An ordinary street in London, a bowler hatted ‘everyman’, and a fancy dress shop…
For those who haven’t seen ‘Mr Benn’, the now cult 70’s cartoon, our unlikely hero leaves his house in Putney at the start of each episode as if he is going to a very drab office job. But no…he is secretly going to a costume shop where…
‘as if by magic, a shopkeeper appears’…
He enters the changing room, costume in hand, and transforms. Here begins a great adventure, travelling through space and time.
Bowler hat, black suit – Mr Benn is the stereotypical English gentleman. But behind that mild mannered facade, he is really a master of reinvention! And this idea is equally English – there is a long history of costume and transformation from traditional Christmas pantomimes, to Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ BUT…The most important thing about Mr Benn is that it’s NOT a dream. Our adventurer always takes back a souvenir from his extraordinary travels, proving to the children (and adults!) that it all really did happen.
The success of this wonderful programme?
The simple animation allows more space for the imagination. And don’t we all secretly want to shed our ordinary lives and enter that famous changing room!
