First images of RSC’s Box of Delights festive show in Stratford

TRAINS, boats, planes and mythical creatures are promised as the Box of Delights takes to the stage of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre later this month.

The first images of the production, directed by Justin Audibert, were released this week showing Callum Balmforth as Kay Harker, who finds himself the guardian of a small wooden box with powers beyond his wildest dreams. Also pictured were Mae Munuo who plays the fearless Maria Jones and Richard Lynch as the villainous magician, Abner.

Justin, who worked on a 2017 production of John Masefield’s classic children’s story, said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work on The Box of Delights again, this time creating a bigger, and even more spectacular production for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage.

“It’s a show that features trains, boats, planes, mythical creatures, a good and a very bad magician, and characters that magically turn into tiny versions of themselves, characters that transform into animals that fly through the air and swim in the sea – how exciting is that?

“We’re telling the story through the imagination of a child, so the staging promises to be a fantastic mix of the inventive and the breath-taking.

“In many ways The Box of Delights was the first fantasy story for children, and with its classic good versus evil narrative, and three young children as the heroes, you can see its influence on books like the Harry Potter series. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”

The Box of Delights runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford, between 31st October and 7th January.