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Roald Dahl's Esio Trot
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Wikipedia article
'Roald Dahl's Esio Trot' is a British made-for-television comedy film that was first broadcast as part of BBC One's 2015 Christmas programming. It is an adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1990 children's novel 'Esio Trot' in which a retired bachelor falls in love with his neighbour, a widow, who keeps a tortoise as a companion after the death of her husband.
Featuring Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench as the couple, with James Corden as another neighbour, who acts as the narrator, it was broadcast on 1 January 2015. It was seen by 7.86 million viewers, making it the ninth-most watched programme on BBC1 and across all UK TV channels for the week ending 4 January 2015.[http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-30? Broadcasters' Audience Research Board, barb.co.uk, shows 'Roald Dahl's Esio Trot' in place 9 of most watched for week ending 4 January 2015.] Accessed 23 December 2017 It was repeated on BBC1 on 31 December 2015 and on BBC2 on 30 December 2016.
Cast
* Judi Dench as Mrs Lavinia Silver
* Dustin Hoffman as Mr Henry Hoppy
* James Corden as The Narrator
* Richard Cordery as Mr Pringle
* Pixie Davies as Roberta
* Geoffrey McGivern as the Pet Shop Owner
* Jimmy Akingbola as the keen Pet Shop Owner
* Lisa Hammond as Mrs Desmond
*Anna Cannings as Mrs Court
*Joseph West as Philip
* Katie Lyons as Philip's Mother
*Polly Kemp as the woman on Bus
* Pik-Sen Lim as Mrs Wu
*Salo Gardner as Mr Mavrokoukoudopolous
*Emily Ralph as the little Girl
Music
The musical score is by composer Tim Phillips. All the commercial music used in the show is that of New Orleans jazz singer and trumpeter Louis Armstrong and his All-Stars; which include Edmond Hall, Trummy Young, Billy Kyle, Arvell Shaw & Barrett Deems.
Differences from Dahl's novel
*Mr Pringle (Hoppy's rival for the affections of Mrs Silver) does not appear in the novel.
*In the novel, Mr Hoppy's ruse of switching tortoises to fool Mrs Silver into thinking that hers is growing is successful and she never discovers the truth. In the movie, she discovers Mr Hoppy's plan but eventually marries him anyway.
Production
Charlotte Moore announced the television film at the Edinburgh International Television Festival on 22 August 2013. It was produced by Hilary Bevan Jones and directed by Dearbhla Walsh. Bevan Jones said: "To bring together two of the worlds favourite actors in Dame Judi and Dustin is a dream come true. Richard and Paul have captured the magic of Roald Dahls wonderful tale and I am thrilled that Dearbhla is to direct it." It was adapted by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, and filming took place in May 2014 in London. The apartment block featured in the film is Adelaide Wharf in Haggerston.
Reviews
The adaptation received praise, with Lucy Mangan in 'The Guardian' writing, an utterly, completely, inescapably beguiling adaptation of Roald Dahls book by Richard Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, directed by Dearbhla Walsh, narrated by James Corden and starring Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench. You could argue that with a pedigree like that nothing could have gone wrong, but it doesnt work like that. Although you can maximise your chances of being able to conjure it, charm is ineffable, alchemical. You cant measure it out by the yard and cut it off when youve got enough. You cant splash it on to a scene and then stopper it to make sure youve got enough for the next take. It just appears, if youre careful and if youre lucky. And then it ripples through your film, or your play or your book, animating all and subtly transforming everything from a prosaic good or even great into a thing of wonder.
Awards
References
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