Cast:

Nigel Hawthorne
Joan Collins
Timothy Spall
Tom Hollander
Paul Nicholls
Natasha Little
Emma Chambers

Director:

Christopher Miles


This is the film version of the famous 18th century play "The Clandestine Marriage" which Hawthorne starred in and directed at Queen's Theatre in 1994/95. The film is written by Trevor Bentham and directed by Christopher Miles.


Synopsis:

Ageing rheumatic fop Lord Ogleby is bankrupt and must therefore suffer the marriage of his louche son, Sir John, to the nouveau riche Betsy Sterling. There is a slight problem in that Sir John's roving eye has fallen on Betsy's beauteous sister, Fanny, who is already secretly married to her father's penurious clerk, Lovewell. The scene is therefore set for a country house farce of the old school.

Joan Collins plays Mrs. Heidelberg and has expressed her thoughts about the film. "I first saw the play on stage in the West End. Both Nigel and Trevor (the scriptwriter) were friends and afterwards at dinner I told them how much I loved the piece. Though it's set in the 18th century, it's actually a very modern story. I loved the character of Mrs. Heidelberg and told Nigel that if he ever got the film together, I wanted to play her. It's an absolutely beautiful film, very funny and quite eccentric, with a witty twist on the way society behaves today. I think audiences will be intrigued and entertained. I know I was." Filming took place in the town of Cheltnam in Gloucestershire, UK. The film is scheduled for release in May 1999.


Related articles:

"Sir Nigel Hawthorne hands it to the West End" - Press Association 1999
"Stars are also film's saviours" - Evening Standard 1999
"Nigel Hawthorne Saves Marriage" - Newsplanet 1999
"The Pressure of Your Company" - movies-online.com


Reviews:

Film review/synopsis - great pics!*
Evening Standard
The Guardian