#and I'm quite attached to my larry-as-livesey situation and have been for some time now

[cool-as-steel]

kindly consider:

Jim Howick as Dr Livesey and Pew, Mathew Baynton as the Squire and Billy Bones, Ben Willbond as Smolett, Simon Farnaby as Silver, Larry Rickard as Ben Gunn and Israel Hands, Martha Howe-Douglas as Mrs Hawkins and Abraham Grey

oh, these are all such good casting ideas! Mine are somewhat different, but I can certainly see your logic here, and you've opened up some very interesting lines of thought.

I'd started out assuming that you were going for a Livesey characterization that's a little closer to the mad scientist we get in the Muppets version, but thinking on it further, I think he could definitely pull off both Livesey's dry and dangerous side and the parmesan situation without it seeming incongruous.

Interesting choice as regards Trelawney - I'd never think of that in a million years, but it could work! and with your Howick!Livesey, you still maintain that difference in shape language that I think any good version of the gentlemen needs.

I have no commentary at all on the next three except phrases such as 'PERFECT' and '10/10' and 'NO NOTES'. Simon Farnaby is amazing at finding the exact line between slimy and endearing in almost every role I've seen him in, and Larry Rickard is an absolute chameleon of a man, who I'm sure could definitely pull off whatever would be needed to make the double-casting function even though both roles mostly interact with Jim. And even outside of the fiction where the group adaptation we're pitching here exists, Ben Willbond would be my instantaneous choice for Smollett if I was casting any sort of Treasure Island adaptation.

I do also think that Martha Howe-Douglas would be an interesting choice as Smollett (some time ago I saw a recording of a play where they'd cast a woman as Smollett, and while it wasn't done especially well, the idea has a lot of interesting potential to play with) but I think your choice of Gray is quite inspired!

thank you, pondering this was great fun!