Guest blogger Beth Daley responded with haste when we were searching for fans of David Morrissey on Twitter. Did he disappoint her in the flesh?
Think BBC period drama, think Darcy, think Firth, think soaking wet white cotton smock, think tousled hair, riding crop and knee-high leather boots. Colin Firth’s Darcy is the standard by which all other leading men are measured, and, almost invariably, found wanting. The latest brave soul to try his hand is David Morrissey, star of new BBC drama South Riding which previewed at the National Media Museum last Thursday.
Morrissey’s costume drama credentials are good, playing Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility, The Duke of Norfolk in The Other Boleyn Girl, and Jackson Lake in a Doctor Who Christmas special. Ok, that last one’s not a costume drama, but he did wear a cravat and frock coat rather well in it. Oh, and he has the requisite dashing good looks.
The preview evening began as these things do, drinks, nibbles, and various dignitaries introducing the show and applauding all relevant parties. In this case, it was BBC Look North’s Harry Gration, Head of BBC Yorkshire Helen Thomas and Head of BBC Drama Ben Stephenson, extolling the virtues of filming in Yorkshire with its fine folk and breathtaking scenery. Blah blah blah, I was told Morrissey would be here, where is he?
Based on Winifred Holtby’s novel, South Riding is a three-part drama set on the East Yorkshire coast in 1934. In the shadow of World War I and The Great Depression, a small community strives to move forward, bringing in a new headmistress with a tragic past (Sarah Burton played by Anna Maxwell Martin) to rejuvenate its struggling girls’ school. Morrissey plays proud Robert Carne, a once wealthy farmer/landowner, bringing up his loner daughter Midge single-handedly, and battling with guilt for his part in losing the woman he loved. While Carne dwells on what was, Burton forges forward, the only light and colour in the grey town. It’s disdain at first sight. “Bloody woman,” he says. “Bloody man,” she says. Darcy moment No.1. Not long later, they’re covered in blood, in a storm, in the middle of the night, helping a cow give birth, then sharing a moment in the orange glow of lamplight while new-born calf looks soulfully on. Darcy moment No.2.
Aside from the will they/won’t they plotline, there’s a dodgy councillor, a scheming prostitute, a poverty-stricken poetess, political unrest, and a hint of madwoman in the attic. Plus, of course, those beautiful Yorkshire landscapes that feature but don’t overshadow. If you like to jump off the sofa and yell “I’ve been there!” whenever you recognise a TV location, then look out for, amongst other local locales, the obligatory Harewood House, plus Morley and Keighley Town Halls, Salt’s Mill and Saltaire, Rise Hall (of Sarah Beeny’s Restoration Nightmare fame), Hornsea, Skipsea, and the majestic North Beach at Brid.
A Q&A followed the preview, introducing producer Lisa Osborne, writer Andrew Davies, and yes, it’s really him, actor David Morrissey. Davies outlined the parallels between the Depression and our recession, calling the show “frightfully modern”. Osborne talked about the “unexplored and unseen” locations showcasing an alternative Yorkshire rarely seen on television. And Morrissey said that Yorkshire was “a wonderful part of the world to work in”, that he was excited that a largely unknown classic would now be brought to a fresh audience, but that he was sorry, he really had to go and catch his train. Sigh.
South Riding comes to our screens soon, probably late February, probably Sunday nights. And it’s a treat. And while Morrissey closes in on Darcy in the moody leading man stakes, it’s Anna Maxwell Martin who steals the show. As feminist Sarah Burton (yes, I used the ‘f’ word, even if Davies didn’t), she’s strong, intelligent, passionate, and won’t let anyone push her or her girls around. She’s the one to look out for. To use her words: “That’s what I think any road.”
Beth Daley, is a PhD student in creative writing, a freelance creative/copywriter, and a professional cupcake maker. Well, writing gives her an appetite! Follow Beth on Twitter @cupcakeryleeds or salivate over her cakes on Facebook
I dunno about David Morrissey but I saw a little of the filming of this production. The bit I caught mostly involved Anna Maxwell Martin getting on and off an old double decker bus here in Saltaire. Anna Maxwell Martin posed for my camera so I could do a little feature on my Leeds daily photo in the near future. But you beat me to it and nicely done too!
Glad to finally hear SOMETHING about this! The BBC have been so quiet about a series which was supposed to air last year I thought. Thanks for sharing your review!