Sue Birtwistle talks Cranford
Cranford’s producer, Sue Birtwistle, will be giving a talk at the Southwold Literature Festival on Nov. 11th at 1pm.
The talk coincides with the publication of a new book about the series co-authored by Sue called ‘The Cranford Companion
Tickets to the talk, priced £9, are available online at www.wayswithwords.com or by ringing the festival Box Office on 01803 867373.
Cranford Christmas Special – Part Two: October To December 1844
Miss Matty and the ladies of Cranford are in a frenzy of excitement about the imminent visit of Lady Glenmire. Until, that is, the Hon Mrs Jamieson announces that none of them is of high-enough social standing to meet her.
Deeply hurt, Miss Matty leads the Amazons in snubbing both the newcomer and her hostess. But sociable Lady Glenmire is quick to offer an olive branch by hosting a memorable Halloween party, which results in the forging of warm, new friendships.
Impressed by Edward Bell’s ambitions and hurt by his own son’s defiance, Mr Buxton takes on Edward to act as his land agent. But Edward makes a disastrous decision that has dire consequences not only for himself, but also for Peggy, whose fortitude and courage will be tested to the limit.
Meanwhile, Matty is distressed when a surprising discovery about one of their close circle results in a serious falling out amongst the friends. Mrs Jamieson and Miss Pole split from the group and Matty is uncertain about how to bring them all back together again.
Matty is also deeply affected by Peggy Bell’s crisis. Knowing painfully well the cost of sacrificing one’s personal happiness for the sake of family obligations, Matty decides to intervene in events to help Peggy. But when tragedy strikes the town, she comes to believe that, unwittingly, she has opened Pandora’s box and fears that Cranford will never recover. Read the rest of this entry »
Cranford Christmas Special – Part One: August 1844
It’s late summer 1844 and two years on since Miss Matty Jenkyns lost her beloved sister, Deborah. But her home is once again full of life and bustle. Not only has her brother Peter stayed on in Cranford, but her dream of having a child in the house has been realised in the birth of Tilly, daughter of her maid Martha and her carpenter husband, Jem Hearne. Miss Matty relishes every moment being the centre of such a busy household.
The shadow of the railway still looms over the town. But much to the relief of Matty and the town ladies – Miss Pole, Mrs Forrester, Mrs Jamieson and Miss Tomkinson – Lady Ludlow has steadfastly refused to sell the land that would allow it to come into Cranford itself. For others, however, this spells disaster: Captain Brown believes that modernisation is inevitable if the town is to survive.
When Cranford native Mr Buxton returns to town with his son and niece, William and Erminia, Matty can see that father and son’s grief over Mrs Buxton’s recent death has left them at odds with each other, and that William and Erminia are in need of company. Matty is also concerned about another young person whom she sees only at church: Peggy Bell lives in an isolated cottage outside the town with her inattentive mother, Mrs Bell, and domineering brother Edward. So Matty decides to intervene, and engineers an invitation that will bring the four young people together.
The surprise arrival of Lady Ludow’s son, Lord Septimus, leads to a chain of unexpected events. Captain Brown believes he has secured rights to bring the railway line into Cranford, only to be shocked by the discovery that Mr Buxton holds its fate in his hands.
Meanwhile, tragedy strikes in Miss Matty’s own house and she finds she must re-evaluate her opinions of the railway and think for herself. Can she change the course of events and, if so, should she?
Miss Matty Jenkyns (Dame Judi Dench)
Peter Jenkyns (Nicholas Le Prevost)
Mary Smith (Lisa Dillon)
Martha (Claudie Blakley)
Jem Hearne (Andrew Buchan)
Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton)
Mrs Forrester (Julia McKenzie)
Mrs Jamieson (Barbara Flynn)
Miss Tomkinson (Deborah Findlay)
Lady Ludlow (Francesca Annis)
Lord Septimus Hanbury (Rory Kinnear)
Sir Charles Maulver (Greg Wise)
Harry Gregson (Alex Etel)
Miss Galindo (Emma Fielding)
Rev Hutton (Alex Jennings)
Captain Brown (Jim Carter)
Mr Johnson (Adrian Scarborough)
Mrs Johnson (Debra Gillett)
Mr Buxton (Jonathan Pryce)
William Buxton (Tom Hiddleston)
Erminia (Michelle Dockery)
Peggy Bell (Jodie Whittaker)
Mrs Bell (Lesley Sharp)
Edward Bell (Matthew McNulty)
Cranford Christmas Special
The multi-award-winning Cranford returns to entertain and enthral BBC One audiences this Christmas with a two-part special.
