WHITECHAPEL
A darkly atmospheric three-part drama
Introduction ........................................................................... Pages 2-4
Rupert Penry-Jones is DI Joseph Chandler ................................ Pages 5-7
Phil Davis is DS Ray Miles ...................................................... Pages 8-10
Steve Pemberton is Edward Buchan ...................................... Pages 11-13
Ripper facts ......................................................................... Pages 14-15
Synopses ............................................................................. Pages 16-17
Cast and production credits ................................................. Pages 18-19
Carnival Film & Television .......................................................... Page 20
Wilton’s Music Hall .................................................................... Page 21
For further information:
Press Contact:
Lisa Vanoli, ITV press office on 020 715
73033 or email lisa.vanoli@itv.com
WHITECHAPEL
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Picture contact:
Patrick Smith, ITV picture desk on 020 715
73044 or email patrick.smith@itv.com
WHITECHAPEL
2
WHITECHAPEL
"I am down on whores and I shan’t quit ripping them till I do get buckled..."
Rupert Penry-Jones, Phil Davis and Steve Pemberton lead the cast in a
darkly atmospheric new ITV thriller, Whitechapel.
Set against the contrasting facades of Whitechapel, London, a series of
bloody, tragic and impossible crimes suggest someone is carrying out
copycat Jack the Ripper murders 120 years after the killer first struck.
In a city under the constant surveillance of CCTV and safe in the
knowledge that DNA evidence helps catch even the most dangerous
criminal, this modern day Ripper still manages to recreate the
slaughter with alarming accuracy while mirroring the red herrings and
twisted idiosyncrasies connected to the original case.
The murders are investigated by three unlikely heroes:
Joseph
Chandler (Penry-Jones), a fast-tracked, media savvy DI on his first big
murder case; Ray Miles (Davis), a front-line, hard-bitten DS, nearing
retirement, now saddled with a boss who would rather talk about
Emotional
Intelligence
than
gut
feeling;
and
Edward
Buchan
(Pemberton), the expert on myths and legends behind unexplained or
violent deaths: an eccentrically brilliant Ripperologist.
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3
A modern police force is fighting an old adversary; an adversary who
was never caught. Our heroes have a race against time to prevent
further bloodshed.
Producer Marcus Wilson was attracted to the script by the atmosphere
it evoked and by the “genuine tension that grew out of the
unstoppable ticking clock that Chandler was up against.”
He says: “As the director, SJ Clarkson, and I looked around the
Whitechapel area on location recces we were fascinated by the layering
of history in the architecture.
“But this allowed us to visually reflect the theme of the script, that
modern day events were mirroring the past. Filming in the East End
was visually fabulous, and lent a real atmosphere and authenticity to
the piece. Logistically, it was a nightmare at times as we wanted to
cover so much ground, at night, without unduly disturbing residents.
“London is amazing, at street level, everything feels modern but if you
look up, past the neon hoardings, you see the history of the city in the
buildings. And the reverse is true, get up high and look down and
there are still cobbles everywhere. In fact, I'm told some of the cobbles
on the murder sites are still the same cobbles that Jack walked in
1888.”
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Talking about the style in which the story unfolds in Whitechapel,
Marcus adds: “We wanted it to be an exciting and, at times, frightening
story, but we believed that our best ally in this was the viewers’
imagination, and that by not showing the crimes in too much detail we
would actually increase the impact of the deaths, and allow them to
resonate emotionally. We also didn't want to cheapen or sensationalise
the story, particularly the events of 1888.”
Ben Court, who co-wrote the drama with Caroline Ip, says: “We have
always had a broad interest in serial killers. Jack the Ripper stood out
because the case is unsolved and we thought it would be interesting to
're-investigate' the crimes from a modern perspective.
“For research we read a lot of books and visited all the original sites,
as far as is possible. We also spent a lot of time online looking at the
Ripperology sites. There are hundreds of books and theories so for
the facts we relied on impartial experts and we avoided books that
claimed to "solve" the mystery.
