“Life is so chaotic. You think ‘how am I going to get to work, and get back to the kids’ school show, and do all the things I need to do’. But somehow, you just do. That's what parents do. You make it work.”
It’s fair to say that Tom Fletcher and his wife, author, presenter, podcaster and actress, Giovanna Fletcher, have a lot to juggle. Between writing his best-selling books, adapting them for the stage, writing the music for the upcoming musical of Paddington, touring with McFly, and being a coach on this year’s The Voice, Tom’s certainly got a lot on his plate. But as we found out when we spoke to him, getting his kids involved in his creative passions has been key to making this work.
“It's a constant challenge and a chaotic existence! I wish we had some magical way of organising ourselves. It's utter chaos but we do it, day-by-day. And on paper, it does not work – I'm sure a lot of parents will be able to relate to that. But I feel so lucky that I get these amazing opportunities. I love writing the books, and now my books are being turned into stage shows and I get to write for Paddington" Tom smiles, "there's so much that I would be such an idiot to say no to. So it's just finding out how I do that, and also be the best dad I can be.”
Tom Fletcher: From McFly to best-selling author
It seems he makes that work by combining his family with his work, whether that's going on tour or helping create the ideas for his books. “Where I'm really lucky is that my kids are really excited by a lot of the projects I get to work on too. So they get to come and enjoy the fun of it. It's just become a bit of a family circus, I guess.”
While we can’t all bring our kids to work (I’m not sure sitting in an office holds quite the same appeal for kids as hanging out backstage with McFly!), there’s a lot to be said for involving our families and our children in our own passions. In many ways, we have Giovanna to thank for the fact that Tom became an author in the first place. “It's something I always wanted to do. I just didn't really know how. I think everyone has a good idea for a book but not many people really know how to do it. I just kept moaning and saying, 'I really want to write a book, I've got an idea for it', and eventually my wife got sick of me saying it and said, ‘well, no one's going to write it for you. You've just got to sit down and write it.”
And luckily for the 10 million people who’ve bought his books since then, he did.
Tom Fletcher, author: a family pursuit
Just like millions of other people, his kids are some of his biggest fans– “I feel very lucky that they all seem to be fans unless they’re just being nice to me!" he says with a characteristic twinkle in his eye. "Especially my eldest who reads the middle grade ones. He’s grown up through all of my books - I started writing picture books just before he was born, so I was able to read some of them to him. And now he's flying through them - he reads more books than I do.”
While his first book, The Dinosaur that Pooped Christmas, was written before having children, his kids, Buzz, Buddy and Max are now fully involved in the creative process. “They’re more than inspiration, they literally tell me what I should write, which is lovely. They’re quite firm with me about what I should do next.” It's not just his own kids who feed into his stories - taking the time to listen to other kids he meets also provides inspiration and motivation. "I think the most useful thing is to just talk to kids about what they want to happen in stories or what they enjoyed about my last one if they've read it. Quite often, it's not what I think it will be. I'll discover that they've picked up on one little subplot and how much it meant to them. So I find that really useful.”
And as Tom’s found, sharing these creative endeavours with kids is mutually beneficial. He knows from experience how life-changing it can be to introduce kids to creativity, and in his case, the theatre, from a young age. “I was so lucky that when I was really young, I went to shows that were very similar to There’s a Monster in Your Show. I remember going to see Button Moon and Sooty at my local theatre - very small productions but it was just really magical. And when I got a bit older, I went to see Joseph & his Technicolour Dreamcoat - I was already in love with performing and musical theatre and I loved it. It was the first time I'd seen a big West End production, and it had kids in it. So it made me realise kids can do these big shows as well. It's not just for grown-ups.”
“And there was kind of a lightning bolt moment where I thought, that is what I want to do. I want to be on stage.”
It’s one of the reasons he’s so proud of his latest adaptation – There’s a Monster in Your Show. As he says, “one of the things I'm really proud of is that it’s potentially a child's first experience of going to a show. And what we hope is that it's a really fun, memorable experience for them.” As Tom says “theatre can sometimes feel like it's this closed-off, intimidating world, especially as a kid. We have to sit quietly and watch what's happening and not make a sound.” He goes onto say, “There’s a Monster in Your Show is the opposite of that. We want you to feel like you can interact and be noisy, and you can stand up - it’s your show - you're taking part in what's happening.”
There's a Monster in Your Show
He’s right - this isn’t your average theatre experience so put aside any worries you have about taking toddlers to the theatre. Anyone who’s familiar with Tom Fletcher's, There’s a Monster in Your Book, will know that reading it is a wonderfully interactive experience, with your child getting to control where the monster goes through tilting, shaking, wiggling and spinning the book, and even shouting at it. Tom was keen that the musical had that same energy and sense of being involved in the story. “We wanted the show to capture the heart of that story where the show has gone wrong and it requires you to interact with it to make it go right again, along with the help of Monster and the gang” he grins.
He knows firsthand how enjoyable it is to see small children enjoying the show. While most only see their creations being enjoyed by family members or at press shows, Tom was able to sit in the audience at a normal showing when it came to the town where he was playing with McFly. “I got to go and sit in the back somewhere I would never normally get to go see it while it's out on the road. It was really lovely getting to see what it’s like when it’s not the press show and it's just people who have come to enjoy it at their local theatre.”
“Seeing parents smiling because their kids are happy watching the show and singing and clapping along is a lovely experience.”
This is a show for the young and the young at heart. It’s not often we get to be childlike and loud, but There’s a Monster in Your Show is a perfect excuse. “I also just love watching the grown-ups. It’s like the books - if you have a grown-up who's willing to really take part in the reading experience, it makes it far more enjoyable for the kid. And I think the show is quite similar. It’s been really fun seeing the adults embrace what the kids have to do. And they take it almost more seriously than the kids do. It is really fun to sit on the side and watch that happen.”
It's that enthusiasm and child-like joy that Tom seems to carry through every aspect of his life and work – as he says “it’s a chaotic existence” but you get the impression he wouldn’t have it any other way. From writing the music and lyrics for the upcoming Paddington: The Musical, which is set to premiere in London in 2025, to The Creakers which will be on at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and London’s South Bank Centre, to being a coach on The Voice, and writing his next book, he’s certainly embracing life in all its chaotic wonder and luckily for us, we get to come along for the ride.
There’s a Monster in Your Show opens in London at the Riverside Studios, Hammersmith on Wednesday 14 August through to Sunday 1 September 2024.
Grab your Band A tickets now and enjoy free ice cream! This limited-time offer is valid for Wednesday performances on August 14 and 21, 2024. Use promo code ICE at checkout. Don’t miss out!
Rebecca Lancaster is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby, drawing on ten years of parenting her two children to help others navigating their own parenting journey. As a freelance writer, she spent ten years working with leading lifestyle brands, from travel companies to food and drink start-ups, and writing everything from hotel reviews to guides to the best British cheeses. She’s particularly interested in travel and introducing her children to the excitement of visiting new places, trying different foods (less successfully) and experiencing different cultures.