Clara’s Verdict
David Walliams is sometimes dismissed as Roald Dahl’s less distinguished heir, but that reading does him a disservice – and The Midnight Gang is the proof. Peter Serafinowicz’s narration transforms an already excellent children’s story into something genuinely theatrical, and the combination is one of the best audiobooks for children I’ve encountered in recent years. This one runs to just over six hours, which means it can be comfortably finished over a long weekend – or a single very absorbed Saturday.
About the Audiobook
Tom is a boy who finds himself deposited in Lord Funt Hospital after taking a cricket ball to the head. The hospital itself is grim, underfunded, and presided over by a wicked matron who seems to derive genuine satisfaction from misery. But the children on the ward have a secret: at night, guided by a mysterious porter, they sneak out and live their wildest dreams – the midnight gang in action.
What Walliams does well here is balance the Dickensian nastiness of his adult villains against the genuine tenderness of the children’s friendship. The adventures are delightful, but it is the quiet moments between the children – the way they protect and champion one another – that give the book its emotional weight. There is something of Matilda in the institution’s cruelty, and something of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in the dream-logic of the night-time escapades. Walliams has his own voice, though, and it is very much on show here.
The Narration
Peter Serafinowicz is an inspired choice. His comic timing is impeccable, his range of voices convincing without ever becoming a parody of themselves, and he captures both the absurdity and the warmth of Walliams’s writing. Children will love the wicked matron (Serafinowicz makes her magnificently horrible), and parents will appreciate that the audiobook holds up perfectly well for grown-up listening too. At 6 hours and 9 minutes, this is a superb length for family road trips.
What Readers Say
Reviewers have been enthusiastic. One UK reviewer – who had read every Walliams novel – placed it in their top three, praising the “heart” at the story’s centre and noting it “feels a little like Matilda.” Multiple parents and grandparents reported that children listened to it rapt, unable to stop. The audiobook carries a rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 13 ratings – a consistently strong score.
Who Should Listen?
Ideal for children aged seven to twelve, though adults listening alongside them will find themselves just as caught up. A wonderful shared family listen on long journeys. If your child loved Mr Stink, Billionaire Boy, or any of Walliams’s other hospital-and-school comedies, this is unmissable. Find it on Audible UK and plan for a very happy few evenings.