“We are working on our own theory about the Ripper but it's too early
to say any more than that…”
This three part drama is produced by Marcus Wilson (True Dare Kiss,
Life on Mars) for Carnival Films.
Caroline Ip (Marian Again).
WHITECHAPEL
It is written by Ben Court and
Whitechapel is directed by SJ Clarkson
5
(Mistresses, Life on Mars). Sally Woodward Gentle (Ruby in the Smoke,
Waking the Dead) is Executive Producer.
The filming of Whitechapel coincided with the 120th anniversary of the
Jack the Ripper murders in London’s East End.
For further information:
Lisa Vanoli ITV Press Office 020 157 3033 Email lisa.vanoli@itv.com
Patrick Smith ITV Pictures 020 157 3047 Email patrick.smith@itv.com
WHITECHAPEL
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Rupert Penry-Jones
is Detective Inspector Joseph Chandler
Rupert Penry-Jones is quick to point out that DI Chandler, his
character in Whitechapel, is no hero.
“He doesn’t have all the answers.
He doesn’t know how to fix
everything. He doesn’t kill the bad guy and save London like Adam in
Spooks,” explains Rupert.
“He’s a bit less of an action man and a bit more cerebral. He doesn’t
really like the sight of blood. Chandler is the total opposite to Adam
in that way; he finds the whole thing quite scary.
“It was actually really nice to play someone who was not an action man
for a change.”
Describing his character Rupert says: “DI Chandler is basically a fast
track policeman. They call them ‘plastics’ in the force. He is destined
for great things at the higher end of the police force but has to go
through the ranks and work a little in each of the departments; get his
feet wet.
“Whitechapel starts with him being given his first murder case which
all concerned think is going to be a simple domestic. But of course it
WHITECHAPEL
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turns out to be a serial killer. So he ends up on this investigation
having to muck in a lot more than he expected and realises he enjoys
policing rather more than just sitting behind a desk.
“He is a slightly obsessive, compulsive, asexual guy.
You get no
insight into his personal life at all. It is all work with him.”
At first Chandler sits uneasily among his new colleagues; a rough and
ready East End station.
But, as Rupert explains, the relationship between him and his men
does develop during the series.
“To start with Chandler and Miles, his sergeant played by Phil Davis,
absolutely hate each other. For Miles particularly, Chandler is
everything he dislikes about the modern police force. But gradually
they find a mutual respect for each other.”
Ripperologist Edward Buchan is another stumbling block between the
two officers.
“Chandler likes Buchan from the start.
He respects his ideas and
thoughts on the case and they end up being good friends.
Miles
thinks he’s an idiot and a liability.”
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Rupert says that the prospect of working with Phil Davis again was one
of the things that attracted him to the part.
“The first thing that hit me was the script - a real page turner. I was
totally gripped by this modern telling of the Jack the Ripper story. And
I loved the relationship between Chandler and Miles. Even more so as
Phil is an old friend from when we made North Square together, so
that was an added bonus.”
Rupert admits he knew very little about the original 19th century Ripper
before doing his research.
“To be honest I didn’t even realise he hadn’t been caught,” confesses
Rupert. “I thought they caught the suspect in top hat and tails. I never
realised that there was this huge conspiracy story going around.
“I found the research very interesting. I didn’t realise how gruesome it
all was though.
They really were the most awful murders.
He did
terrible things to those women, even eating bits of their bodies. He
was the original serial killer.”
Many of Whitechapel’s pivotal scenes were filmed at night.
Rupert
recalls: “You can’t get very close to many of the original murder scenes
but what was strange was while we were filming these big scenes we
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would see the actual Ripper tours walking past the sights. It was a bit
surreal.”
“The night shoots were extremely gruelling on everybody.
All the
London boroughs have different curfews so we would only be allowed
to film up to a certain time – some would be 10pm, some midnight
and so on. It meant you couldn’t get a good run at the night shoots
and we were always having to change our hours.”
