I’m almost there! Almost to the end of this longer-than-I-remember book (in audio/video form) and the further into the story I get, I remember why I wasn’t that keen on this particular Road Dahl book as a child. But at least the celebrity guest readers are making it much more enjoyable, not to mention the loveable Taika Waititi who I could listen to all day.
Episode 7's guest stars are West End Actress Cynthia Erivo (Ladybird), Actor/Rapper/Singer Utkarsh Ambudkar (Centipede), Jamie Callum (Spider), Yo-Yo Ma (Grasshopper) and Billy Porter (Earthworm).
We rejoin James and the insects back on top of the peach where everyone is still happy and excited. “I wonder where we’ll finish up this time?” said the Earthworm. “Who cares?!”, they all answered.
The highlight of this episode is the beautiful cello performance by Yo-Yo Ma as the Grasshopper. The Grasshopper puts on a concert for James and the other insects - it’s like an enchanted lullaby. It goes down a treat with the others. The Grasshopper explains that he’s a short-horned grasshopper, hence why he can play such beautiful music and explains that long-horned grasshoppers sound more like a banjo than a violin. He explains to James where grasshoppers ears are on their face “one on each side of my tummy” he explains.
The Earthworm then decides to educate James so more by explaining how every bit of soil in a field has passed through an earthworm at some point to help the farmer make the soil nice and soft and crumbly to help things grow. The Ladybird joins in and says that farmers love ladybirds “because we eat all the nasty little creatures that eat the farmers crops; it helps enormously and we don’t charge a penny for our services”. “I think you’re wonderful!”, remarks James to the Ladybird. James asks if it is true about being able to tell the age of a ladybird by how many spots they have on their back. “Oh no,” laughed the Ladybird, “thats just a children’s story. We never change our spots. Some of us are born with more spots than others, but we never change! I am a nine spotted ladybird - I’m very lucky, some of my ladybird family only have two spots”
“I am not loved - I am a pest” declared the Centipede. The Spider joins in and states that nobody loves spiders either. “But isn’t it unlucky to kill a spider?” asks James. “Of course it is, it’s about the worst thing you could do” claims the Centipede. Guess that explains why I never have any luck then!
The Centipede then entertains the others with songs he’s made up, including one about James’s wicked aunts. The others love his songs but their enjoyment is short lived when disaster strikes and James has to hatch a plan fast to save the Centipede. With James’s quick thinking, his plan works and soon are both safely back on the peach just in time for it dropping dark outside.
Episode eight features Mindy Kaling, Ben Schwartz and Gordon Ramsey. The sky is now dark and still on top of the peach their attention is soon drawn to mysterious shapes in the clouds which on closer inspection turn out to be some kind of cloud person. They watch in fascination as they use bits of clouds to make hailstones - even though it’s summer - James exclaims that they must be practicing for winter. As they continue to watch the cloud people they get distracted and suddenly the peach hits a rainbow breaking it in half. This makes the cloud men very angry indeed and it looks like the gang might have to fight them.
I was disappointed that Gordon Ramsey literally only speaks one sentence - apparently his part was longer but was edited due to all the swear words! Whether there’s any truth in that I do not know...then again it would not surprise me.
Stay tuned for the final parts coming in my final round up of this charity fundraiser.
Reviewer - Lottie Davis-Browne
on - 4/11/20
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