Dame Judi Dench reprises her role as Cranford’s much cherished Miss Matty Jenkyns, and heads a cast that boasts Britain’s top film, television and stage talent including Cranford newcomers: Jonathan Pryce, Celia Imrie, Lesley Sharp, Nicholas Le Prevost, Jodie Whittaker, Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Dockery, Matthew McNulty, Rory Kinnear and Tim Curry.
Made by BBC Drama Production and WGBH in association with Chestermead, Cranford is created by Sue Birtwistle and Susie Conklin, written by Heidi Thomas and directed by Simon Curtis. It is based on Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel Cranford, woven together with other of her works. Cranford’s score was composed by Carl Davis.
Cautious not to spoil the surprises, tears and laughter that are so much part of the Cranford experience, Sue Birtwistle explains a little about the source material that forms the backbone of this new two-part special: “We took stock of our existing storylines, noting which had played themselves out naturally and which had further potential.
“We leapt at the opportunity to include two strands from Cranford that we hadn’t been able to include the first time around, introducing two colourful new characters: Lady Glenmire (Celia Imrie) and the conjuror Signor Brunoni (Tim Curry).
“We looked for additional source material to weave into the mix, and finally settled on two very different Gaskell stories that excited us: The Moorland Cottage and The Cage At Cranford.
“The novella The Moorland Cottage provided a rich seam of new characters to mine as well as introducing a fresh and original young, love story. The strife between the generations knitted in well with the ideas we were keen to explore, where the young people struggle to measure up to the expectations of the older generation, a theme deftly explored by writer Heidi Thomas.
“The delicious comedy of The Cage At Cranford, features Miss Pole and Mrs Forrester attempting to construct a cage for Miss Pole’s new parrot Polly-Cockatoo, with surprising results (we dubbed it The Ikea Story).”
Cranford’s millions of fans can rest assured that one certainty is the ever-popular ladies of Cranford, named The Amazons by Gaskell, are back and reunited in this two-part special feature.
Imelda Staunton returns as the irrepressible Miss Pole, Julia McKenzie returns as Mrs Forrester, and Deborah Findlay as Miss Tomkinson, with Barbara Flynn reprising Mrs Jamieson, whose aristocratic sister-in-law, Lady Glenmire (Celia Imrie) arrives and makes quite an impression on the friends.
We join Cranford in August 1844. It is one year since the small Cheshire market town celebrated the marriage of Sophy Hutton to Dr Harrison and two years since Miss Matty lost her beloved sister, Deborah.
Miss Matty knows only too well that faces will always come and go in Cranford, but for now she is happy that her dear brother, Peter (Nicholas Le Prevost) is home from India and that Martha (Claudie Blakley), Jem (Andrew Buchan) and baby Tilly make for a lively household; Lady Ludlow (Francesca Annis) is eagerly awaiting the return of her long-absent son, Septimus (Rory Kinnear), and young Harry Gregson (Alex Etel) is about to start his education at Shrewsbury benefiting from the late Mr Carter’s bequest and the loyal, moral support of Miss Galindo (Emma Fielding).
Then there’s news that wealthy widower, Mr Buxton (Jonathan Pryce), has returned to live quietly in Cranford bringing with him his charming ward, Erminia, (Michelle Dockery) and his handsome Eton-educated son, William (Tom Hiddleston).
Whilst at nearby Thorn Cottage, Peggy Bell (Jodie Whittaker) tries to make the best of things caring for her demanding mother (Lesley Sharp) and opportunistic brother Edward (Matthew McNulty).