But perhaps the toughest part of the role for Rupert was remembering
the dialogue littered with names and dates and locations…
“When I was discussing all the victims I had the art department put up
a big storyboard behind me. I used it as a prop to emphasise my
speech but also as a prompt for remembering the names of the
women who were killed. I had it all up there behind me to reference if
I got lost.
“I find all that line learning rather tiresome but lines are easy to learn if
the dialogue is good. And this was compelling.”
Rupert has recently been filmed the role of Richard Hannay in a
remake of The 39 Steps. Earlier this year he was seen in reprising his
role of Adam Carter in Spooks and was also in Burn Up, both for the
BBC.
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Phil Davis
is Detective Sergeant Ray Miles
Phil compares his character Miles to a football manager pushing his
team hard to get the best results.
“He’s well respected among his team and feels he’s got a good
working relationship with them,” explains Phil. “Miles is an old school,
old fashioned copper. He walks the same streets as his men but he’s
the boss, he calls the shots. He demands respect, feels he’s earned it
and they are happy to call him Guv.
“He’s quite tough and pushes them like a football manager; always
asking for more and bringing out the best in them.”
Talking about his character Phil continues: “Miles is very hot-headed
but he is a good copper. He’s one of those guys who always jumps in
feet first, certain he’s got the right guy even when he hasn’t.
His
suspects are perfectly plausible but…
“Miles sees himself as an experienced man at the top of his game, very
much the boss of his crew. He knows his patch and loves his work. It’s
a hard thing being a policeman. He’s dedicated but is not averse to
bending the rules a little if need be. But he is most definitely on the
side of the angels.”
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In Whitechapel Detective Sergeant Miles heads up his own East End
detective squad, used to dealing with the seedier side of life in inner
London. So when a shiny new Inspector arrives to head up a murder
investigation they are not waiting with open arms.
Says Phil: “Chandler is a good looking, middle class, fast tracker. This
guy has promotion tagged on him. He sees the station and the job as
a stop along his route to the top. He is much resented by Miles and
his team who feel that when the going gets tough he’ll disappear. But
he doesn’t. Miles learns that despite his smooth skin and cut glass
accent he’s as dogged and determined as Miles is himself.
“So springs up a mutual respect. It takes him a long time to get there
but Chandler turns out to be alright. In fact that was one of the most
interesting aspects of playing the role; the relationship between Miles
and Chandler. They are a mixed bag but end up liking and respecting
each other and backing each other up.
“This unlikely alliance stops this being just another cop story.”
The case involves a copy cat Ripper killer stalking the East End. How
did the investigation affect Miles?
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“These are brutal crimes,” says Phil, “not crimes of passion but vicious,
premeditated murders. When Miles and Chandler are in the morgue
with the pathologist describing the extent of the victims’ injuries, he is
shocked and angry and frustrated.
“These officers take it very personally because unlike most cases they
know what will happen next and to some extent the pattern of the
killer because it has happened before.
They feel failing to stop it
makes them responsible in some way. It is very close to them and
makes things very uncomfortable.
The case gets under their skin
which is unusual.”
“Rupert and I were friends from filming North Square together years
ago so I really looked forward to working with him again. It gave us a
head start on the relationship between Miles and Chandler.”
Many of the pivotal scenes were filmed at night close to the original
crime scenes.
Says Phil: “Some of the places that were so down-at-heel in the 1900s
are very swish now; changed beyond all recognition. When we did the
Ripper tour we ended up standing on traffic islands to be near the
exact spot where a murder took place.”
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“It’s quite a dark, atmospheric piece but the director, SJ, had a real
clarity. She would tell us exactly what she wanted, would never
encumber us with redundant instructions. She has a good visual sense
and knew exactly how to play it.”
And did Phil begin filming Whitechapel with an insight into the Ripper
theories?
“To be honest I had never taken much interest in it. It always seemed
to me that it could have been anybody.
