Dog Man The Musical Heads to Wales Millennium Centre as Second Welsh Book Adaptation Launches

Dog Man The Musical comes to Wales Millennium Centre this October. This funny and heartwarming new musical is based on the hugely popular book series by author Dav Pilkey, whose books have now sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. The books have been published in 48 languages, including Welsh, thanks to the work of poet and author Aneirin Karadog and publishers Rily.

With Dog Man The Musical arriving in Cardiff on 16 and 17 October, the poet is excited to see the show live with his family, as well as to celebrate his latest publication – his second Welsh adaptation of the Dog Man series, Penci: 2 Ar Garlam, which is published on 15 October.

“It was harder than expected to find the right name that would work in the same way as Dog Man does in English, as neither Ci-Ddyn nor Dyn-Gi sounded right. When Penci came along, it worked. It feels playful and appropriate, and the publishers agreed,” says Aneirin.

The Welsh-language author had some awareness of Dav Pilkey’s work before taking on the adaptations, but what brings him the most joy is seeing young audiences in Wales reading the work and entering the unique universe of the stories.

Aneirin’s experience is very similar to that of the original author of the Dog Man books, as Dav Pilkey lives with dyslexia and ADHD. Pilkey has been very open about the difficulties he experienced at school when he was young. He was often sent out into the corridor by teachers because of his behaviour in class, and at the time there were few resources available to support children with dyslexia and ADHD.

This could leave him feeling isolated and as though he did not belong, but his love of creating comics became an important focus for him. His parents were hugely supportive of his creativity, encouraging him to create stories and supporting his creative interests. Their support and love were vital in helping him develop as a reader, writer and illustrator. This was how characters such as Captain Underpants and Dog Man began.

Aneirin was diagnosed with dyslexia while studying at Oxford University.

“I’ve always had a love of literature and words, ever since I was very young. When I was younger, I was an enthusiastic reader, but I would spend more time than others reading content, sometimes reading the same line twice.

“By the time I reached university, there were signs that I was finding things more difficult. The university paid for me to have a dyslexia assessments – in-depth tests to find out exactly what was happening. The psychologist found that the literacy side of my brain was working well, but the perceptual side wasn’t as strong.

“I was given the dyslexia label, and I wrestled with it for a while. I was grateful to have an explanation, but the whole thing was new and unexpected.”

The adaptation of the Penci books has been a hugely rewarding experience for Aneirin.

“I’ve discovered a world of entertainment through adapting these books, and there is such a wealth of books in the series that it’s possible the Welsh-language world of Penci could continue and continue.”

The first Penci adaptation was published last year and received an excellent response among young Welsh-language readers. This prompted the publication of the second adaptation, Penci: 2 Ar Garlam, which is due to be published by Rily on 28 October.

“The response has been fantastic. I received a message from a Welsh-speaking family in Scotland who were looking for books to encourage their children to continue with Welsh, and they absolutely love Penci. Some parents and their children have also sent me videos showing their appreciation.

“My son has devoured the Welsh versions of Penci. He loves comics, just as I did when I was young. I loved Asterix, and that inspired me to read it in French after learning French while spending summers with my family in Brittany.”

“The adaptation process is a mixture of all sorts of discoveries. Some of the English jokes don’t translate into Welsh, but the fact that there are two characters in the story, Gwern and Heulyn, who create the story, makes things more interesting because there is a story within a story.”

Aneirin is encouraging children across Wales to read the first book, Penci, to get to know the characters and understand the background, as the second book continues from there.

“Things get even crazier and funnier in the second book. More possibilities open up for the characters, and new characters join them too. There are twists and turns along the way, all as a result of the incredible imagination of the original author, Dav Pilkey.”