Elsewhere, the world continues to change, but for now the railway has stopped five miles outside Cranford, in spite of the best efforts of Captain Brown (Jim Carter) to bring the modern age right into the heart of King Street. But nothing can stay the same forever and all too soon life in Cranford will change in some very unexpected ways.
Then just at the moment when Miss Matty is selflessly thankful for all her blessings during the Christmas festivities, the magic of Signor Brunoni makes her heart sing.
Cranford filmed earlier this year at Ealing Studios and on location at: West Wycombe Park, Syon House, Wasing Park, Radnage, Staffordshire and Lacock, in Wiltshire, again doubling as Cranford.
Kate Harwood, BBC Controller of Series and Serials, is executive producer of Cranford for BBC Drama Production and Rebecca Eaton for WGBH.
Cranford Christmas Special – Interview with Dame Judi Dench
Moving on in Cranford
As the critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning drama Cranford returns to BBC One this Christmas for a two-part special, Dame Judi Dench tells Programme Information’s Sarah Ward how she couldn’t wait to reprise her role as the much-loved Miss Matty Jenkyns – so much so that she immediately set aside 10 weeks in her busy schedule for filming.
“We thought that was it after the last series,” says Judi, who was delighted at the prospect of returning to Cranford once more. “But it’s lovely that it did come back. It’s so beautifully created again from Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels – really, really well-written.
“I initially wanted to do Cranford because it seemed like a very different proposition. I knew the book, because I had to read it at school. I was very bored reading it, but I was very intrigued by the script when it arrived.”
The story picks up in the late summer of 1844 and Miss Matty is adjusting to life following the loss of her beloved sister, Deborah, two years ago. Having longed for marriage and children, but never achieved either, she is relishing being at the centre of a busy household once more.
For Judi, there was a wonderful feeling of the old gang being back together again and while old favourites return to Cranford, a host of newcomers arrive.
“Oh we gave the newcomers a really horrible time – especially Jonathan Pryce [who plays Mr Buxton]!” she laughs.
The returning cast donned their same costumes from the last series, although Judi did have one small complaint about her period attire.
“We begged for more mittens – for new mittens – but we didn’t get our way!” laughs Judi. “They’re woollen mittens and if you wear them for a long while, they stretch. So consequently, between takes, you find yourself picking at them and then they stretch.
“I could have knitted or crocheted a couple of pairs, now I come to think of it!”
While the world continues to change in Cranford, the shadow of the railway still looms over the town.
“The town is resistant about the railway, which they want to bring into Cranford,” explains Judi. “Mr Buxton, his son, William, and his ward, Erminia, all come back to Cranford, so suddenly there’s a lot of young blood about the place, which is lovely, but we spend a lot of our time resisting the railway – so there’s a tremendous kind of fight.”
As she talks affectionately about her time filming Cranford, Judi recalls one particular moment when she lost a crown in her tooth on set and had to be sent to a dentist in Ealing.
“There wasn’t time for me to change,” she laughs. “So I was in my wig and bonnet and all my clothes. I went into the waiting room and sat and registered, and everyone kept looking at me. When I got in to see the dentist, he said: ‘Are you busy working at the moment?!’ I was wearing a full wig with curls!”
So does living in a town like Cranford in the 1840s sound appealing to Judi?
“Oh no,” she says shaking her head. “No – I wouldn’t have liked to have lived back then – all that washing! Mind you, when I was little we didn’t have a dishwasher, we didn’t have a washing machine – we didn’t have any of those things, so we had a bit of that at the end of the Thirties.
“But I don’t think I would have liked it, other than to experience the community of the people, which is what is important.”
Judi is full of praise for one of Cranford’s stars of the four-legged variety – Sykes the dog, who makes an appearance in a couple of scenes.
“You know what they say about not working with children or animals; well, I’d like to have a two-hander with Sykes the dog – he was sensational and never put a paw out of line. He was wonderful!”
One of Britain’s most respected and distinguished actresses, Judi’s glittering career has encompassed stage, screen and television and has earned her numerous Oscar, Golden Globe, Olivier and Bafta awards and nominations.
