Meet the cast of The Magic Faraway Tree
Jessica Gunning and Rebecca Ferguson on bringing The Magic Faraway Tree to life
Elysian Film Group
- Stephen Kelly
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'It changed my view of washing'
Jessica Gunning plays Dame Washalot
The clue is in the name, but what can you tell us about Dame Washalot?
She really is what she says on the tin! She washes all of the inhabitants of The Faraway Tree’s clothes. It’s a big performance! But you don’t want to go too big. I had to root
it in the reality of a magical tree…
Do kids change the energy on set?
Yeah! Me and Dustin Demri-Burns, who plays Saucepan Man, would improvise a bit of flirting. He had this thing where one of the saucepans on his head spun around and I was like, “Hello, saucy!” and then you realise, “Oh hold on, this might not work because this is a kids movie!” The children were around and they were like, ‘Ew, gross!’
Jessica Gunning as Dame Washalot in The Magic Faraway Tree. Neal Street Productions / Elysian Film Group
How did you find going from Baby Reindeer to a big colourful film like this?
I went from doing all of the Baby Reindeer promotion into this, so there was a bit of whiplash, but it was also magical. I had to do some interviews and the first question was, “Has playing this role changed how you feel about washing clothes?” I was like, “Wow, deep questions!”
Has Baby Reindeer’s success changed you?
I don’t think it’s changed me as a person. But it’s meant that I’m meeting more people and having opportunities like this come along that perhaps wouldn’t have if I hadn’t had Baby Reindeer.
A theme of this film is the impact screens have on kids. What are your thoughts?
It’s so easy to be like, “Oh, I wouldn’t give my kids screens” but I’ve looked after my friends’ kids who were having a meltdown and I’ve literally got my phone out straight away! Every child is different.
And finally… do you wash a lot?
I do wash a lot! It did change my view of washing clothes! Because on set, there were these soap flakes and you can use them in real life. So now I’ll pop some in the wash if I’m feeling daring.
Rebecca Ferguson in the Magic Faraway Tree Entertainment Film
'My daughter has loved it'
Rebecca Ferguson plays Dame Snap
You play evil headmistress Dame Snap in the film. Was it fun to be mean?
She’s this incredible character with a little dodgy tooth and her hair defies gravity! Being a children’s film, we had to lean into the stereotypical idea of what it is to be mean, but I played a lot with the idea of a teacher who is lonely and has turned rotten.
You have a 19-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter. Did she factor into your decision to do a children’s film?
What’s so funny is that last year I walked into my daughter’s bedroom and she said, “I’ve just finished reading The Magic Faraway Tree. And I was like, “How was it?” She said it was amazing. Two hours later, I had the offer to be in the film. It was unreal!
You do a lot of serious, grown-up roles. Is it a thrill to do a film that she can watch?
She has loved it! It was a treat for her to see me on the big screen because she hasn’t really watched my films. She’s seen bits of The Greatest Showman but I’ve kept her away from my world.
What films do you watch with your kids?
My mother was snobby with what she showed me. I watched The Third Man as a child! So when I had kids I was like, “We’re doing Shrek.” What’s interesting is that when I show my daughter old-school Disney it messes with her mind. She’ll go, “Why does Ariel sell her voice for a boy?” ‘Why do the girls have to wear dresses and the boys wear trousers?” Her questions are so fascinating.
Do you think there’s a future for children’s films, or have we lost kids to TikTok?
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It terrifies me! All I can do is look at my own children. My daughter doesn’t have a laptop or iPad. We watch films together. The other day we watched The Parent Trap and had a conversation about it afterwards. When I go to a restaurant and kids are sitting on iPads I think, “Why didn’t you bring a game of cards or Snakes and Ladders?” I think it’s our responsibility as grown-ups to hold that buzzing imagination as long as possible.
Authors
Stephen Kelly
Stephen Kelly is a freelance culture and science journalist. He oversees BBC Science Focus's Popcorn Science feature, where every month we get an expert to weigh in on the plausibility of a newly released TV show or film. Beyond BBC Science Focus, he has written for such publications as The Guardian, The Telegraph, The I, BBC Culture, Wired, Total Film, Radio Times and Entertainment Weekly. He is a big fan of Studio Ghibli movies, the apparent football team Tottenham Hotspur and writing short biographies in the third person.
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