There was no forensic
evidence back then and London was full of itinerants; sailors,
merchants, people passing through and prostitutes on every corner. It
wouldn’t have been difficult to carry out the killings.”
Phil Davis is currently filming Collision, a five-part drama for ITV.
Earlier this year he portrayed Wilfred Brambell in the BBC’s The Curse
of Steptoe and Son.
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Steve Pemberton
is Edward Buchan
Steve Pemberton was determined not to make his rather eccentric onscreen character Edward Buchan too larger than life for fear he would
be unrealistic.
"People like Buchan, who are wilfully eccentric, can be hard to portray
on screen," explains Steve.
"His language is very fruity and heightened so, alongside the director, I
was really looking for ways of bringing that down and puncturing that.
I didn't want him to be dislikeable or overbearing so we worked hard
to find his particular journey through the three episodes. I was very
conscious that I didn't want him to stand out like a character from a
sketch show mixing with these characters from a dark drama.
Hopefully we all inhabit the same world in the end.
"There is real progression for this character. He does get close to
Chandler, in fact Chandler lets him into the investigation too much and
it backfires on him."
In Whitechapel Steve plays a bona fide Ripperologist, an expert in all
things Jack the Ripper.
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Explains Steve: "This is a word I had never heard before I did this job.
Then I realised there is still a thriving industry in Ripper books, tours
and memorabilia, so when Buchan sees the location and the timing of
the first murder he immediately has an inclination that this could be a
copycat killing - it is exactly the day and place where Jack the Ripper's
first murder occurred.
"I think Buchan would be a quite a big fish in a small pond within the
world of Ripperology. Almost world-renowned. So when he presents
himself to the police he really thinks they need him.
As the story
progresses he actually becomes involved in a real life investigation as
opposed to an academic one.
"But we see him crack a bit as he becomes heavily involved. I think if
you study something that happened 120 years ago it is very different
to suddenly being confronted by the reality of these gruesome
murders.
"I think he was fairly cocky when he started liaising with police but
when Buchan sees photographs of the victims who have recently been
killed he starts to realise that perhaps some of his actions may have
contributed to the modern murders."
Steve admits that his knowledge of the multitudinous Ripper theories
comes from old movies.
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"I'd never read up on the subject but there is a film starring Michael
Caine called Inspector Abberline that I used to watch with my friends
from The League of Gentlemen. It's one of those films that's so bad it
is good.
Every ounce of knowledge I have is from fictionalised
accounts. Luckily I had on my shelf a pocket guide to Jack the Ripper
which someone had given me as I didn't have much time to gen up
before I got the role and started filming.
"A lovely touch was being given Buchan's own Ripper book at the end
of filming. My picture was on the flyleaf."
One of the most useful pieces of research for Steve was taking part in
an organised Ripper tour.
"Our Ripperologist told me it was a very competitive world and as such
many friendships are made and lost. There are constant accusations
and counter accusations being made about stealing research and so
on.
He was fascinating but very respectful that this was an
investigation of crime and not a sensationalist account. He did just
enough storytelling but I think Buchan is far more theatrical; he does
love the drama of it."
Steve found filming in the East End at all times of the day and night
incredibly atmospheric.
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He says: "You have the authentic Victorian architecture, gas lamps and
cobbled streets then as you look around you see you are surrounded
by these high rise buildings and neon lights. It is a great juxtaposition
of then and now.
"When you look down some of these shadowy, damp and dingy alleys,
that look as though they haven't changed since Jack the Ripper's day,
you can start to understand just how these murders took place outside
in the capital city of London. And you start to get a picture of what it
must have been like."
Steve will soon appear as a village rector in Agatha Christie's Marple
for ITV. He is currently filming Psychoville which he co-wrote with
Reece Shearsmith.
