Fantastic Mr. Fox (French's Acting Edition S) - Softcover

Wood, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 057305133X ISBN 13: 9780573051333

Publisher: Samuel French Ltd, 2003

Synopsis

5 male, 2 female, plus children's chorus

Scenery: Various sets

Now a major motion picture! Wes Anderson, in his first animated film, adapted this classic story to the big screen. It delighted audiences, dazzled critics and built upon the foundation of an already fantastic tale.

"This is precisely the movie that a child smitten with Roald Dahl's fiction and fascinated by the enigmas of the adult world would dream of making: something to amaze and terrify the grown-ups and win the envy and adulation of his peers."- The New York Times

This charming play will have delighted audiences gripping their seats! When Mr Fox steals one chicken too many Three Farmers, just about the meanest men you will ever encounter, decide the only cure is to rid themselves of Mr Fox by any means possible. They are ready to shoot him, starve him or dig him out, but clever Mr. Fox has other plans.

Outwitted at every turn, the farmers' ploys backfire, and all the animals celebrate a feast at their expense. This hilarious tale of ingenuity and trickery by Roald Dahl, adapted for the stage by David Wood, can be performed by a small company of experienced actors supported by a large number of community and child actors.

"Another excellent adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's classic by David Wood . . designed to capture fertile imaginations with its appealing storyline and simple language, no wonder it is a hit."- The Stage

"This is a fantastic show to be enjoyed by kids of all ages."- The CoventryTelegraph

About this title

Review

In the tradition of The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, this is a "garden tale" of farmer versus vermin, or vice versa. The farmers in this case are a vaguely criminal team of three stooges: "Boggis and Bunce and Bean / One fat, one short, one lean. / These horrible crooks / So different in looks / Were nonetheless equally mean." Whatever their prowess as poultry farmers, within these pages their sole objective is the extermination of our hero--the noble, the clever, the Fantastic Mr. Fox. Our loyalties are defined from the start; after all, how could you cheer for a man named Bunce who eats his doughnuts stuffed with mashed goose livers? As one might expect, the farmers in this story come out smelling like ... well, what farmers occasionally do smell like.

This early Roald Dahl adventure is great for reading aloud to three- to seven-year-olds, who will be delighted to hear that Mr. Fox keeps his family one step ahead of the obsessed farmers. When they try to dig him out, he digs faster; when they lay siege to his den, he tunnels to where the farmers least expect him--their own larders! In the end, Mr. Fox not only survives, but also helps the whole community of burrowing creatures live happily ever after. With his usual flourish, Dahl evokes a magical animal world that, as children, we always knew existed, had we only known where or how to look for it. (Great read aloud for any age; written at a 9- to 12-year-old reading level)

From the Inside Flap

Fantastic Mr. Fox is on the run! The three meanest farmers around are out to get him. Fat Boggis, squat Bunce, and skinny Bean have joined forces, and they have Mr. Fox and his family surrounded. What they don?t know is that they?re not dealing with just any fox?Mr. Fox would never surrender. But only the most fantastic plan ever can save him now.

About this edition

• Publisher: Samuel French Ltd
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 057305133X
• ISBN 13: 9780573051333
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 70