Sheridan Smith is set to reunite with two Gavin and Stacey legends in a forthcoming BBC programme. The broadcaster has unveiled The Baddies, a fresh animation adapted from Dame Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's bestselling book.
Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps star Sheridan will team up with Rob Brydon and Alison Steadman in the half-hour special, which arrives on screens this Christmas. Rob will lend his voice to Ghost, Alison as Witch and Sheridan as the Narrator, while additional cast members include Hammed Animashaun as Troll, Robyn Cara as Girl, and Francesca Mills as Mouse.
The BBC teased: 'The Baddies is about the worst Baddies in the world – a troll and a ghost and a witch, who love nothing more than being bad and boasting about it,' reports Wales Online.
'When a girl with a blue spotty hanky moves into a cottage nearby, the Baddies quarrel about all the nasty tricks they want to play on her. Then a mouse sets a challenge for the Baddies to see who can steal the hanky. Soon they learn that they may have met their match in the little girl.'
'Packed with mischief, humour and heart, this fun adventure is a celebration of courage, kindness and the power of standing up to bullies.'
Dame Julia said: 'The Baddies was enormous fun to write because I loved inventing these gloriously wicked characters and then thinking about what might happen when they finally meet someone brave enough to outwit them. Magic Light has done a brilliant job bringing the story to life and the cast have captured all the humour, silliness and spookiness perfectly.'
Sheridan added: 'I've always loved Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's stories, so it was such a joy to be part of bringing The Baddies to life. The film is funny, spooky and full of heart, and the animation is absolutely beautiful. I think families are going to have enormous fun watching these wonderful characters causing chaos this Christmas.'
Producer Barney Goodland also said: 'The Baddies is a hilarious and brilliantly anarchic story. It's always a treat telling a story with a good villain and in The Baddies we have three! We're loving spending time with these characters and our brilliant cast and creative team are really enjoying the comedy. The film is going to be a lot of fun for families to enjoy together this Christmas.'
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, added: 'It's with a mix of excitement and trepidation that we welcome The Baddies to BBC iPlayer and BBC One this Christmas. I'd like to assure everyone at home that we'll be working very closely with Julia, Axel and the team at Magic Light to keep viewers safe from Ghost, Witch and Troll's dastardly deeds.'
The Baddies is set to be the latest animated special from Dame Julia and illustrator Axel, after the successes of The Gruffalo, Zog and The Scarecrows' Wedding. Magic Light's previous adaptions of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's works are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
