Neverwhere

A BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisation

By: Neil Gaiman

Narrated by: Christopher Lee, James McAvoy, Natalie Dormer, David Harewood, Sophie Okonedo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anthony Head, David Schofield, full cast

Length: 3 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Beneath the streets of London there is another London. A subterranean labyrinth of sewers and abandoned tube stations. A somewhere that is Neverwhere.... An act of kindness sees Richard Mayhew catapulted from his ordinary life into the strange world of London Below. There he meets the Earl of Earl's Court, faces a life-threatening ordeal at the hands of the Black Friars, comes face to face with the Great Beast of London, and encounters an Angel. Called Islington. Accompanied by the mysterious Door and her companions, the Marquis de Carabas and the bodyguard Hunter, Richard embarks on an extraordinary quest to escape from the fiendish assassins Croup and Vandemar and to discover who ordered them to murder her family - all the while trying to get back to his old life in London Above. Adapted for radio by the award-winning Dirk Maggs, this captivating dramatisation features a stellar cast including David Harewood, Sophie Okonedo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Anthony Head and David Schofield. Contains over 25 minutes of additional unbroadcast material, including extended scenes, bloopers and outtakes.

©2013 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2013 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Good performance (but the full book was better)

I do not want to take anything away from this performance, which I thought was excellent. However, the full audiobook was a better investment. It has been years since I listened to the original Neverwhere story, and I loved it. You need the time to understand all the complexities of what is going on -- and this is one of the most complex stories around. It is also a little hard to understand everything in the beginning due to the thick British accents, so you miss a bit of the set up.

Best as a companion to the novel.

I loved the voice acting, and the book is among my favorites, but I'm not certain I would recommend this to someone who isn't already familiar with the book; Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller, and the richness of the worlds he creates can be convoluted and difficult to follow without narration to accompany dialogue.

Brilliant!

Loved the dramatization and the story is gripping. Neil Gaiman at his best. Definitely recommend!

wonderful

This was a delight to listen to, both in performance and story. I found myself missing it when it was over.

Brilliant!

fun thrilling story that really pulls you into it. the voice actors really made characters come to life!

A MUST LISTEN! Excellent performance!

A brilliant story about "Lower London", an alternate world with some magical elements located under the London we know and love, and a guy who accidentally gets stuck in it. The characters were interesting, the story turned out to be much different than I thought it would be, and I actually will be looking to see if there are other books taking place in this world Gaiman created. BONUS: I think I enjoyed this story infinitely more because of the fantastic cast in the audobook, which included Christopher Lee, James McAvoy, Natalie Dormer, David Harewood, Sophie Okonedo, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anthony Head - and others. I think it's considered a dramatization actually, since they included sound effects like footsteps, etc. That took a little getting used to, to be honest, but I loved it. I recommend this book in audiobook form to everyone.

The theater comes to life

What did you love best about Neverwhere [Adaptation]?

It was a very good story, and the narration of the many characters made it more interesting.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Richard Mayhew was a great character and was in the middle of all of the action, so I would have to select him.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Mayhew ... McAvoy did a great job with him.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

London Under

Any additional comments?

I really liked the book, but go lost a time or time because I wasn't the story takes a few turns here and there, and it was sometimes hard at first to pick up which (male) actor was speaking. All in all, though, a very enjoyable book.

fun adaptation

enjoyed this performance, it is very well done. not a substitution for the book though!

Outstanding performances

Would you consider the audio edition of Neverwhere [Adaptation] to be better than the print version?

Absolutely. The actors bring a dimension to this performance that cannot exist in the print version.

What other book might you compare Neverwhere [Adaptation] to and why?

It reminded me of Tolkien's books. The key characters pass into an alternate dimension where they carry out their quest.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

James McAvoy gives an outstanding performance. He is so believable.

Fantastic way to reread the book

Read the book a couple of years ago, forgot many of the plot points and characters. This was a great way to revisit the story. The performances were wonderful. What great interpretations.