BBC One Christmas animation

David Walliams, Rob Brydon and Tamsin Greig are to lend their voices to an animated version of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes that will air on BBC One this Christmas.

Written in 1982 and illustrated by Quentin Blake, the collection of six witty rhymes – to be told in two half-hour episodes – offer a twist on classic fairy tales.

Many of the cast take multiple roles, with Walliams and Brydon voicing the Ugly Sisters as well as Jack’s Mother and the King respectively, and Greig playing the Babysitter and Miss Maclahose.

Walliams said: ‘I absolutely loved working on these films. I'm a massive fan of Dahl's work and to be able to voice his characters was a real treat.’

Other stars include Dominic West, Bertie Carvel, Rose Leslie Bel Powley, Gemma Chan and Isaac Hempstead Wright. West said: ‘Voicing the Wolf in these wonderful films was a huge amount of fun. The incredible poems written by Roald Dahl have been beautifully brought to life by the production team.

The films are directed by Oscar nominees Jan Lachauer and Jakob Schuh for Magic Light Pictures, and the BBC says: ‘The distinctive style of Quentin Blake’s illustrations has been delightfully brought to life.’

Magic Light’s previous Christmas premieres include Stick Man, which premiered on BBC One last Christmas, attractng 9.3 million viewers and The Gruffalo (2009) 

Dahl’s grandson Luke Kelly said: ‘2016 has been an extraordinary year for Roald Dahl as we’ve seen his centenary marked worldwide in delightfully creative ways. Magic Light's wonderful adaptation of Revolting Rhymes ensures that we finish this momentous year on a real high point.’

• David Walliams will also be hosting a BBC One  tribute to Dame Shirley Bassey at Christmas, to mark her 80th birthday. The comic, who will interview her for the hour-long programme, said: ’As a lifelong fan of Dame Shirley I am thrilled to be making a television special with her. It really is a dream come true. Whenever Dame Shirley and I are together we laugh a great deal, so I am hoping this will be a hugely entertaining show.’ The BBC promises the evening will be a ‘mix of entertainment, comedy, surprises and live music’.

Published: 21 Oct 2016