The Horse and His Boy (Focus on the Family Radio Theatre)



The Horse and his Boy was produced in 2000 as a Radio Theatre production by Focus on the Family, The C. S. Lewis Company Ltd. and Tyndale Entertainment. It featured a full cast, orchestral music by John Campbell, and an introduction by Douglas Gresham. It was dramatised and directed by Paul McCusker, with additional direction by Philip Glassborow.

Broadcast History
On December 26th 2005, in Britain, BBC Radio broadcast the first four of the 'Chronicles' recordings back to back as complete, continuous performances. They were: The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; and Prince Caspian. The remaining three Chronicles (The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle) were aired on BBC Radio in fifteen 50 minute episodes on consecutive weekdays from 22nd December 2006 to 10th January 2007.

Differences from the Book

 * A few minor characters are dropped. During the Narnians' secret council in Tashbaan, only Peridan, Sallowpad and Tumnus are present with Edmund and Susan. The two dwarfs who are present in the book are not mentioned, and their lines are given to Sallowpad. Likewise, when Shasta first arrives in Narnia, the first person he meets is Duffle the dwarf, and the animals he encounters in the book are not mentioned.


 * In the book, it's never made clear whether talking horses in Narnia do roll in the grass, or how Bree finds out, but in the radio play, King Lune informs him during their first meeting that talking horses, indeed, do roll in the grass, and that "they wouldn't be talking horses if they didn't."

Cast

 * Paul Scofield - Narrator
 * David Suchet - Aslan
 * Jonny Scott - Shasta
 * Nick Burnell - Bree/Sallowpad
 * Jody Peach - Aravis
 * Wendy Craig - Hwin
 * Douglas Gresham - Host
 * Martin Jarvis - King Lune
 * Robert Benfield - King Edmund
 * Sally Ann Burnett - Queen Susan/Woman in crowd
 * Katy Glassborow - Queen Lucy
 * John Bluthal - Arsheesh
 * Russell Boulter - Rabadash
 * Justin Butcher - Peridan/Street Crier
 * Michael Haughey - Duffle/Soldier
 * Paul Jones - Tarkaan
 * Peter Jones - Hermit of the Southern March
 * Katherine Kellgren - Lasaraleen
 * Nathaniel Lippiett - Prince Corin
 * Robin Meredith - Tisroc/Rogin
 * Peter Moreton - Darrin/Knight
 * David Oakley - Bricklethumb
 * Philip Sherlock - Tumnus/Lord Bar/Thornbut/Courtier

Producers

 * Dave Arnold - Producer
 * Charlie Jarvis - Executive Producer
 * Kurt Bruner - Executive Producer
 * Al Janssen - Executive Producer

Sound

 * Mark Drury - Sound Design
 * John Campbell - Music Composer
 * Jim Scheffler - Orchestra Recording and Mixing at Martin Sound, Alhambra, California

Voice Recording

 * Mark Drury - Voice Recording Engineer
 * Dave Arnold - Voice Recording Engineer
 * Voice Tracks recorded at The Soundhouse, Ltd., London

CD Release
Tyndale Entertainment released a two disc recording of the radio play in 2000.