Stephen Fry will voice the narrator in a new adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’s novel Howl’s Moving Castle at the Southwark Playhouse this Christmas.
Playing from 28 November until 7 January, Howl’s Moving Castle also features a cast including Daniel Ings, Kristin McGuire, Susan Sheridan and Jamie Wilkes.
Fusing live action and pioneering projection, the family show tells the story of Sophie, an 18-year-old girl who works in her late father’s hat shop. One day she discovers she has unexpectedly angered the evil Witch of the Waste and finds herself trapped within a spell that turns the young Sophie into an old woman.
Sophie takes shelter in the home of Howl, a strange but flamboyant wizard whose magical castle can move between various lands and dimensions powered by Calcifer, a fire demon. She embarks on a journey to break her own spell and the one binding Howl and Calcifer together only to discover that there is a lot more to the heartless Howl than meets the eye.
Fry is an author, comedian and television presenter who boasts a successful career spanning over 30 years. Although best known for his television appearances in an eclectic range of programmes including comedy Blackadder, quiz show QI and documentary series Stephen Fry In America, Fry has previously turned his hand to narrating with audiobooks including all seven Harry Potter books, The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy and Winnie The Pooh.
Fry is also clearly a fan of festive theatre having voiced a puppet in last year’s Dick Whittington And His Cat at the Lyric Hammersmith and even penning his own Christmas show for the Old Vic in 2007.
Adapted by Mike Sizemore, Howl’s Moving Castle will also feature music by composer Fyfe Dangerfield who is best known for his work with BRIT Award-nominated band Guillemots.
CM