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JACK THE RIPPER FACTS
1. It is generally accepted that there are 5 canonical victims of Jack
the Ripper, all murdered in 1888:
Mary Ann Nichols (31st Aug)
Annie Chapman (8th Sept)
Elizabeth Stride (30th Sept)
Catherine Eddowes (30th Sept)
Mary Jane Kelly (9th Nov)
but there are 13 further alleged Ripper victims, murdered
between 1887 and 1891.
2. The time when the 5 canonical victims were murdered was
known as the “Autumn of Terror”.
3. All 5 canonical victims were probably prostitutes and had
reputations as heavy drinkers.
4. The Ripper’s last canonical victim, Mary Jane Kelly, had a supper
of fish and potatoes the night she was murdered.
5. There were more than 30 people suspected of being Jack the
Ripper,
including
some
famous
names:
Queen
Victoria’s
grandson, Prince Albert Victor the Duke of Clarence, the
novelists Arthur Conan Doyle and Lewis Carroll and artist Walter
Sickert.
6. During the “Autumn of Terror”, the police and local press
received hundreds of letters purporting to be written by the
Ripper.
Some Ripperologists believe that 3 are genuine: the
“Dear Boss” letter, the “Saucy Jacky” postcard and the “From Hell”
letter.
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7. The name “Jack the Ripper” comes from the “Dear Boss” letter,
which was written in red ink and sent to a London news agency
in late September 1888.
8. The arrival of the “Dear Boss” letter and the reporting of it in
newspapers all over the world turned the East End murders and
Jack the Ripper into an international phenomenon.
9. “Jack the Ripper” was the first modern tabloid scandal and the
way the story was used to sell papers is still replicated by
tabloids today. Jack the Ripper almost became a cause célèbre
despite the depraved savagery of his attacks on prostitutes.
However, the fact that he has passed into mythology is largely
due to the prurient reporting of the times. In fact, it's believed
that the Whitechapel killings led directly to the birth of the
tabloid press.
10.
Jack the Ripper was the first serial killer to strike in a
major metropolis at a time when the popular press was on the
ascendance.
11.
Inspector Frederick Abberline was in charge of the Ripper
investigation in 1888.
12.
George Lusk, President of the Whitechapel Vigilance
Committee, received half a human kidney preserved in wine,
along with the “From Hell” letter, in the post on October 16th
1888. The kidney is believed to be that of Catherine Eddowes.
13.
The FBI profiled Jack the Ripper in 1988 and produced a
criminal investigative analysis of the murderer, but his identity
still remains unproven today.
14.
The American crime authoress Patricia Cornwell has spent
years trying to prove that the artist Walter Sickert was Jack the
Ripper, including spending millions of pounds buying up over
30 of his paintings (and ripping up one of them up), some of his
WHITECHAPEL
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letters and even his writing desk, and then having a battery of
forensic tests performed on them to prove her theory right.
Cornwell believes “100% that Walter Richard Sickert committed
those serial crimes, that he is the Whitechapel murderer," and
she is convinced that a defect in Sickert's penis, coupled with his
failure to procreate from any of his three marriages and
numerous affairs, turned him into a serial killer. She has written
a book – “Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper – Case Closed”.
However her theory does not hold much sway in ‘Ripper world’,
and most Ripperologists consider Cornwell’s theory total
rubbish.
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SYNOPSES
Episode One
Fast tracker, DI Joseph Chandler, is posted to Whitechapel by
Commander Anderson to lead the investigation into the murder of a
young woman, the final step before promotion.
However the case
does not turn out as straightforward as Chandler had hoped.
The victim, Cathy Lane, is found by Community Support Officer Mary
Bousfield, bleeding to death, her throat cut, in the yard of a Board
School. The Whitechapel squad – front-line, hard-bitten DS Ray Miles
and DCs Kent, McCormack, Sanders and Fitzgerald – arrive at the
scene after Cathy is pronounced dead and are less than pleased to
hear of the imminent arrival of yet another new DI, a ‘plastic’, a ‘paper
policeman’ who has no idea what he is doing. Chandler arrives, armed
with the knowledge of his courses and text books, ready to solve his
first murder.
