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with a score of 6-0, and defeat seems bound to happen. Right after the first half finishes, Lisa gets up, tells Mac she "needs a hand", and leaves with him. As the second half starts, Lisa opens the changing room door to reveal all the boys on the school's team— including Dennis— wearing all the dresses from her wardrobe. The game starts, and the school's team starts playing in dresses. Dennis immediately scores 2 goals and is "a hundred times happier than he had ever been". With Dennis playing in the team, the score increases from 6-0 to 6-6, and victory seems near— until one of the
Maudlin Street players intentionally injures Dennis, leaving him lying on the ground in pain. Dennis' father appears, much to Dennis's surprise, and starts cheering Dennis on. The game ends with a win for the school's team, and everyone celebrates. Mr. Hawtrey is still adamant on having Dennis expelled, but Dennis's father steps up and defends him from Mr. Hawtrey.
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he talks to a girl named Lisa James, said to be the prettiest and most fashionable girl in the school. Lisa invites him over to her house the next day, showing Dennis her collection of Vogue magazines and dressing him up in girls' clothing. The next week, the two decide to go out in public, with Dennis in an electric blue dress, under the alter ego of "Denise", a French exchange student who speaks very little
English. They go to Raj's corner shop. Raj does not recognise Dennis, believing he is Denise. Later on, they meet a friend of Lisa's named Mac, and he is so impressed that he asks Denise on a date, not knowing that it was actually Dennis. Following their success in fooling Raj and Mac, Dennis goes to school with Lisa as Denise.
231:
to fall off. Mr. Hawtrey becomes furious and expels him from the school for cross-dressing, forcing Dennis to miss out on playing in an important football match. Dad is enraged and sends Dennis to his room. Later, Dad sees him holding the half burned picture of Dennis, John, and his mother on the beach and demands he hand it over, which he reluctantly does. Darvesh, Dennis's best friend, comes over but is sent back home by Dad. After, Dennis spends the whole day holed up in his room hiding from his father, when Lisa climbs up to Dennis's window and promises him that she'll find a way to get him back in school.
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In French class, the teacher starts speaking to Dennis in French (which he does not understand), and he ends up criticizing her French accent as a last resort, upsetting her in the progress. At breaktime, Darvesh kicks a ball towards Dennis, who cannot help himself, and kicks it back, causing his wig
226:
magazine and buys a copy from Raj, the local shop owner. But when Dad finds the magazine, he is furious and forces Dennis to throw it away, while John teases him by calling him "Denise". At school that day, Dennis is given detention for kicking a football through an office window. While in detention,
256:
adaptation, it's
Christmas, and Darvesh and his mother come over to Dennis' house. They ring the doorbell and Denise's dad opens the door and lets them both in, but only Darvesh goes through. Darvesh's mother, Jaspreet Kaur, flirts with Denise's dad, after which they kiss each other. They all spend
245:
and adds that there is "something funny about her". Lisa and Dennis go to Raj's shop the next morning and find out that Miss Doris is actually Mr
Hawtrey cross-dressing in a skirt. The two threaten to tell everyone about Mr Hawtrey's cross-dressing habits, unless Dennis is readmitted to the school.
238:
Later that day, Dennis returns the dress to Lisa and thanks her for "opening his eyes". For a moment, he contemplates confessing his profound affection for Lisa, but in the end, he doesn't and leaves it at "I'll tell you when I'm older". On the way home, Raj informs Dennis that Mr
Hawtrey's sister,
234:
Persuaded by
Darvesh, Dennis attends the game anyway. Maudlin Street, the rival football team, has won the trophy for the past 3 years and holds a notorious reputation for playing rough and dirty. Dennis learns that without him— the "star striker"— around, Maudlin Street was able to get a huge lead
29:
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and is one of the best on his team. However, he deeply misses his mother, who left their family about five years ago, and finds comfort remembering his mother's yellow dress in an old picture. Dennis sees the same dress on the cover of a
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The story follows a 12-year-old boy named Dennis, who lives in an ordinary house in an ordinary street in an ordinary town with his 14-year-old brother John. The boys remain with their father (referred to only as Dad), who resorts to
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was criticised in
Australia by some customers for selling the book. One customer claimed the book had an "agenda" to "groom and sexualise" children, while another accused Aldi of "child abuse", with some threatening a
366:, or whatever it is": a reference to a television programme previously co-written and co-performed by Walliams. French teacher Miss Windsor cuts short a school detention, hoping to get home in time to watch
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praised Blake's illustrations and, though she called
Walliams' writing "not the finest", noted "Everyone is on the side of freedom and tolerance by the end, for which the book must be applauded."
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Reviewers and the press noted the book's resonance with
Walliams's own cross-dressing. As a child, his sisters would dress him up, and he would often act as a female character in school plays.
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Mac – a unusually large boy in Lisa's class at Elm Forest School who tries to invite "Denise" on a date, not believing "she" is actually Dennis. He does not appear in the film adaptation.
