Entertainment

Tom Hardy among stars lending their voice to new Beatrix Potter audio collection

Publisher Penguin Random House has announced Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales.
Publisher Penguin Random House has announced Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales. Publisher Penguin Random House has announced Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales.

Olivia Colman, Tom Hardy and David Harewood are among the celebrities who have lent their voices to a new edition of Beatrix Potter’s beloved works.

To mark 154 years since the author’s birth, publisher Penguin Random House has announced an audio edition of Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales.

Robert Webb book
Robert Webb book Olivia Colman lends her voice to a new audio collection of Beatrix Potter’s complete works (Matt Crossick/PA)

The collection will feature Oscar-winner Colman narrating The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Revenant star Hardy reading The Story Of A Fierce Bad Rabbit and Homeland’s Harewood voicing The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher.

Other stars to feature include former Doctor Who David Tennant, Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville and Absolutely Fabulous’ Joanna Lumley.

Bonneville said: “Reading The Tale Of Mr Tod again after many decades, I was delighted to discover that the animals that Beatrix Potter loved, drew and wrote such entertaining stories about have stood the test of time. Mischievous creatures, family calamities – action packed!”

Potter is one of the world’s best-loved children’s authors. From her first book, The Tale Of Peter Rabbit (1902), she went on to create a series of stories based around animal characters including Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, Mr Jeremy Fisher and Tom Kitten.

The new collection will include all 23 of Potter’s classic tales. The audio versions will feature bespoke sound effects and music, the publisher said, and will be available for audio download and physical CD.

Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales will be published on September 17.