Anyone with access to BBC Radio 4 is going to get quite the holiday gift come December 26. That’s when a brand new radio adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novella The Sleeper and the Spindle will be airing with a star-studded cast.
According to RadioTimes, Star Wars and Game of Thrones alum Gwendoline Christie will voice the lead role of a queen who is about to be married. However, the night before the wedding, several dwarves warn her a terrible sleeping spell is sweeping the land. Since she herself fell under such a spell in the past, she feels an obligation to save not just the kingdom, but a certain sleeping princess, and sets off on a quest.
So while yes, the sleeping princess story is inspired by Sleeping Beauty, and the queen is inspired by Snow White. That’s where the comparisons end. Gaiman’s version is much more mature, macabre, and brutal. More, well, Gaiman than Disney.
Joining Christie are Ralph Ineson (The Witch), Stefan Adegbola (Doctor Who), and Ian Dunnett Jnr as the dwarves who come to warn the queen, Penelope Wilton (Shaun of the Dead) as the narrator, and Gaiman himself as the Home Secretary.
The Sleeper and the Spindle was originally published in 2014, and it garnered very good reviews and won several awards. And now, on December 26 from 3-4 p.m. GMT on BBC Radio 4, fans can hear it come to life.
[referenced id=”1232144″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/07/neil-gaiman-and-director-dirk-maggs-talk-the-massive-undertaking-that-is-the-sandman-audio-drama/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20/hmyvyfmrqqzok6v444em-300×168.png” title=”Neil Gaiman and Director Dirk Maggs Talk the Massive Undertaking That Is the Sandman Audio Drama” excerpt=”Audible is putting out a huge project, starting this past week: a full-length audio drama adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s James McAvoy as Dream, it sounds like it’s going to be a pretty impressive thing, and it was created in an interesting way.”]