We are now into episode three of Taika and friends reading Roald Dahl’s James And The Giant Peach. This week we have five celebrity guests taking part - Eddie Redmayne, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, Ruth Wilson and Kumail Nanjiani.
Following on from the last episode, we return to find James Henry Trotter sneaking out away from his Aunts to go look at the giant bulging peach - reaching out to touch it slightly with one finger. It felt slightly furry - he then noticed a hole in it - the size a fox would make. James decides to climb inside the hole - and then realises “this isn’t a hole - it’s a tunnel!” Every few seconds James would stop to take a bite out of the soft juicy wall - until with a bang to the head he stops. It felt like a piece of wood - until he realised it was the stone at the centre of the peach. James could hear voices coming from behind the stone...
Soon James discovers a wooden door within the centre of the peach. He enters to discover several different creatures - some sitting on chairs, some reading in the sofa - “creatures - or were they insects?” he questions himself. “For instance, what would you call a grasshopper the size of a dog?” - because this is what James was seeing right before his own eyes. Next to it sat a giant spider and next to that a ginormous ladybird with nine black spots. “This really is the stuff of nightmares” remarks Taika Waititi. He’s right though, and looking back it reminds me of several of Roald Dahl's other books - which to say they’re aimed at children, they’re actually quite dark in places, filled with scary, evil characters. From the Witches in the book of the same name (especially the Grand High Witch), The BFG and the not so friendly child-eating giants in the book, The Twits, James and his wicked aunts and over sized insects, Matilda’s family and Miss Trunchbull - it makes me question what made Dahl wish to put such scary characters in his books when his target audience was children?! But saying that I grew up reading his books and they never did me any harm...just ask my psychiatrist!
On the sofa nearby, reading comfortably was a giant centipede and an earthworm...they were absolutely terrifying to behold. “I’m hungry!”announced the spider (Kumail), annoyed - whilst staring hard at James. “I’m famished!” piped up the old green grasshopper (Sarah Paulson). “So am I!” the ladybird cried (Eddie Redmayne - who is by far the most lively of characters in this episode). The centipede (Cate Blanchett), sat up a little straighter on the sofa - “everyone’s famished,” she said “we need food”. Four pairs of glossy black eyes all turned to stare at James. Miss Spider runs her tongue along her dark black delicate lips. “Aren’t you hungry?” she asked, suddenly looking at James. He’s too terrified to answer - I don’t blame him! “I think he thinks we want to eat him” laughs the ladybird, “don’t worry - you are one of us now”, she says to James in a friendly tone, “didn’t you know that - you are one of the crew”, she continues. “We have been waiting for you all day long. We thought you were never going to come” chimed the grasshopper to James. And so the story continues.
With so many people involved in this episode, with each one only getting a couple of lines, you don’t really get as good a feel for their characters as in previous episodes, but that doesn’t take away any of the magic of the story. I now can’t wait to see what “tough day” is ahead of the creatures the next morning. Will James stay with them forever? Will his Aunts try coming to find him? Stay tuned for episode four...
The Roald Dahl Story Company are priving this online extravaganza for charity, and in the hope that those who tune in to Youtube to watch and listen will donate to their cause. The charity is Partners In Health and you can find out more about them here: www.pih.org.
Reviewer - Lottie Davis-Browne
on - 15/10/20
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