The Goblin King and Me
A story about a real-life encounter with David Bowie, marking ten years since his passing. A young boy meets the music icon, who gives him advice that will change his life forever.
A story about a real-life encounter with David Bowie, marking ten years since his passing.
Daniel is a quiet kid. He's bullied at school and lives with his grandparents, who don't quite understand why he can't be tougher and more like other boys. But then one day Daniel wins a competition to go to a special screening of a children's fantasy film called Labyrinth, starring David Bowie as the Goblin King.
He sets off to London with his gran, and when the trip goes wrong Daniel鈥檚 journey becomes his own fantasy quest, an epic adventure in which mundane reality and Daniel's inner fantasy life begin to merge. Can he make it to the centre of the labyrinth, to meet the Goblin King?
The Goblin King and Me is based upon a real-life meeting imbued with what feels like real magic. A close friend of the author told him the story of how he once met David Bowie as a child, and how Bowie gave him some life-changing advice. The story went viral when the author posted it on social media in 2017, after it was retweeted by Bowie鈥檚 family.
Cast:
Daniel: Frankie Treadaway
David Bowie: Jon Culshaw
Gran: Susan Jameson
Grandad: James Bolam
Grown-up Daniel: David Judge
Newsagent and Policeman: Dan Starkey
Paul and Mr Simeon: Kieran O鈥橞rien
Boys: Tom Barnard, Jorge Roberts-Lee and William Stevens
Written by Paul Magrs
Sound design by Benji Clifford
Original score by Sophie Cotton
Produced by Simon Barnard
Directed by Ken Bentley
A Bafflegab production for 麻豆社 Radio 4
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