NewsBiscuit

The Toy Retailers Association has unveiled its list of the top five toys that are dominated Christmas lists this year. Toymakers largely played safe with a mixture of national treasures and action toys but gave them a technological or modern twist. Perhaps in reaction to the banking crisis, nostalgia was the biggest factor this year, with the number one toy being a ‘talking’ version of playwright Alan Bennett. The 75-year old is said to be surprised and slightly embarrassed at finding himself occupying the top spot.

‘You don’t expect to find yourself being unwrapped by young people at my time of life,’ he commented with typically gentle wit. ‘I can just imagine what mother might say if she could see me now?’ Interestingly the other toys in the top five were neatly split in their appeal to boys and girls. They were the GoToxic pufferfish plush; the LEGO ‘knock-em-over’ Twin Towers flight controller; Nick Griffin’s turbo-bigot 2 for the Wii and Princess Cheapskates’ glue-n-slide blades.

Gary Lucas, head of the Toy Retailers Association said, ‘I think it’s great that the talking Alan doll was such a big seller this Christmas. Millions of children woke up on Christmas morning to hear Bennett’s keen observations of human foibles and idiosyncrasies.’

A recent re-run of Bennett’s ‘Talking Heads’ plays are said to have driven up demand for action figures, mousemats, books and other ‘Alanorabilia’. Lucy Mickle, a nine-year old from Durham, is one of the children who asked Santa to bring her an Alan Bennett for Christmas. ‘I was vaguely aware of Beyond The Fringe and things like that because I’d hear my parents discussing it, but I didn’t connect that it was the same Alan Bennett who did The History Boys. I’m hoping they do a Thora Hird from Cream Cracker or Maggie Smith from A Bed Among The Lentils as it would be great to collect them all.’
‘Alan Bennett toys are always big sellers, and you have to admire the attention to detail,’ adds Gary Lucas, ‘the glasses, the slightly hesitant shy demeanour… he really does appeal to all ages.’

Posted: Jan 22nd, 2010 by darkbill