One of Roald Dahl’s most famous stories, featuring two of the smelliest and ugliest people in the world, will be brought to the stage in a unique and highly imaginative way next weekend.

’Hello Little People’ will present their own version of ’The Twits’ at the Gaiety Theatre from Friday to Saturday, June 11 to 13.

The two members of the island’s smallest theatre company, Chloe Shimmin and Michelle James, will be virtually unrecognisable as they don unruly fake beards and grotesque wigs to become Mr and Mrs Twit, the most horrible and nasty couple of people in the world.

The two characters are habitually mean to absolutely everybody they meet, live on a diet of bird pies and enjoy nothing better than playing horrible tricks on each other.

However, one mean trick goes too far and their intended victims, a family of monkeys called the muggle wumps, decide to turn the tables on the grotty pair.

The play will be adapted from the stage play written by David Wood, based on the much-loved 1979 book.

Chloe and Michelle were granted special permission to take Wood’s script, which was written based around at least eight cast members, and adapt it for their own version, where the two energetic and versatile actors will play all the roles themselves.

’We have had to be pretty inventive with the stage play and there will be an awful lot of quick costume changes,’ said Michelle.

’We do everything ourselves, including operating the puppets that we are using to bring all the creatures to life, including the monkeys, the muggle wumps and the roly poly birds.

’The great thing is that we have been allowed to make the changes we need to adapt it for two people.

’It is completely our own take on the story which we have been lucky enough to be given permission to do.

’It will be the same show people have come to expect from us, with all the magic, interaction and inventiveness we bring to our shows.

’We will be using the Gaiety Theatre in a way I don’t think it has been used before. We’ll be down with the audience and making sure the kids are part of the show. It is brilliant when the children get involved and we want them to have a great time and to shout and make as much noise as they can.’

Hosting their own run of shows at the Gaiety underlines how far the pair have come in such a short time.

They developed their tiny troupe after finding themselves back in the Isle of Man after their UK professional acting work dried up over night.

They came up with the idea of a children’s theatre group as a way of passing the time before they returned to their day jobs.

’It is amazing how much we have grown since then,’ said Chloe.

’It’s amazing to think we are putting on our own show at the Gaiety, with just the two of us.

’Originally the idea behind Hello Little People was to have little shows for kids to have a laugh with and be entertained.

’It was something that we thought we would be performing in the corner of a beach somewhere, with a bucket for a collection afterwards.

’When we both came back here, after the first lockdown, we didn’t know what was going to happen or how long we would be here on the island for. We thought it would be for a few weeks, maybe slightly more.

’If you were to have said that we would still be here over a year later, and that we have created this professional company, I’d have thought you were mad.

’When we think about all the plays and shows we have put on it is quite incredible.’

The Twits opens on Friday, June 11, with a matinee show at 2.30pm and an evening show at 7.30pm, repeated on Saturday.

The run finishes with a further matinee on Sunday.

Tickets are £16 for adults and £13.50 for under 16s, available from villagaiety.com