Judi, however, confesses that her true passion is the theatre, compared to TV and film, but is full of praise for the crew of Cranford.
“I prefer the theatre,” she says. “This takes quite a long time. It’s an enormous amount of work to do in a very short schedule, so you really have to be on the ball. But the crew was phenomenal – I don’t know how they do it. They were brilliant.”
Early next year sees her reunite with director Peter Hall, a theatrical partnership that has lasted some 50 years, as she prepares to play a role she first performed as a schoolgirl – Titania, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Over on the silver screen, meanwhile, Judi will soon be seen alongside Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson and Sophia Loren in Nine, a vibrant and provocative musical that follows the life of world-famous film director Guido Contini.
So will Judi be watching Cranford over the festive period?
“I’ll be spending Christmas at home with the family and friends,” she says. “It’ll be lovely. If I’m not actually doing anything then I will be watching Cranford. I don’t like watching myself, though, but I don’t mind watching television.”
A million miles away in the quiet village of Cranford, meanwhile, life is set to change in some very unexpected ways. Let’s hope the trials and tribulations of life in the small Cheshire market town don’t take their toll on Miss Matty.
“She deserves a bit of happiness – it’s about bloody time!” laughs and jokes Judi. “Poor old Miss Matty! She starts to have a really nice time, though – wait until Cranford 3!”
Mr Buxton played by Jonathan Pryce
Mr Buxton (Jonathan Pryce)
Recently widowed, Mr Buxton has returned to his native Cranford with his son William and niece Erminia after a two-year absence. He can be blunt and volatile, often speaking and acting before thinking, but he is loyal, generous and down to earth. Though personally happy to live a quiet, unassuming life in the country, he has great ambitions for William, whom he is determined to see “marry up” and enter into politics.
William Buxton played by Tom Hiddleston
William Buxton (Tom Hiddleston)
Mr Buxton’s only child, William is bright and capable but, having dropped out of Cambridge when his mother fell terminally ill, he now struggles to find direction for himself without her gentle guidance. What is certain is that he has no interest in his father’s political ambitions for him. He’s far more excited by the technological and scientific advances of the modern age and engineering, in particular. But standing up to his formidable father and forging his own way will prove to be the greatest test to his character.
Peggy Bell played by Jodie Whittaker
Peggy Bell (Jodie Whittaker)
The younger child of Mrs Bell and the deceased Curate of Cranford, she lives in an isolated cottage outside of town with her family. Though she’s bullied by older brother, Edward, and ignored by her mother, she seems to have accepted her lot in life with good grace because she has a gentle and loving nature. But her solitary life has made her live too much in her own head, making her appear dreamy in public. Miss Matty feels for Peggy and actively encourages a friendship between Peggy and Erminia and William. Though different in many ways, Peggy enjoys this friendship and her true, surprisingly strong, character blossoms as a result.
Lady Glenmire played by Celia Imrie
Lady Glenmire (Celia Imrie)
A character from the original novel, Cranford, Lady Glenmire is the sister-in-law and social superior of Mrs Jamieson, though by far the more down-to-earth of the two. A genteel Scotswoman on the surface, she is intelligent, lively and very sociable – the exact opposite, therefore, of Mrs Jamieson. The Amazons are disappointed at first to find Lady Glenmire is far from grand but, once they get to know her, they secretly prefer her company to that of their old friend, Mrs Jamieson. And they are not the only ones who enjoy her company – Captain Brown finds her charming, sensible and energetic.
Lord Septimus Ludlow played by Rory Kinnear
Lord Septimus Ludlow (Rory Kinnear)
Lady Ludlow’s seventh and last-remaining child, Septimus is much talked about in the novel My Lady Ludlow but never actually appears, so he is a newly-created character. He arrives in Cranford from Italy after many years absence, bringing his bored and louche companion, Giacomo, with him. Lord Septimus is beautifully dressed, prone to enthusiasms and schemes, but is easily distracted, particularly when these schemes involve hard work. He is also sentimental and nostalgic.