His Dark Materials (play) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Dark Materials |
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|---|---|
| Written by | Philip Pullman (novel) Nicholas Wright (play) |
| Date of premiere | 20 December 2003 |
| Place of premiere | Olivier Theatre London |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Life and death, power and authority |
| Official site: http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/His%20Dark%20Materials%20Part%20I%20%20200304+6102.twl | |
The play His Dark Materials is a stage show based on the popular fantasy books by Philip Pullman. It was written by Nicholas Wright. The play first opened in London in 2003 at the Royal National Theatre. Because the story is so big, the play was split into two parts. These parts were shown on different days.
Contents
What is the Play About?
The play follows the exciting story of two young people, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry. They go on amazing adventures through many different worlds. Along the way, they meet cool fantasy creatures like witches and armoured polar bears. Their big goal is to find a place called The Republic of Heaven.
The play is mostly like the books. But some parts are a bit different. For example, the character Dr. Mary Malone is not in the play. Her role is given to the witch Serafina Pekkala. Also, the special "amber spyglass" from the third book is mostly not in the play.
How the Play Was Staged
First Performances
The play first showed at the Olivier Theatre in the Royal National Theatre in London. It ran from December 20, 2003, to March 27, 2004. Nicholas Hytner directed this first show.
Here are some of the actors who were in the original cast:
- Pantalaimon – Samuel Barnett
- Lord Boreal – John Carlisle
- Will Parry – Dominic Cooper
- Serafina Pekkala – Niamh Cusack
- Lord Asriel – Timothy Dalton
- Farder Coram – Patrick Godfrey
- John Faa – Stephen Greif
- Billy Costa – Jamie Harding
- Mrs Coulter – Patricia Hodge
- Dr Cade – Akbar Kurtha
- Jopari/Iofur Raknison – Chris Larkin
- Tortured Witch/Harpy – Inika Leigh Wright
- Salcilia – Helena Lymbery
- Fra Pavel/Lee Scoresby – Tim McMullan
- Professor Hopcraft – Iain Mitchell
- Lyra Belacqua – Anna Maxwell Martin
- Macaw Lady – Helen Murton
- Stelmaria – Emily Mytton
- Ruta Skadi – Cecilia Noble
- Mrs Lonsdale – Katy Odey
- Thorold – Nick Sampson
- Iorek Byrnison – Dany Sapani
- Ben – Jason Thorpe
- Roger Parslow – Russell Tovey
- Perkins – Daniel Tuite
- Astronomy Scholar/Dr West – Andrew Westfield
- Brother Jasper – Ben Whishaw
- Angelica – Katie Wimpenny
- Golden Monkey – Ben Wright
- Tony Costa – Richard Youman
The people who worked behind the scenes included:
- Set Designer – Giles Cadle
- Costume Designer – Jon Morrell
- Puppet Designer – Michael Curry
- Lighting Designer – Paule Constable
- Video Projection Designer – Thomas Gray
- Computer Graphics Designer – Yuri Tanaka
- Choreographer/Associate Director – Aletta Collins
- Music Composer – Jonathan Dove
- Music Director – Steve Edis
- Fight Director – Terry King
- Sound Designer – Paul Groothuis
Later Performances
The play came back to the Olivier Theatre in the Royal National Theatre in 2004. It started on November 20, 2004, and ran until April 2, 2005. Nicholas Hytner directed it again.
Here are some of the actors from the 2004 revival:
- Serafina Pekkala – Adjoa Andoh
- Billy Costa – Mark Buchner
- Lord Boreal – John Carlisle
- Jessie – Michelle Dockery
- Mrs Lonsdale – Vanessa Earl
- Pantalaimon – Jamie Harding
- Roger Parslow – Darren Hart
- Iofur Raknison/Jeptha Jones – Don Gallagher
- John Faa – Ian Gelder
- Lord Asriel – David Harewood
- Golden Monkey – Leo Kay
- Farder Coram – David Killick
- Ben – Pascal Langdale
- Lilly – Samantha Lawson
- Brother Jasper/Kaisa – Elliot Levey
- Will Parry – Michael Legge
- Stelmaria – Emma Manton
- Mrs Coulter – Lesley Manville
- Professor Hopcraft – Iain Mitchell
- Salcilia – Victoria Moseley
- Daisy – Helen Murton
- Dr Cade – Chiké Okonkwo
- Tony Costa – Harry Peacock
- Lee Scoresby – Alan Perrin
- Iorek Byrnison – Alistair Petrie
- Dr West – Dodger Phillips
- Thorold/Balthamos – Samuel Roukin
- Fra Pavel – Nick Sampson
- Ruta Skadi/Betty – Rachel Sanders
- Lyra Belacqua – Elaine Symons
The technical team was mostly the same. Some new people joined, like:
- Associate Lighting Designer – Vic Smerdon
- Music Director – Mark Bousie
Awards and Recognition
The play won two important awards in 2005. These were the Laurence Olivier Awards. It won for Best Set Design, which went to Giles Cadle. It also won for Best Lighting Design, which went to Paule Constable.