Miles’ instinct tells him that the prime suspect is Cathy’s husband, Rob
Lees, a violent man with a history of assaulting his wife.
However,
when it turns out Rob has a ‘ten copper alibi’, the case becomes more
complicated than it originally appeared. And when the pathologist, Dr
Llewellyn, uncovers a nasty surprise that Cathy Lane’s killer attempted
to gut her, Chandler becomes increasingly aware that he is out of his
depth: not only does he have a hostile squad to lead, but there is no
evidence and no witnesses.
Then Ripperologist, Edward Buchan, turns up to offer the theory that
London has a copycat Jack the Ripper killer. Miles dismisses Buchan
immediately as a crackpot Ripperologist and a timewaster, however
Chandler, although sceptical at first, does realise that the case appears
to share many similarities with the murder of Mary Ann Nichols in
1888.
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At a total loss as to how to progress the investigation and fearful there
will be another murder, Chandler puts his career on the line and
stages a major police operation in Whitechapel.
All the squad go
undercover and stake out the area around Brick Lane in Whitechapel
near to where Jack the Ripper murdered his second victim, Annie
Chapman in 1888. No one is convinced, least of all DS Miles… until
the body of Alice Graves is found in the early hours – an exact
recreation of the murder of Annie Chapman in 1888.
It is now Chandler’s job to track down the world’s most infamous
serial killer.
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Episode Two
As it is clear this case is no longer a ‘straight forward’ murder that
Chandler can wrap up quickly, he is summoned to see Commander
Anderson and his superiors who are very concerned that London may
have a Jack the Ripper copycat, and especially the impact of this
leaking to the press. They tell Chandler he is on his own and must
solve this case quickly.
Having earned a small degree of grudging respect Chandler leads his
squad as they begin researching Jack the Ripper, reading books and
looking at DVDs, in an attempt to discover who the new Ripper may
be. It is a race against time before he strikes again and they currently
have NOTHING to go on – except what history tells them.
Thanks to a witness and some helpful information from Ripperologist
Buchan they have a prime suspect – a solider called Leary. Failing to
get a confession out of him, they stake him out.
It is the night when the next murder is due to happen in Mitre Square
and all the team are tailing their chief suspect. However Leary, now
clearly innocent, sets them up and they are ambushed by the media.
By the time our team reach Mitre Square they are too late – the Ripper
has struck again, this time murdering one of their colleagues,
Community Support Officer Mary Bousfield. And not only this, Buchan
the Ripperologist has been arrested at the scene.
Was Chandler wrong to put his trust in Buchan? Is Buchan somehow
assisting the Ripper? Miles is convinced Buchan is up to no good, and
a visit to Buchan’s home reveals to them the true extent of his Ripper
obsession. When Miles receives some disturbing post at his home, it
is clear that this has now become personal.
