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Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

4 Extra Debut. When a young girl is turned into an old woman by a witch, there is only one way to break the spell. Stars Julia McKenzie.

*** Broadcast as part 4 Extra's 'The Stories Of Studio Ghibli' season.

In the land of Ingary, Sophie Hatter is resigning herself to an uninteresting life working in a hat shop.

That is until a castle appears above the town of Market Chipping and refuses to stay still.

Visiting the shop one day, the dreaded Witch of the Waste transforms Sophie into an old crone.

Setting off into the countryside to seek her fortune, Sophie soon runs into the sinister moving castle. But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl, whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the souls of young girls.

Diana Wynne Jones's novel, first published in 1986.

Its reputation has grown over time to become recognised as a fantasy classic. (In 2004, it became an Oscar-nominated animated film by Studio Ghibli)

Starring Julia McKenzie.

Dramatised by Robert Valentine.

Narrator ...... Robert Bathurst
Old Sophie ...... Julia McKenzie
Howl ...... Iwan Rheon
Michael ...... Angus Imrie
Calcifer ...... Dan Starkey
Miss Angorian ...... Gwyneth Keyworth
The Witch of the Waste ...... Pippa Bennett-Warner
Young Sophie ...... Dakota Blue-Richards
Neil ...... Gerran Howell

Sound Design: Richard Fox
Music: Evelyn Sykes

Director: Simon Barnard

A Bafflegab production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in December 2021.

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57 minutes