Lambeth Fantastical
September 2023
September marks the birth dates of four
people with connections to Lambeth and the fantastical.
Born on 13th September 1916 in
Cardiff, children’s author, and writer of Tales of the Unexpected, Roald
Dahl, lived in Turnchapel Mews, Clapham Common Northside, from 1983 until
his death in 1990. It was here he wrote two of his most enduring children’s
fantasy novels – The Witches (1983) and Matilda (1988).
The Witches, illustrated by Quentin Blake
who hails from Sidcup, was included in the BBC’s 2019 one hundred best novels
list, and commemorated by the Royal Mail on a postage stamp in 2012. It has
been made into a stage play, a BBC radio dramatisation, and an opera. The 1990
film version starred Angelica Huston as the Grand High Witch; a role reprised
by Anne Hathaway in the 2020 remake directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Matilda, also illustrated by Blake,
concerns a young schoolgirl with extraordinary psychic powers. Matilda ranked
number 74 in the BBC list and was also commemorated with a postage stamp in
2012. The 1996 film version was directed by Danny DeVito and starred himself
and his wife Rhea Pearlman as Matilda’s dysfunctional parents, along with Pam
Ferris as the sadistic headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. In 2010 Tim Minchin and
Dennis Kelly premiered Matilda the Musical in Stratford upon Avon. It went on
to become a huge West End and Broadway hit, released as a movie in 2022.
A Lambeth born actor appeared alongside
Anne Hathaway in the 2020 remake of The Witches. Simon Manyonda, (born
on 14th September 1986) who grew up in West Norwood, appeared as a
chef in the hotel where the witches are holding their convention. Most recently
he played the lead role of Nathan in the movie Rye Lane, filmed on location in
both Peckham and Brixton. His fantastical roles have included the Doctor Who
episode Face the Raven in 2015, Neil Gaiman’s Likely Stories 2016 and three
episodes of the BBC’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. He
also had a reoccurring role as Lucius Fox in Pennyworth, the HBO series about
Batman’s butler, Alfred, and his younger days in an alternative 1960s London where
he is pitted against the Raven Society, a fascist organization seeking to
overthrow the government. Many scenes were filmed on location at the King’s
Arms in Roupell Street, renamed The Severed Arm for the series.
September 17th, 1928 was the
birth date of Hollywood actor, Roddy McDowell, who grew up in
Herne Hill a few doors away from the Carnegie Library. One of his early film
roles was Lassie Come Home alongside a young Elizabeth Taylor, with whom he
became a lifelong friend. His fantastical credentials include roles in The
Curse of the Golem, The Legend of Hell House, The Alien Within, Fright Night I
and II, as well as TV roles in classic series such as Twilight Zone, Batman,
Wonder Woman, The Invaders, Journey into the Unknown, and The Martian
Chronicles. He is perhaps best known for his roles in The Planet of the Apes
movies of the lates 60s and early 70s and the 1974 fourteen-episode Planet of
the Apes TV series. The only Planet of the Apes film he didn’t appear in was
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970). At the time he had embarked on his one
and only venture into directing. Tam Lin, also released as The Devil’s Woman,
is a modern interpretation of the Scottish fairy tale of the same name. The
film had stellar cast, including Ava Gardner, Ian McShane and Stepanie Beecham.
Fairy Tales are where Arthur Rackham forged
his name as a renowned illustrator of children’s fantasy fiction. Born on 19th
September 1867 in South Lambeth Road, he moved with his family to 27 Albert
Square in Kennington in 1882. On July 7th, 2005, a plaque
commemorating this was unveiled by actress, Joanna Lumley, then a resident of
the Square. He pioneered a technique that combined pen and ink sketches with
watercolour paints. Books that Arthur Rackham’s wonderful illustrations
appeared in include, Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, Rip Van Winkle, Puck of
Pooks Hill, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Gulliver’s Travels. His
watercolour illustration The Dance in Cupid’s Alley, bequeathed by Major
General Sir Matthew Gossett appears in the catalogue of works held by the Tate
Gallery. Renowned horror film director Guillermo del Torro has cited Rackham’s work as
being a key influence on the otherworldly imagery of his acclaimed 2006 movie,
Pan’s Labyrinth.
Other News
5th October is National Poetry Day. Click on the link below to join a guided walk to celebrate poems and poetry in Waterloo.
National Poetry Day Guided Walks
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