is one of the most enjoyable and entertaining series to be published in years. The full-formed characters of Charlie, Rafi, King Boris, and crew draw the reader into an exciting adventure filled with kidnappings, wild animals, and a fight to put an end to a mysterious evil laboratory. Add in exotic locations such as Morocco, Venice, and Africa, and you've got a book you can't put down. The narrator of the audio book does a fantastic job of bringing the many characters to life. My only complaint with this series is that the first book did start out rather slow, which is too bad because some readers might be lost with the slow beginning. But the pace picks up considerably with the next two books.

[abbylibrarian_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Charlie Ashanti is a very special boy. Since he was very small, he's had the ability to speak with cats. This can come in handy sometimes... Like when his scientist parents are kidnapped and Charlie runs away to find them and escapes onto a wonderful circus boat where he meets a pride of lions that is willing to help him in exchange for his help getting them free from the circus...A rip-roaring fantasy adventure with a very likeable main character.

[bettyjo_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I had a hard time with this one.

[sdtaylor555 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting young adult fantasy for a Saturday stuck indoors. Not the greatest, but not a bad read either. It leaves you hanging so have the sequels ready or you will be disappointed.