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CAST
DI Joseph Chandler............................................................ Rupert Penry-Jones
DS Ray Miles ........................................................................................ Phil Davis
Edward Buchan ....................................................................... Steve Pemberton
DC Sanders ................................................................................... Johnny Harris
DC Kent....................................................................................... Sam Stockman
DC McCormack ............................................................................. George Rossi
DC Fitzgerald ..................................................................... Christopher Fulford
Commander Anderson ................................................................ Alex Jennings
Dr Llewellyn............................................................................ Claire Rushbrook
Dr Cohen .......................................................................................... Paul Hickey
Frances Coles ................................................................................ Sally Leonard
Antoni Pricha ............................................................................ Branko Tomovic
Mary Bousfield (CSO) ................................................................. Sophie Stanton
Sarah Smith ......................................................................................... Jane Riley
Private Leary .......................................................................... Ben Loyd-Holmes
Mr Maduro ........................................................................ Constantine Gregory
Mrs Buchan ................................................................................ Patricia Kensley
Liam Miles (12) ...................................................................... Mason Beaumont
James Miles (5) ........................................................................... Matthew Payne
Jim Green ...................................................................................... Dennis Banks
Mother with baby...................................................................... Georgina Lamb
Rob Lees ................................................................................ Dutch Dore-Boize
Dr Phillips ................................................................................ Simon Tcherniak
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Mrs Buki ................................................................................... Tameka Empson
Leary’s Counsel............................................................................Janice Acquah
Leary’s Journalist ...........................................................................Daniel Caren
Newsreader ................................................................................... Carrie Grace
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CREW
Executive Producer ...................................................... Sally Woodward Gentle
Producer ...................................................................................... Marcus Wilson
Director ............................................................................................. SJ Clarkson
Writers...................................................................... Ben Court and Caroline Ip
Line Producer ..................................................................................... Julie Clark
Director Of Photography............................................................. Balazs Bolygo
Production Designer ...................................................................... Martyn John
Art Director .................................................................................... Nick Blanche
Make-Up & Hair Designer .................................................................. Lin Davie
Costume Designer .................................................................... Howard Burden
Editor....................................................................................... Liana Del Giudice
Casting Director................................................................................ Andy Pryor
WHITECHAPEL
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CARNIVAL FILM AND TELEVISION
Carnival is one of the UK’s leading independent drama producers,
behind many of the most popular TV shows, such as the hit BBC show
Hotel Babylon, as well as Poirot, Rosemary and Thyme, Traffik, BUGS,
Jeeves and Wooster and As If. Other recent productions include the
conspiracy mini-series Midnight Man starring James Nesbitt, The
Whistleblowers, Harley Street and The Old Curiosity Shop for ITV and
the Sea of Souls for BBC. In addition to Whitechapel, Carnival is also
currently producing The Philanthropist for NBC and Fashion (working
title) for BBC.
Carnival is run by Gareth Neame, who took over the business in 2005
having previously worked as the BBC’s Head of Drama Commissioning.
Founded by Brian Eastman in 1978, originally as Picture Partnership
Productions Ltd, the company has produced 500 hours of popular
drama for television, cinema and theatre, both in the UK and US and
has attracted more than 70 national and international awards and
nominations, including Oscars, Emmys, BAFTAs, Royal Television
Society, Oliviers and TONY awards. Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s
Carnival spearheaded independent drama production in the UK. Under
Neame’s management the company has gone through a dynamic
period of change with the solid bedrock of drama productions
complementing some exciting new quality drama commissions with
popular and international appeal. In March 2007 Sally Woodward
Gentle joined the company as Creative Director, and in September
2008 Carnival was acquired by NBC Universal.
Carnival has been commissioned by all the major UK broadcasters
including the BBC, ITV Network, Channel 4 and Sky as well as US
broadcasters such as NBC, HBO, TNT and the A&E Network and
continues to develop strong relationships with them all. Carnival is
always exploring new ideas with key drama commissioners and this is
reflected in the delivery and success of its output.
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WILTON’S MUSIC HALL
Wilton’s is the last surviving and oldest grand music hall in the world.
From 1859 - for close on 30 years - Wilton’s was alive with the magic
of classical overtures, opera, choral, folk, dance, burlesque, circus
acts, comedy and contemporary songs.
1500 people used to cram
into the music hall to hear the top acts of the day.
Today, Wilton's is a fabulous but crumbling Grade II listed music hall
which is being developed into a brilliant centre for cultural and artistic
excellence, innovation and integration.
Wilton's is once again
becoming a vital part of the East End community and an exciting and
exotic venue for national and international audiences, as it once
entertained so brilliantly.
To make a donation to the building appeal, please go to:
http://www.justgiving.com/wiltons/donate/
Wiltons, Graces Alley, Off Ensign Street, London, E1 8JB
Tel: 020 7702 9555, Fax: 0871 253 2424
http://www.wiltons.org.uk
WHITECHAPEL
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