Fantastic news! Neil Gaiman has assembled a dream cast together to create a radio play of his wonderful urban fantasy Neverwhere. This talent comes straight out of the heavens and includes Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Anthony Stewart Head, David Harewood, Christopher Lee, and Natalie Dormer. It’s just perfect.
Gaiman announced the news on his website explaining that the radio play wil air on BBC Radio 4/Radio 4 within the first four months of 2013. The adaptation was manned by Dirk Maggs, who did the last three Hitchhiker’s Guide Radio adaptations. Good news all around!
If you haven’t read Neverwhere (get thee to the bookshop!), the story takes place in the bowels of London, called London Below (see the top picture). The land below the UK city is filled with the folks who “fall through the cracks.” The main character, Richard Mayhew (voiced by McAvoy), and the little girl Door (Dormer) journey through this world meeting a string of fantastic characters. The citizens of London Below take their names from tube stops of local landmarks. Here’s the full cast list!
James McAvoy… Richard
Natalie Dormer… Door
David Harewood… Marquis
Sophie Okonedo… Hunter
Benedict Cumberbatch… Islington
Anthony Head… Croup
David Schofield… Vandemar
Bernard Cribbins… Old Bailey
Romola Garai… Jessica
Christopher Lee… Earl of Earl’s Court
Andrew Sachs… Tooley
George Harris… Abbot
Don Gilet… Fulingous, Ruislip, Blackfriar
Abdul Salis… Sable, Sump, Clarence, Homeless Man
Paul Chequer… Gary, Guard 2
Lucy Cohu… Lamia
Yasmin Paige… Anaesthesia, Tenant 2 – female, Match girl
Johnny Vegas… Lord Ratspeaker
Stephen Marcus… Varney, Homeless man, Letting agent, Guard 1
Karen Archer… Sylvia, Old Woman, Dream Hawker, Mother…
Top picture courtesy of Neil Gaiman’s website.
