The Dark Is Rising

One of my sons also said Ian McKellan.

You need to feel the centuries weighing down Merriman.

Yes, exactly this.

Serena's exactly who I thought of. If you could get him. Which you can't. You need to feel the centuries weighing down Merriman.

Just listened to episode 3. Agree Merriman is lacking sufficient gravitas. I really thought it would be in safe hands with the involvement of Robert McFarlane as he is such a big fan, but it just isn’t doing it for me. A real shame.

Yes , I thought of Ian McKellen! Patrick Stewart would be just as good. Someone with a deep voice.

Ian McKellen should be Merriman. Or Patrick Stewart.

Merriman's voice should be deeper and older. My children agree with me on that.

Lord, if there's anything Merriman shouldn't sound, it's young.

Will's not just an 11yo boy though - that's always been part of the point.

Enjoyed today's episode, except that now I think Merriman sounds far too young!

Very atmospheric, a lot of great sounds today. You do have to wonder, though - if the quest for the signs is so critical, why the hell is an 11 year old boy having to do it on his own?! (See also: Potter, Star Wars, etc).

We haven't got much of a sense of Will's family yet, I can't remember if that comes later.

I'm not overawed by the Will acting, but I'm be listening to the end now.

I'm enjoying it but what was the point of leaving in the bit where the dark rider invites Will to break his fast with him? That was just shoved in there out of nowhere and never mentioned again, there wasn't even any warm bread to break

I'm listening to it with my son (the one named after characters in the sequence) but I might listen to it again with headphones to see how it compares, as we're listening to it on the TV.

I've enjoyed it so far, I don't mind Will.

My DP listens to a lot of radio plays, so I've got used to the over exaggerated acting, I did find it very weird and unnatural at first.

Just caught up with today's episode - somewhat better in that more of the decent actors have appeared, plus fantastic sound effects. Will's dialogue feels stilted even beyond the performance of the young actor. But maybe that is just the weirdness of this situation where Will is coming into his power.

I'm struggling with Will, but I'll give it a chance.

I listened to it this morning at half past five with just the Christmas tree lights and a Labrador for company. Glad I had my fancy noise cancelling headphones on too. I loved it. Thought the sound engineering was amazing. Could really feel the whirling rooks, and the kitchen scenes with the radio playing in the background were very atmospheric too.
Thought Will was fine.
Big thumbs up from me so far.

I enjoyed it but then I don't really remember the book that well so I'm fine with any changes. To my ears the narrator is the co-adaptor Simon McBurney.

Just listened to first episode and quite enjoyed it but agree with @bookworm14 that Will sounds a bit wooden and James is too old. He’s only 12 in the book. And Paul too sounds too old as well. He’s around 16 in the book. I didn’t mind the narrator. The sound effects are atmospheric. Hopefully next episode will be better.

I read TDIR as a child back in the 80s, loved it. I bought it for my own daughter a couple of years ago but sadly she didn't enjoy it that much (she's not a bookworm like I was). Completely forgot I had it but this thread has inspired me to go and find it and read it for the first time in more than 30 years!

@Fireweeds yes I can see how the staginess would really put your teeth on edge if you're already stressed. The audio book with Alex Jennings sounds much more soothing from the sample. A single narrator plus some atmospheric music to jazz it up would definitely be better at this point.

Agreed, Tribpot. James sounds far too old as well - he’s only meant to be 12, and the book specifically says that his voice hasn’t broken. It all sounds so false and mannered, too - I know radio drama is often more ‘stagey’ than TV, but I was expecting a more naturalistic style of acting.

I am disappointed as I so wanted it to be good. 🙁

So looking forward to this! Thanks for the heads up that the first episode is already on Sounds.

I've never previously made the connection between Will becoming aware of a whole new facet to his life on his 11th birthday and Harry Potter doing the same! I wonder if JKR was influenced by The Dark is Rising?

To be fair, I am extremely stressed & overloaded right now & possibly I’d tolerate it better if I was more relaxed.

I liked the music behind adding the creepiness, but the way he draws out the words of will looking over the land is too dramatic. This is the bit where it’s ordinary. I didn’t get any further than the very beginning of stephens letter.
I think you may be right & it’s too dramadrama for me. I’m maybe expecting a book reading with different voices & some music. Maybe some sound effects. It’s trying to hard & I think Susan coopers lightness is part of what makes it so eerie.

Just listened to today's episode and agree with @bookworm14 the actor playing Will is painfully 'drama school'. The narrator I can tolerate although I can definitely see why he's pissed you off @Fireweeds.

Overall it doesn't yet feel like it works well for radio. Some of the changes of voices (like in Stephen Stanton's letter) sound forced, and would work better on stage (this version has been created by a theatre company).

Not sure why Will's siblings all appear to be in their thirties, either! Paul's only meant to be like 2 years older than Will, surely.

Looking forward to tomorrow's episode, it is extremely atmospheric.

To prevent further derail www.mumsnet.com/talk/what_were_reading/4701913-childrens-fantasy-classics-susan-cooper-alan-garner-diana-wynne-jones-robert-westall-ursula-le-guin-and-more