Mr Stink ain't no stinker...

My favourite program of the Christmas schedule by far was "Mr Stink", an adaption of David Walliams' children's book.

His empathy with his readers is impressive. His emotional key is pitch perfect. He does not treat his readers as fools just because they are children. He challenges them with the big issues of the day, on their terms, in this case homelessness.

The adaptation was excellent. This is in essence a vehicle for a political satire. In that regard it is necessarily conducted in broad strokes. There is nothing subtle about most of the political jokes. Walliams himself plays the Prime Minister, a shallow pantomime villain of a character. There is no apology for this, yet there are jokes for the parents too "call me Steve" says Walliams, a direct reference to David "call me Dave" Cameron. Walliams quotes a Brian Adams song in one of his speeches.

Chloe Crumb, the heroine, is a 12 year old girl, who befriends a tramp, Mr Stink. Her mother is standing in a by-election for Walliams' party. Whilst the rosette she wears is purple (indicating that she could be from either of the two main parties) her hair, dress and manner (referring to herself as Mrs Croombe) are clearly designed to put the parents watching in mind of Lady Thatcher. Sheridan Smith (of 2 pints...etc. fame) gives a fabulous performance as the zealous candidate, who's main pledge is to drive the homeless from the streets.

The political ambition has overtaken Mrs Crumb's life, to the detriment of her long suffering husband, played by Johnny Vegas. Their marriage is under pressure. He has lost his job but hides under the stairs rather than tell his wife.

You'd be forgiven at this stage for thinking that this is a rehash of 'down and out in Beverly Hills' and there are echoes. However the quality of the writing and the strength of the Mr Stink character put this production a cut above.

Chloe befriends Stink (Hugh Bonneville) in the park. She is clearly a very intelligent young girl, a dreamer, a writer. There follows a few comic set pieces involving smells and bodily functions which delight the children (what is funnier than a fart?) and set up the plot.

Stink is smuggled by Chloe into her garden shed where she discovers his secret in the items in his coat.

The moment that Stink is discovered coincides with a TV interview Mrs Crumb is giving which catapults Stink to fame and an audience with Walliams.

Mrs Crumb is dropped as a candidate following a terrible follow up performance on "Politics Tonight". During that program the message of this morality tale is succinctly delivered by Stink. "We homeless are not a statistic, we are people".

The observation as to political opportunism and spin are razor sharp here. There is also another example of the quality of writing in this set piece. Stink says "if only everybody was like Chloe...no that would be terrible, 60,000,000 spotty twelve year olds..." This is a neat way of delivering an emotional message, de-barbed of any sentimentality.

And the climax of the tale is a reconciliation of the Crumb family. Vegas is given a guitar for Christmas and reconnects with his former life as a rocker. Mrs Crumb almost accepts that she was wrong about homeless people (a complete Damascene conversion would have been tacky) and recognises her daughter's talent for writing. Mr Stink slips away...

Unlike in the 'Littlest Hobo' however, Chloe goes after him. He gives her a cheap writing set and they part, but not before he explains why he prefers to sleep under the stars.

This is a powerful and poignant moment. Stink is a tragic character. He is homeless of choice. He carries the guilt of his past misdemeanours and his choice of lifestyle is to assuage that guilt. His main feature, his smell, is cultivated. He revels in it, uses it to his advantage. He also is wise, has great one liners and relentlessly positive, even if in the guise of a grumpy old man. But that tragic element and guilt stays with you. It gives the story it's power and makes sure that this does not descend into sentimentality or pity.

In the final scene we see Chloe starting to write the story of Mr Stink. The broad strokes, the flamboyant characters, the preoccupation with the angst of a twelve year old's life and the bodily functions are all entirely consistent with this being a story constructed by a twelve year old. Walliams greatest achievement is that he has adopted that voice so convincingly that you believe that to be the case.

Glas - I too enjoyed Mr Stink. As you say, delightfully entertaining with something for all.

Sheridan Smith was characteristically excellent. I do though have to admit a certain personal bias concerning the ever enthralling and fragrant Ms Smith.

Take care now, try not to imagine her as chief whip disciplining you for some Parliamentary shenanigans...

Glas - I wasn't, well not before your last post!

Trying to raise the tone to the quality of your opening post, Sheridan Smith gave a very fine performance in the recent ITV drama Mrs Biggs. She was also an excellent comic foil to Tamsin Greig in the BBC's Love Soup.