Step Into Roald Dahl's Magical World with Rare Jackanory Art Display!

A rare and exciting exhibition has opened at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. For the first time, visitors can see the full-color illustrations created for the 1986 BBC television series Jackanory, where comedian and actor Rik Mayall performed Roald Dahl's famous book, George's Marvellous Medicine. The illustrations, drawn by Bristol artist Frances Cony, were donated to the museum last year and are now the main attraction of the George's Marvellous Easter exhibition, which will run until April 12. Will Phillips, the head of collections at the museum, said it is a special moment to display these artworks, especially since it has been 40 years since the original broadcast.

The Jackanory episode was memorable for many reasons. Rik Mayall, known for his energetic and humorous style, sat in a farmhouse kitchen set and retold the story of George Kranky, a boy who invents a wild medicine using 34 different ingredients. George gives the medicine to his strict grandmother, and the results are both funny and surprising. One of the most famous scenes shows George's grandmother growing so tall that she bursts through the roof of the house. The exhibition includes this iconic image, as well as others, such as George cooking in the kitchen with a worried look and his father standing nearby.

When the show first aired, it caused some controversy. Some parents were concerned that children might try to copy George and make their own strange medicines at home. Because of these worries, the BBC added a warning to future episodes, telling children not to try it themselves. Despite the complaints, Rik Mayall's performance became one of the most popular Jackanory episodes ever and was repeated twice in the following six years. Visitors to the museum can now see six of the original illustrations, behind-the-scenes photos from the filming, and even read an alternative ending to the story that was never published. There are also interactive activities, such as 'Grow Your Own Grandma,' where visitors can create the tallest grandma of the day. The museum hopes this exhibition will bring back memories for older fans and inspire a new generation to enjoy Roald Dahl's stories.