Requests & Dedication on 0121 471 4774 or text 07519 694698

Wonderful Wriggly Worm

featured in the BHBN Morning Show, broadcast
Monday to Friday at 10am
& on Kids Time With Kira on Sundays at 2pm

The Team

Eugenie Summerfield – Author
The late Eugenie Summerfield began her writing career creating stories for BBC Radio Four’s children’s programmes. These included the national favourites, Listen With Mother, Let’s Join In and Listening Corner.  More than 100 of her stories were broadcasted on these programmes, and it was on Listen With Mother that Wriggly Worm made his first appearance, winning the hearts of listeners, young and old.  Over a number of years,  Eugenie also wrote for Yorkshire TV’s programme My World, as well as a number of children’s books, including Nelson’s Story Chest series – and of course the published collections of the Wonderful Wriggly Worm stories: Wonderful Wriggly Worm and Wonderful Wriggly Worm Rides Again.

Eugenie died in February 2016, in Gloucestershire. Her funeral service was held at Gloucester Cathedral and her obituary appeared in The Guardian Newspaper-www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/28/eugenie-summerfield-obituary

Eugenie’s literary archive is held by Seven Stories The National Centre for Children’s Books – https://www.sevenstories.org.uk/

Caroline Summerfield – Studio Direction
Caroline is the artistic director and resident playwright of the Natura Contemporary Theatre Company. She studied Advances in Script Writing at RADA and a Masters in Research in Playwriting Studies at the University of Birmingham. Her many stage plays have been widely produced, including Jane Austen and The Cheltonians,  which was nominated in 2021 for the 29th Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Best Stage Drama Award. She is the co-author of the long running radio drama The Gardening Times, with her sister, the writer and artist, Angela Summerfield. Now adapted for the stage, The Gardening Times begins its tour in September 2022 at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, starring Ellie Darvill.

Caroline and Angela Summerfield are the daughters of the author of  the ‘Wonderful Wriggly Worm’ stories, Eugenie Summerfield. 

Bill Cronshaw – Actor
Bill is an experienced actor, writer and director who launched Dreamshed Theatre in 2003. He has written over twenty plays and has two recently published books to his credit: What it is to be Blue, describing his experience of being a lifelong fan of Manchester City and Speak the Speech, a collection of audition monologues for performing arts practitioners. Theatre performances for the Natura Contemporary Theatre Company include An Honest Politician (Old Town Hall Stroud)and also as a director, The Tree Charter Tapestry (Everyman Theatre Cheltenham).

In recognition of his contribution to the world of theatre,  Bill was award in 2022, the  Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s Olwen Wymark Theatre Encouragement Award. Bill is delighted to be working once again with the Natura Contemporary Theatre Company, and co-reading the ‘Wonderful Wriggly Worm’ stories for BHBN.

Ellie Darvill – Actor

Ellie has been a professional actor for 40 years working in TV , Radio and on Stage.  TV credits include Alison Fernie in Brookside (Channel 4) and Grace in Doctors (BBC One). She played the Why Bird, a national children’s TV favourite – in Playdays (BBC One). Ellie was awarded the 2017 Norman Beaton Fellowship for Radio Drama and has been working with BBC Radio Rep in many productions for BBC Radios Three and Four and the World Service, including the Archers.

Theatre includes: Sally Millington River’s Up (Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham & Belgrade Theatre, Coventry), Miss Bourn The Ghost Train  (Redditch Palace Theatre),  Maggie Plastic Paddy and Island of Lost Souls and in 2021, Mrs Lowrie in Mrs Lowrie and Son (Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham).  Theatre performances for the Natura Contemporary Theatre Company include, Esther Wiggett The Tree Charter Tapestry (Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham and Canwood). Since September 2020, Ellie has performed the role of the Lady of the House in the long running radio drama, The Gardening Times, co-written by Caroline and Angela Summerfield and broadcasted on BHBN until July 2022.   Ellie is delighted to be working once again with the Natura Contemporary Theatre Company and co-reading  the ‘Wonderful Wriggly Worm’ stories for BHBN.