Roald &
Beatrix, the tail of the curious mouse, a heart-warming Christmas film inspired
by the true encounter between a six-year-old Roald Dahl and his idol Beatrix
Potter. A magical story of what really can happen when you are brave enough to
follow your dreams. Joining Dawn French who plays Beatrix, the cast includes
Jessica Hynes, Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman, Nina Sosanya, Bill Bailey and Nick
Mohammed.
https://www.sky.com/watch/roald-and-beatrix
Roald and Beatrix - Tail of the Curious Mouse: Sky
One’s enchanting special with Dawn French is a Christmas must-watch
Dawn French, Rob Brydon, Jessica Hynes and Bill Bailey
star in this enchanting and heart-warming story inspired by the true events of
Roald Dahl meeting's with Beatrix Potter.
By Alex
Fletcher Published: 18 December 2020 - 10.51am
Full of
magic, Christmas cheer and an all-star cast, Roald and Beatrix: Tail of the
Curious Mouse is the perfect film for all the family over the holidays.
The story
centres on a meeting between Beatrix Potter (Dawn French) and a young Roald
Dahl (Harry Tayler), which comes at a pivotal moment in both their lives.
Potter is
struggling with her writing and is losing her eyesight, while Roald has
recently lost a sister and father and is taking solace in books.
With live
animals, animation and Alison Steadman, Rob Brydon, Nina Sosanya and Bill
Bailey among the impressive ensemble, it’s a snow-filled festive treat which
carries a powerful message about following your dreams.
Here are
three reasons you’ll love Roald and Beatrix this Christmas...
1. The stunning cast
“Apart from
the wonderful script, what I loved about this job was the chance to work with
people that I really admire,” explains Dawn French.
“I didn’t
get a scene with Bill Bailey, or Jessica [Hynes], or Alison [Steadman], and I
was sorry not to get scenes with those people, but to be sharing the same kind
of ‘showbiz air’ with them was really good.
“Jessica
and I have been friends for a long time so it was a joy to have her around
although I didn’t get any scenes with her. When people like Jessica and Alison
are cast in something you think, ‘Whatever happens, they will turn in something
magnificent’, and they just did. They don’t do anything less than 100 per cent.
They care, and they have a light about them.”
“Jess was so
nice and lovely, I really liked working with her,” said the young actor.
“Dawn was
really funny. She’d make me laugh a lot. One time she jumped out at me and
scared me! She’s not scary like Beatrix in real life, though.
“Bill was
really funny as well. He dropped some nuts and said it was a ‘nuts-ami’ like a
tsunami and that made me laugh.”
2. It’s a story for every generation
That rarest
of Christmas shows, Roald and Beatrix will be adored by viewers aged from 8 to
88.
“It’s
charming, it’s witty, it’s moving. It’s going to look beautiful,” said Rob
Brydon, who plays William Heelis, Beatrix Potter’s husband.
“I was
having a little look at the monitors in between scenes so that I could see the
set-ups inside Beatrix’s house at Christmas and I could see it would be rather
lovely.
“I think
it’s a feast for the eyes. When you add in the animation, which people perhaps
won’t be expecting, like the scene where the mice come alive inside the doll’s
house in Roald’s bedroom. It’s made by Hartswood who are really as good as it
gets.
"When
I arrived on set at the location for Beatrix’s farmhouse, they’d transformed it
into a Christmas scene and it was absolutely enchanting.
“It was in
the countryside in the Vale of Glamorgan which is a lovely area anyway. They’d
turned this house into this most idyllic Christmas scene. It was just gorgeous.”
Dawn French
as Beatrix Potter
Exec
producer Elaine Cameron said: “I think kids will watch it in one way and adults
will watch it in another way, which is slightly more devastating but still
magical.
“I think it
feels like quite a treat because it ties in with the fantasy elements: the
animation, and the various characters that Roald meets on his journey that are
a subtle nod to some of the creations he then goes on to write.”
3. An inspirational Christmas message
For all its
snazzy special effects, beautiful filming locations and dazzling cast, the real
magic of Roald and Dahl comes from its central message about the power of
imagination.
“I think
the story presents a hugely uplifting message about personal bravery and how
important it is to equip young children with emotional resilience and
understanding,” said Elaine Cameron.
“There’s a
brilliant line in the narration for our animated mouse (read by the sublime
John Hannah) and it reduces me to tears every time I hear it. For me – it
really encapsulates everything Abi is saying in her story:
Keep in your mind there’ll be troubling times
And days you’re not covered in glory
Then take my advice, learn a lesson from mice:
Don’t let the tragic kill all the magic
Write your own story
“That’s all
you can ask really isn’t it – that your children get the chance to write their
own story…
And that, I
think, absolutely encapsulates the message of the film. There are lots of jokes
in the film and we want it to be a feel-good, uplifting piece, even though, you
know, fundamentally, it’s a story about grief.
“The
combination of the two allows you to lean into the tragedy of it, because we
know that the next scene will feel quite uplifting. The thing that really
connected these two characters is that they had this wonder in the world.”
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