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4 Extra Debut. A foolish King barters with his daughter’s happiness when he issues a proclamation. Stars Toby Jones and Clive Hayward.

Toby Jones stars as Hans Christian Andersen in a series of fairy tales shining a light into the dark regions of the author’s mind.

The first of five adaptations by Lucy Catherine. With introductions by bestselling author and fairy tale aficionado, Joanne Harris.

A foolish King barters with his daughter’s happiness when he issues a proclamation.

Hans Christian Andersen jettisons the conventions of fairy tale logic, giving his characters realistic motivations for why they do what they do. He directly links the fantastical with the psychological.

He subverts fairy tale logic whereby the good are beautiful and the bad, ugly. Without him, every fairy tale would end happily ever after and the true power of the genre might never have been realised.

Andersen acts as a tour guide, embarking on a journey through his imagination as he attempts to identify the source of his creativity.

The series delves into the darker tales including the later stories anticipating Surrealism and Freud.

Hans Christian Anderson......Toby Jones
King ….. Clive Hayward
Princess ….. Scarlett Courtney
Nicholas ….. Greg Jones
Vandal ….. Ian Conningham
Lord Chamberlain ….. Adam Courting
Nightwatchman and Moses ….. Neil McCaul

Director: Gemma Jenkins

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2019.

14 minutes

Last on

Tue 5 Aug 202503:45
BBC Radio 4 Extra

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2. The Red Shoes

See all episodes from Dance Till You Bleed: The World According to Hans Christian Andersen

Broadcasts

  • Mon 25 Nov 201922:45
    BBC Radio 3
  • Mon 4 Aug 202508:45
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Mon 4 Aug 202513:45
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Mon 4 Aug 202519:45
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Tue 5 Aug 202503:45
    BBC Radio 4 Extra