The Goblin King and Me

Available for over a year

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’s 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’s 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’Brien 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 BBC Radio 4