The Ruby in the Smoke

The Ruby in the Smoke (1985) is a novel by the English author Philip Pullman. It was also adapted for television in 2006. It is the first of the Sally Lockhart Quartet. It is followed by The Shadow in the North, The Tiger in the Well and The Tin Princess. The book was also adapted for the stage at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2016.[1]

The Ruby in the Smoke
First edition
AuthorPhilip Pullman
IllustratorFred Booth
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
SeriesSally Lockhart series
GenreMystery, young adult novel
PublisherOxford University Press
Publication date
1985
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages200 pp
ISBN0-19-271543-7
OCLC59171883
Followed byThe Shadow in the North 

TV adaptation

A TV film adaptation written by Adrian Hodges and starring Billie Piper was produced by the BBC. It aired on BBC One on 27 December 2006[2] and on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery! as The Sally Lockhart Mysteries: The Ruby in the Smoke on 4 February 2007.[3] The UK broadcast attracted 7.07 million viewers.[4] It is notable as marking the TV debut of actor Matt Smith, who would later take over the role of The Doctor in Piper's former series, Doctor Who.

All four Sally Lockhart books were expected to be adapted for television; however, as of January 2015 no information has arisen regarding an adaptation of The Tiger in the Well.

Cast
Actor Role
Billie PiperSally Lockhart
Julie WaltersMrs Holland
JJ FeildFrederick Garland
Matt SmithJim Taylor
Hayley AtwellRosa Garland
Chloe WalkerAdelaide
David HarewoodMatthew and Nicholas Bedwell
Robert GlenisterSamuel Selby
Elliot CowanHenrick Van Eeden
Miles AndersonMajor Marchbanks

Stage adaptation

In the summer of 2016, a stage adaptation written and directed by Madeleine Perham was performed at The Pleasance during the Edinburgh Fringe [5] after receiving Pullman's blessing.[6] Running for the month of August in the King Dome venue, the performance was hailed as a critical success, with the Scotsman stating that the show was 'a compelling tale, and full of surprises, moral ambiguities and people who are other than they seem'.[7] Jane Berg from Three Weeks awarded the show five stars, stating that the show 'was one of the most enjoyable hours I’ve spent at this festival'. [8] Broadway Baby, the local reviews website, stated that the show 'delighted in its Victorian setting' and was an 'excellent piece of storytelling', going on to award The Ruby in the Smoke four stars.[9]

The show was created by new theatre company Reprint Productions (now Escapade), with a cast of six who multi-roled the numerous characters in the show - Rebecca Lenihan, Sydney Austin, Tris Hobson, Martin Coates, Hamish Forbes and Madeleine Golding (who also served as producer and co-founder of Reprint).[10]

References
  2. BBC – Press Office – BBC ONE Transmission Details Weeks 52/1
  3. Masterpiece | PBS
  5. https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/philip-pullmans-ruby-smoke#overview
  6. http://culturedvultures.com/interview-madeleine-perham/
  7. http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/culture/theatre/theatre-review-philip-pullman-s-the-ruby-in-the-smoke-1-4199504
  8. http://www.threeweeksedinburgh.com/article/philip-pullmans-the-ruby-in-the-smoke-reprint-productions/
  9. http://www.broadwaybaby.com/shows/philip-pullmans-the-ruby-in-the-smoke/713459
  10. http://therubyinthesmoke.co.uk/
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