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FORGOTTEN
FORGOTTEN
T he age-old criticism that British television has lost
its edge and the class that once seemed so effortless is confounded by the careers of Stephen Poliakoff and John Chapman. Together
they brought the award-winning Shooting The Past and Perfect Strangers to the screen.
Individually producer John Chapman has been responsible for diverse productions from Mr Wroe’s Virgins to In A Land of Plenty. Poliakoff has long been acclaimed as one of Britain’s foremost writer-directors and was honoured with the prestigious Dennis Potter Award at this year’s BAFTA ceremony.
Collaborating for the third time, Poliakoff and Chapman are tackling what may be their most unusual film
yet. The Lost Prince recounts the true story of Prince John, youngest son to George V and Queen Mary.
Diagnosed as an epileptic and thought to have suffered also from a form of autism, the young prince grows up out of the public gaze and largely isolated from his family. These years also reflect a much larger Royal family crisis, as Europe stands on the verge of World War One. Both ele- ments are played out neatly in Poliakoff’s eagerly awaited drama.
“Prince John became a forgotten boy,” Poliakoff has said. “We saw past events through the eyes of a child in Perfect Strangers and in this drama that happens on an epic scale. It is his- tory through a half open door on the eve of the First World War”
“It’s a remarkable story,” concurs Chapman, “and it’s amazing what
Stephen and his researcher were able to unearth. It included diaries and John’s own letters that Stephen went to see at Windsor. He described that as a weird sensation, being the first person outside the family to go and see these letters John wrote to his father and mother.
“I suppose if one was to simplify it, in some ways here was this little boy who was odd and strange, and he was actually being observed by an adult world that was itself going mad, indulging in the craziest situation.
“The Royal families of Europe were actually the safety valve to prevent any kind of catastrophe of the kind that happened during that conflict. I think this is a very graceful way of doing it, and it means that the eye through which you’re looking at world history is very fresh.”
A fine cast includes Miranda Richardson as Queen Mary, Tom Hollander as King George, Michael Gambon as his father Edward VII, Gina McKee as Prince John’s nanny, Bibi Andersson, Bill Nighy and John Sessions. Behind the camera, the Director of Photography is Barry Ackroyd, BSC, a surprising choice per- haps given his long association with the gritty, more working class films of Ken Loach.
“It’s similar to Ken’s films in that once you’re in the right place with the right look you’re halfway there, “Ackroyd states. “JP Kelly, our designer on this, did some fantastic work, and once you’ve established the look and colour, and you’re in these amazing locations like Blenheim Palace then it really means doing the same job as I did on that
THE
THE
ROYAL
ROYAL
Telling the remarkable true story of The Lost Prince
Photos clockwise from main: Gina McKee with Daniel Williams as Prince John; right, Daniel Williams; Director Stephen Poliakoff under cover and with his crew
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