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Dennis, his father, and his brother get over the pain of the loss of Dennis’ mother, Dennis and Lisa stay good friends, and John starts to look out for his younger brother more.
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is personal to him as it draws on the experiences of his childhood. When he was a child, his sisters would dress him up and he played many female roles in school.
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of the story, also for HarperCollins, which was released in
November 2008. HarperCollins were reported to have signed Walliams for a two-book deal.
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176:. It tells the story of a fourteen-year-old boy called John and a twelve-year-old boy called Dennis who is encouraged by a rebellious friend to
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noted the novelty of Walliams's light-hearted approach to the themes, compared with treatments in earlier children's books on the subject like
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Filming began on 19 October 2014, according to Walliams' Official Twitter page. Casting for the film was later announced on 21 October 2014.
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Barnard, Linda (7 May 2016). "Funny story: British comic actor also a bestselling children's author: Q&A David Walliams".
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and the reactions of his family, friends and school. It is aimed at readers aged eight to twelve, and has been adapted into a
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Dad – Dennis and John's father, whose name is not given in the book. He works as a long-distance lorry driver.
166:, published in October 2008. It is the first book by Walliams, a television comedian best known for the cult
732:"Robbie Williams and David Walliams team up for The Boy In The Dress musical with Royal Shakespeare Company"
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Dennis Sims - A 12-year-old boy who lives with his single father following his mum abandoning the family
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in October 2008, with a paperback release scheduled for May 2009. Walliams and his comedy partner
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Darvesh Singh – Dennis' best friend, is student at Elm Forest School and in the football team.
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378:. On page 104, it is mentioned that Lisa has a purple dress she'd copied from one she'd seen
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Gareth Small – A 14-year-old boy in Lisa's class who is the captain of the football team.
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John Sims – Dennis' 14-year-old brother who is also a student at Elm Forest School.
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after his wife leaves, with Dennis and John driven apart. Dennis is talented in
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has been the subject of some controversy. In September 2017, during the
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Lisa James – A 14-year-old girl who is a pupil at Elm Forest School.
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Miss Doris, rather than Mr Hawtrey himself, now buys the
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Ms. Windsor – A French teacher at Elm Forest School.
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Mr Hawtrey gives in and agrees to reinstate Dennis.
372:, although in America this reference is changed to
257:Christmas together happily, having a great time.
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606:"Review: The Boy In The Dress by David Walliams"
293:Mr Hawtrey – The principal of Elm Forest School.
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651:. london: HarperCollins Children's Books. 2018.
447:for in winter 2019. The musical is adapted by
410:A television film adaptation was produced for
296:Mr Norris - A PE teacher at Elm Forest School.
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485:"David Walliams in Bond Street as a 'laydee'"
1033:British novels adapted into television shows
712:"Kate Moss joins David Walliams BBC comedy"
519:"The Boy in the Dress, Sunday Times review"
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290:Raj – Owner of a local newspaper shop.
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665:. Harpercollins.co.uk. Archived from
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341:Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey
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517:Jones, Nicolette (26 October 2008).
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633:McCauley, Dana (6 September 2017).
604:Ardagh, Philip (15 November 2008).
360:Dennis's father tells him "No more
304:Literary significance and reception
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552:"Walliams book has laydee's touch"
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1023:British novels adapted into films
1003:Children's books with LGBT themes
688:Jeffery, Morgan (10 March 2014).
663:"The Boy in the Dress Audio book"
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483:Salter, Jessica (7 August 2008).
278:Jaspreet Kaur – Darvesh's mother.
439:of the book was produced by the
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33:First hardback edition
16:Book by David Walliams
1028:2008 children's books
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910:The Boy in the Dress
800:The Boy in the Dress
649:The Boy in the Dress
337:The Boy in the Dress
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148:The Boy In The Dress
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445:Stratford-upon-Avon
386:Publication history
162:and illustrated by
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936:Little Britain USA
720:. 21 October 2014.
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921:TV series created
902:Stage adaptations
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611:The Guardian
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158:written by
49:Illustrator
987:Categories
673:21 January
637:. news.au.
618:21 January
591:1787230897
531:21 January
499:21 January
487:. London:
467:References
396:Matt Lucas
369:Neighbours
322:Boy 2 Girl
261:Characters
192:Background
832:Ratburger
561:4 January
524:The Times
400:audiobook
356:Allusions
242:Telegraph
139:233262822
75:Publisher
960:See also
883:Mr Stink
808:Mr Stink
614:. London
587:ProQuest
527:. London
314:Guardian
217:football
59:Language
696:11 June
412:BBC One
350:boycott
312:in the
252:In the
186:musical
153:comedic
62:English
913:(2019)
894:(2013)
886:(2012)
867:(2016)
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742:26 May
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39:Author
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326:Times
223:Vogue
170:show
151:is a
111:Pages
106:Print
67:Genre
744:2018
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675:2009
620:2009
563:2020
533:2009
501:2009
455:and
418:pm.
345:Aldi
206:Plot
133:OCLC
120:ISBN
443:in
254:BBC
168:BBC
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
