The Box of Delights
Adapted by: Alan Seymour
Directed by: Renny Rye
Starring: Devin Stanfield
Year: 1984
Video Availability: Try Blackstar
A minor children's television classic? Yeah, I think Box of Delights just about makes the grade.
One thing I can't claim to have done is read John Masefield's original novel, though it's a safe bet Alan Seymour's adaptation didn't involve a great deal of work as he's avoided updating it to a contemporary setting. Maintaining this imaginative children's fantasy in an antiquated environment is, you suspect, somewhat distancing, particularly regarding changes in language, whereby lead character
Kay Harker is described at one point as "an idle muff". Well, he does have a girl's name, I suppose.Yet a child's imagination is a wonderful thing, and I remember fully identifying with the middle class Harker and the beautiful 30s countryside he inhabited. This despite the fact I was watching it round my Granddad's council flat in the 80s and the only bit of grass was that covered in dog mess by the canal. ("Far fetched!" was my loveably grumpy Granddad's verdict on this tale of flying boys and talking mice).
So has it dated? Well, yes and no. It has more of an 80s look than I remembered, particularly the stuff shot on video, and Roger Limb's generally effective music (particularly the brilliant theme) compromises the period setting every time he uses electronic scores. It's also doubtful whether a story of young children being hunted down by sinister adults
pretending to be clergymen would get made today.One thing that hasn't dated is the special effects, including the animation. No, they haven't dated because they always looked rubbish. In fact, with Devin Stanfield having to stand around listening to costumed bit-part actors delivering somewhat stagy monologues there are parts of the production that come over as being like an episode of lame performance quiz Knightmare. Perhaps the major dating effect in the 18 years since it was made is that it's often so s-l-o-o-o-o-w. As genuine plot advancement only seems to occur in the episodes featuring Patrick Troughton, then there's much use of circular narrative, particularly in the slightly dull fourth episode.
Acting is generally of a fine standard, with the children decent
enough in the shaky world of British child acting. As said, some of the minor bit part players are stagy, and James Grout and Patricia Quinn irritatingly bring their roles to life as one-note caricatures, but generally all take their parts seriously, and play with conviction. It's a necessity, as often there's a tendency for adults in children's drama to produce a parody; something that is thankfully absent. Top of the tree is obviously Troughton, who delivers one of his hammier yet still technically precise thesping performances.Things really start to achieve a higher level of dramatic fulfilment during the final episode, which opens out into pure fantasy, with disembodied heads, boys in waterfalls, death by drowning and the brilliant Robert Stephens getting even more manic. There is something of a coming-of-age subtext at work, with the Box apparently
representing some form of ascension to adulthood, almost a Pandora's Box of that which must not be touched. Religion sees Kay find salvation in the church (before the anti-climatic "it-was-all-a-dream-or-was-it?" conclusion), while the villain draws a pentangle to enter his lair. Yet despite such plusses, and the programme not condescending to its target audience, there's perhaps little to involve adults, unless, like me, you're watching it for nostalgia purposes. Though you can always laugh at Nick Berry dressing up as a sewer rat, I suppose.Ultimately, I guess the success of The Box of Delights has to be gouged at whether or not it became a staple of children's television programming. Apart from one 3 x 60m screening two years later, It didn't. A shame, as with those macabre (albeit now mildly cheap-looking) titles it should have been a popular favourite of repeat runs. Sadly, even on the repeat-heavy BBC it never got that chance.
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