Magic role for Robbie

Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue are among the stars who will provide the voices in a film version of the children's TV classic The Magic Roundabout.

The two singers are cast as the philosophical dog Dougal and his prim friend Florence.

They will be joined by Joanna Lumley, as Ermintrude the cow, Jim Broadbent, as Brian the snail, and Richard O'Brien, creator of the Rocky Horror Show, who will voice Zebedee.

Two new characters, ZeeBadee and Soldier Sam, will be brought to life by former Doctor Who Tom Baker and screen hardman Ray Winstone.

The computer-animated movie, which went into production last month, will take around 18 months to make and should be released in 2004. It is being directed by Dave Borthwick.

News of Williams's involvement comes days after it was announced that he had signed an £80million deal with EMI.

It is not the 28-year-old's first foray into cartoons. His video to Let Love Be Your Energy was animated and he provided the narrator's voice in the short Christmas film Hooves Of Fire.

The Magic Roundabout movie is being distributed by Pathe Pictures, the company behind the highest-grossing British animation of all time, Chicken Run, which earned £30million at the UK box- office. Francois Ivernel, Pathe's managing director, said he hoped the movie would appeal across the generations.

'The Magic Roundabout is a wonderful property that holds fond memories for many parents and young children,' he said.

'We are delighted to be signing some of the hottest talent in the world, who are going to bring the characters alive and we are confident we shall follow in the successful-footsteps of our last animated-feature, Chicken Run.' The Magic Roundabout was created by Serge Danot in the mid-Sixties for French television.

It first hit British screens in October 1965 and continued until January 1977, scripted and narrated by Eric Thompson, the father of actress Emma.

It was brought back in 1992 as an early-morning children's show with new scripts, written and narrated by Nigel Planer.

Since its first airing the show has developed a massive cult following among adults, even earning the accolade of 'TV's first psychedelic programme' from Melvyn Bragg.

It is not the first big screen outing for the show. Dougal and the Blue Cat - voiced by Thompson and Fenella Fielding - was released in 1971.