The Dark Crystal - Read Along Story Book - Jim Henson - Frank Oz - Gelfling - Aughra - Skeksis - Jen

The Dark Crystal (1982) read along book and tape. Another planet, another time. 1000 years ago the Dark Crystal was damaged by one of the Urskeks and an age of chaos began. Now the time of the great conjunction of the three suns is near. If the crystal is not healed now the control of the evil Skekses will last forever. Jen the last of the Gelflings nearly exterminated by monsters controlled by the Skekses starts his dangerous journey to find the missing shard of the crystal. Will he be able to heal the crystal and restore order on the planet?

► Cast of the full movie version were...

Jim Henson as Jen

Kiran Shah as the body of Jen
Stephen Garlick as the voice of Jen

Kathryn Mullen as Kira

Kiran Shah as the body of Kira
Lisa Maxwell as the voice of Kira

Frank Oz as Aughra

Kiran Shah as the body of Aughra
Billie Whitelaw as the voice of Aughra
Mike Edmonds - additional performer

Dave Goelz as Fizzgig

Percy Edwards as the voice of Fizzgig

Frank Oz as skekSil/The Chamberlain

Barry Dennen as the voice of skekSil/The Chamberlain

Dave Goelz as skekUng/The Garthim Master

Michael Kilgarriff as the voice of skekUng/The Garthim Master

Jim Henson as skekZok/The Ritual Master

Jerry Nelson as the voice of skekZok/The Ritual Master

Jim Henson as skekSo/The Emperor

Jerry Nelson as the voice of skekSo/The Emperor

Louise Gold as skekAyuk/The Gourmand

Thick Wilson as the voice of skekAyuk/The Gourmand

Brian Muehl as skekEkt/The Ornamentalist
Bob Payne as skekOk/The Scroll Keeper

John Baddeley as the voice of skekOk/The Scroll Keeper

Mike Quinn as skekNa/The Slave Master

David Buck as the voice of skekNa/The Slave Master

Tim Rose as skekShod/The Treasurer

Charles Collingwood as the voice of skekShod/The Treasurer

Steve Whitmire as skekTek/The Scientist
Brian Muehl as urSu/The Master
Brian Muehl as urZah/The Ritual Guardian

Sean Barrett as the voice of urZah/The Ritual Guardian

Jean Pierre Amiel as urUtt/The Weaver
Hugh Spight as urAmaj/The Cook
Robbie Barnett as urYod/The Numerologist
Swee Lim as urNol/The Hunter
Simon Williamson as urSol/The Chanter
Hus Levant as urAc/The Scribe
Toby Philpott as urTih/The Alchemist
Dave Greenaway and Richard Slaughter as urIm/The Healer
Hugh Spight, Swee Lim, and Robbie Barnett as the Landstriders
Miki Iveria, Patrick Monckton, Sue Weatherby, and Barry Dennen as the voices of the Podlings
Joseph O'Conor as the narrator and UngIm

☆ Trivia

Henson's inspiration for the visual aspects of the film came around 1975-76, after he saw an illustration by Leonard B. Lubin in a 1975 edition of Lewis Carroll’s poetry showing crocodiles living in a palace and wearing elaborate robes and jewelry. The film's conceptual roots lay in Henson's short-lived The Land of Gorch, which also took place in an alien world with no human characters. According to co-director Frank Oz, Henson's intention was to "get back to the darkness of the original Grimms' Fairy Tales", as he believed that it was unhealthy for children to never be afraid.[6] Henson formulated his ideas into a 25-page story he entitled The Crystal, which he wrote whilst snowed in at an airport hotel. Henson's original concept was set in a world called Mithra, a wooded land with talking mountains, walking boulders and animal-plant hybrids. The original plot involved a malevolent race called the Reptus group, which took power in a coup against the peaceful Eunaze, led by Malcolm the Wise. The last survivor of the Eunaze was Malcolm's son Brian, who was adopted by the Bada, Mithra's mystical wizards

#thedarkcrystal #readalong #jimhenson