Simon Farnaby shared a funny story about meeting Queen Elizabeth II while filming a special Paddington sketch for her Platinum Jubilee. He recalled telling her she was a good actress, to which she replied that she acted all the time. Farnaby initially thought she meant she was playing the role of the Queen, but she clarified, “No, I am the Queen!” She then playfully pointed out Paddington and said, “He’s not real, but I am!” – clearly amused by the situation and letting Farnaby know he’d made a silly assumption.
You might not immediately recognize Simon Farnaby when he’s fully dressed! The writer and actor is famous for playing the hilariously underdressed ghost of a Conservative MP in the BBC sitcom Ghosts. Although the show ended in 2023 after five seasons, a movie is now in the works. Farnaby explains they ended the series while it was still popular, but felt there was more story to tell. They considered a stage show, but ultimately decided a movie would be the perfect way to continue the Ghosts story, offering something new while still feeling familiar.
I’m a huge fan of Farnaby’s work! He just gets family movies – he consistently delivers films that kids adore and parents can actually enjoy too. Remember how amazing Paddington 2 was? It was critically acclaimed, even beating out Citizen Kane for a while! And then there was Wonka, which was pure joy and a massive hit. Now he’s tackling The Magic Faraway Tree, and I’m already excited! He has a knack for bringing those beloved childhood stories to life on the big screen, and I can’t wait to see what he does with this one.
Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree books, first published in 1939, are charming, short stories about three children who find a magical tree that takes them to wonderful, imaginary worlds. Although Farnaby didn’t read the books when he was a child, he recently shared them with his daughter, Eve (now 12), when she was three. He says he especially enjoyed the feeling of discovering a tree full of quirky characters. Eve particularly loved the Saucepan Man – a funny character who constantly misunderstands things because he’s covered in saucepans! Farnaby appreciates the books’ playful and lighthearted humor.
Farnaby faced a challenge finding a compelling angle for his adaptation. He wanted to feature a modern family, as the original books didn’t really focus on the parents – there was only a brief mention of a father who’d had too much to drink. So, Farnaby created a dad character who wasn’t an alcoholic. The idea finally came to him during lockdown, while he and his wife, actress Claire Keelan, were rewatching the 1970s sitcom The Good Life. He wondered, “What if this family was from the city, had lost everything, and had to move to the countryside and live a self-sufficient life, just like in The Good Life?”
The funny contrast between city life and country living lets the film playfully comment on kids’ reliance on technology. Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield play parents who move to a cottage hoping their children will trade screens for books and the outdoors. Instead, their kids are horrified. Teenager Beth dramatically declares she never wants to wake up, and when she asks for wi-fi, she’s met with confusion – a local farmer simply presents his wife as a response.
The whimsical world of the Faraway Tree, filled with memorable characters like Silky the fairy (played by Nicola Coughlan) and the loud and cheerful Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), evokes the joy and freedom of childhood imagination. According to Farnaby, many children today struggle with boredom because they aren’t used to letting their imaginations run wild.
I was really struck by this director’s recollections of his youth. He painted this lovely picture of carefree days spent biking through the woods with friends, transforming ordinary trails into epic journeys to faraway lands. He made a really compelling point about boredom – or rather, the value of having downtime. He believes that when you’re not constantly bombarded with stimulation, your mind actually has room to wander and create. It got me thinking about how overscheduled kids are these days. And speaking of kids, he’s definitely a relatable parent. He admitted to strictly limiting his daughter’s screen time – a hard limit of 45 minutes, after which, he jokingly warned, all hell breaks loose! It was a funny, honest moment that showed he’s navigating the same challenges many of us are.
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Kids’ entertainment habits are shifting. Short, quickly-paced videos on platforms like YouTube and TikTok are becoming more popular than books, traditional TV, and movies. However, Simon Farnaby isn’t worried about the future of movies made for children. He’s actually more concerned about independent films. He believes that going to the cinema remains a popular activity for families. He admits this positive outlook might be influenced by the success of films he co-wrote, like Wonka and Paddington 2, which were seen by many families across the UK.
People often ask Farnaby how he creates such successful children’s movies, but he insists there’s no formula. He describes making people laugh as a natural talent, something he’s developed through years of working on family-friendly comedies like Horrible Histories and Yonderland. He believes the most effective humor is universal, acknowledging that getting everyone to laugh is a real challenge. He also credits becoming a father in 2014 with changing his comedic perspective and who he aims to make laugh.
He explains that working on ‘Saucepan Man’ taught him a valuable lesson about comedy. He realized that simple ideas can be the funniest, and it’s easy to overthink things. A silly concept, like a character made of saucepans misunderstanding what people say, can genuinely make children burst out laughing.
Authors
Stephen Kelly is a freelance journalist who covers culture and science. He edits the ‘Popcorn Science’ feature for BBC Science Focus, where experts analyze the scientific accuracy of new movies and TV shows each month. His work also appears in publications like The Guardian, The Telegraph, and Wired, as well as BBC Culture, Total Film, TopMob, and Entertainment Weekly. He’s a devoted fan of Studio Ghibli films and Tottenham Hotspur, and enjoys writing short, third-person bios—like this one.
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2026-03-23 21:21