Category: Media

More About Boy: Roald Dahl’s Tales from Childhood

Sections: Information | Description | Covers

Information

  • Published by:
    • Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009.
    • Puffin, 2009.

Description

Twenty-five years ago in Boy, the world’s favorite storyteller recollected scenes from his youth―some funny, some frightening, all true. More About Boy is the expanded story of Roald Dahl’s childhood, with his original text augmented by never-before-seen material from behind the scenes, and some of the secrets that were left out. Dahl’s adventures and misadventures during his school years are crowded with people as strange and wonderful as any character he created and are as exciting and full of the unexpected as his celebrated fiction.

This special keepsake hardcover edition is filled with personal memorabilia such as family photos, letters, report cards, plus dozens of illustrations by Quentin Blake, as well as a quiz to test the knowledge of Dahl afficionados of all shapes and sizes.

Covers

My Year

Sections: Information | Covers

Information

  • Published by:
    • Random House, 1997
  • Read by: Ian Holm
  • Runtime: 1:04:00
  • Complete and unabridged

Covers

Going Solo

Sections: Information | Covers

Information

  • Published by:
    • Puffin Audiobooks
    • Penguin Audio
  • Read by: Dan Stevens
  • Runtime: 4:38:00
  • Complete and unabridged

Covers

Matilda

Sections: Information | Description | Fun Stuff

Information

  • A two part special on BBC Radio 4 on 20-27 December 2009
  • What Dahl Did: wrote the original story Matilda
  • Adapted for radio by Charlotte Jones
  • Directed by Clare Grove
  • Cast:
    • Lenny Henry as Narrator
    • Lauren Mote as Matilda
    • Nichola McAuliffe as Miss Trunchbull
    • Claire Rushbrook as Mrs Wormwood
    • John Biggins as Mr Wormwood
    • Emerald O’Hanrahan as Miss Honey
    • Kate Layden as Mrs Phelps
    • Ryan Watson as Michael
    • Joshua Swinney as Bruce Bogtrotter
    • Rhys Jennings as Nobby
    • Sinead Michael as Lavender
    • Lizzy Watts as Hortensia

Description

A five-year-old girl is a genius, but her parents are contemptuous of their daughter’s prodigious talents. The little genius resolves to save the school and her favourite teacher Miss Honey from the grip of its terrifying head Miss Trunchbull.

[Description from RadioTimes.com]

Fun Stuff

  • Review from Radio Drama Reviews Online

Desert Island Discs

Sections: Information | Dahl’s Choices | Fun Stuff

Information

  • Roald Dahl appeared on Desert Island Discs in November 1979 on BBC Radio 4
  • The show was presented by Roy Plomley
  • In the show, Dahl was asked for eight pieces of music, a book and a luxury to take if they were to be castaway on a desert island.

Dahl’s Choices

  • His favourite song choice was Agnus Dei by Giuseppe Verdi.
  • His book choice was The New Oxford Book of English Verse by Helen Gardner.
  • His luxuries were a still, grapevine cuttings and tobacco seeds.

 

Fun Stuff

Escape

Sections: Information | Description | Fun Stuff | Recordings

Information

  • Ran on CBS from July 1947 to September 1954
  • What Dahl Did: contributed at least one story
    • Episode 133: “Poison”
      • Originally aired on July 28, 1950
      • Produced and directed by William and Robeson
      • Adapted for radio by James Poe
      • Cast:
        • Jack Webb (of Dragnet fame) as Woody
        • Bill Conrad as Harry
        • Jay Novello as Ganderbai
        • Charlie Leung as the houseboy
      • Special music arranged and played by Ivan Ditmires

Description

ESCAPE opened with the gripping voice of William Conrad booming out over the airwaves: “Tired of the everyday grind? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all? We offer you – ESCAPE!”. Moussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain”, the show’s theme, assisted Conrad in creating the right opening atmosphere. (The actual series of questions used in the opening varied from week to week, frequently to match the goings-on of the times.)

[Description from Old-Time Radio, an excellent source of information]

Fun Stuff

Recordings

Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts

Sections: Information | Description | Trailer | Cast/Crew | Reviews | Program

Information

  • Productions:
    • La Boite Theater Company, Queensland, Australia
    • Ran from January 8, 2014 to January 18, 2014

Description

Think you know the stories of The Three Little Pigs, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Goldilocks and Jack and the Beanstalk? Think again!

Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes & Dirty Beasts bursts onto the Roundhouse stage in a spectacular new live show, taking the world’s best-loved fairy tales and rearranging them with some surprising and hilarious twists.

Seriously funny and frighteningly silly, Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes & Dirty Beasts is the perfect January summer holiday entertainment especially for children 5 to 12.

Following the slimy fun of Out Damn Snot, La Boite teams up with shake & stir once again for a world premiere live show that’s sure to delight and disgust in equal measures.

Trailer

Cast/Crew

  • Director: Ross Balbuziente
  • Designer: Josh McIntosh
  • Lighting Designer: Jason Glenwright
  • Sound Designer: Guy Webster
  • With: Leon Cain, Judy Hainsworth, Nelle Lee, Nick Skubij

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Sections: Information | Description | Trailer | Songs | Reviews | Fun Stuff | Soundtrack Covers | Songbook Covers

Information

Description

From the official site:

ROALD DAHL’s deliciously dark tale of young Charlie Bucket and the mysterious confectioner Willy Wonka comes to life in a brand new West End musical directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes.

When Charlie wins a golden ticket to the weird and wonderful Wonka Chocolate Factory, it’s the chance of a lifetime to feast on the sweets he’s always dreamed of. But beyond the gates astonishment awaits, as down the sugary corridors and amongst the incredible edible delights, the five lucky winners discover not everything is as sweet as it seems.

Featuring ingenious stagecraft, the wonder of the original story that has captivated the world for almost 50 years is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Grammy winners for Hairspray; Smash), a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig (The Bacchae; Tintin In Tibet), set and costume designs by Mark Thompson (Mamma Mia!; One Man, Two Guvnors) and choreography by Peter Darling (Billy Elliot The Musical; Matilda The Musical).

A chocolate garden, an army of squirrels and the curiously peculiar Oompa-Loompas must be believed to be seen in this spectacular new musical that is choc-full of fantastical treats to dazzle your senses.

Trailer

Songs

  • Act One
    • Creation Overture
    • Almost Nearly Perfect
    • The Amazing Tale of Mr. Willy Wonka
    • A Letter from Charlie Bucket
    • More of Him to Love
    • When Veruca Says
    • The Double Bubble Duchess
    • It’s Teavee Time
    • If Your Mother Were Here
    • Don’t Ya Pinch Me, Charlie
    • It Must Be Believed to Be Seen
  • Act Two
    • Strike That! Reverse It!
    • Simply Second Nature
    • Auf Wiedersehen Augustus Gloop
    • Juicy!
    • Veruca’s Nutcracker Sweet
    • Vidiots
    • Pure Imagination
    • A Little Me
    • It Must Be Believed to Be Seen (reprise)

Reviews

Fun Stuff

Soundtrack Covers

Songbook Covers