Radio 4 is producing “How the Marquis Got his Coat Back”, the follow-up to Gaiman’s 1996 novel/BBC series Neverwhere. The novella was originally published in George R.R. Martin’s Rogues anthology, and features the fantastic Marquis de Carabas’ attempts to retrieve his beloved coat, amongst other adventures. The cast of this new radio drama is The most interesting thing here is that the casts from both the ‘90s BBC television series and the 2012 radio production will combine to form a giant mega cast! The Marquis will once again be played by Paterson Joseph, while Richard Mayhew and Old Bailey will be played by two veterans of the radio production, James McAvoy and Bernard Crimmins.
And as if all that isn’t enough, Neil Gaiman is also making an appearance! He’ll play The Boatman, who ferries The Marquis across Mortlake, the River of the Dead.
McAvoy enthused about his return to London Below, saying, “It’s just a privilege professionally… it’s just fun to go back into that world where so much is unknown and anything is possible.”
And Neil Gaiman is excited to revisit the character, saying, “The Marquis is probably the most fun character I’ve ever written. He is always unpredictable, he is conniving, he is unreliable. He is… especially in Neverwhere, we see him from the outside. So I thought, it would be fun to see him from the inside. It would be fun to watch what happens when we’re actually following the Marquis on a usual day! I mean, a usual day for him seems to involve the threat of him losing his life, several old enmities coming back, brainwashing and some unwanted family relationships. Plus, having to wear a poncho.”
You can head over to Radio Times for a special “first listen” preview of the drama and to read more about the production. “How the Marquis Got His Coat Back” will be on Radio 4 on 4 November, and available at BBC iPlayer thereafter.
