London Spy: Ben Whishaw, dreamy lover/genius Ed Holcroft and sage Jim Broadbent

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

LONDONSPYTHE SET_ELSTREE



Lisa Marie Hall
Design For Performance
Production Design for TV & Film and Set Design for Theatre
https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/


LONDON SPYELSTREE
Posted on January 5, 2016 by Lisa Marie Hall


A look back at the design work on the BBC 5-part drama London Spy, starring Ben Whishaw & Jim Broadbent, directed by Jakob Verbruggen.  Even though it was a contemporary drama, the work for the art department was incredibly varied, ranging from on-screen computer graphics, a large studio build at Elstree, wrapping angels in a surreal castle, burning down a maze and building an S&M attic. Big inspirations were the work of photographer Francois Halard, the personal home of designer Carlo Mollino, and the composition of Alfred Hitchcock’s interior sets.

Danny’s Vauxhall flat,
composite build in the George Lucas stage, Elstree:









https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

LONDONSPYTHE SET_SHIRBURN CASTLE



Lisa Marie Hall
Design For Performance
Production Design for TV & Film and Set Design for Theatre
https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/


LONDON SPYSHIRBURN CASTLE
Posted on January 5, 2016 by Lisa Marie Hall






The Maths Room




https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

LONDONSPYTHE PRODUCTION_THEMIND_OF_ALEX



Lisa Marie Hall
Design For Performance
Production Design for TV & Film and Set Design for Theatre
https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/


LONDON SPY
Posted on January 5, 2016 by Lisa Marie Hall





https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

LONDONSPYTHE PRODUCTION_MOODBOARDS



Lisa Marie Hall
Design For Performance
Production Design for TV & Film and Set Design for Theatre
https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/


LONDON SPYMOODBOARDS
Posted on January 5, 2016 by Lisa Marie Hall
















https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

LONDONSPYTHE SET_WIMBLEDON



Lisa Marie Hall
Design For Performance
Production Design for TV & Film and Set Design for Theatre
https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/


And that attic…built at Wimbledon Studios:




https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/



Like Danny, I have visited the attic only once. I have no wish to go back again.

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

LONDONSPYTHE SET_SHIRBURN CASTLE

https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/
Posted on January 5, 2016 by Lisa Marie Hall


"--Even though it was a contemporary drama, the work for the art department was incredibly varied, ranging from on-screen computer graphics, a large studio build at Elstree, wrapping angels in a surreal castle, burning down a maze and building an S&M attic--"

https://lisamariehall.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/london-spy/

Poor Alex.
 

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

LONDONSPYTHE LOCATION_SHIRBURN CASTLE


The set/location of
SHIRBURN CASTLE
is real.

Frances/Charlotte Rampling's "spectacular, preposterous mansion" is actually a bona fide castle in Oxfordshire (with a real moat and drawbridge) called Shirburn Castle; it has quite a impressively bizarre back story:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirburn_Castle

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-lord-who-was-evicted-from-his-castle-by-his-own-family-97598.html

https://handedon.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/shirburn-castle-oxfordshire/


The Earl and Countess
Macclesfield
in the grounds of
Shirburn Castle
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1454857/Feud-forces-sale-of-intellectual-time-capsule.html


http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/video/of-shirburn-castle-with-moat-in-english-stock-video-footage/316-6

[CellarDweller]

Like we're not used to sad stories about two handsome gay lovers. ... 

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

LONDONSPYTHE LOCATION_HER MAJESTY'S TREASURY
1 Horse Guards Road Westminster, London SW1A 2HQ, United Kingdom






This is where Scottie works--Whitehall--and this is where Danny was waiting for him, while smoking a fag, leaning against a lamppost, in the circular courtyard in the heart of HM Treasury. As usual, the club kid is blithe and casual--he knows he belongs!












This is the Way Out (on their way, via tube, to Flask Walk, Hampstead):

Danny: Where are we going to drink tonight?

Scottie: Somewhere dimly lit and terribly old-fashioned.






https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Treasury
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitehall


Cool video/aerial view
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/shows-exterior-shots-aerials-hmrc-treasury-building-on-news-footage/484283810



and maybe--the Flask? Probably not. Not sufficiently dim!

http://www.theflaskhampstead.co.uk/

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

LONDONSPYINTERVIEW_JIM BROADBENT

http://filmreviewonline.com/2015/11/03/london-spy-official-interview-with-jim-broadbent/
London Spy
Official Interview with
Jim Broadbent
By British Broadcasting Corporation
Nov 3rd, 2015 @ 10:56 am EDT




Jim Broadbent co-stars in London Spy with Ben Whishaw. Jim is regarded as one of England’s most versatile character actors and worked alongside Ben in the film Cloud Atlas (2012). He was Professor Horace Slughorn in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Bridget’s Dad in the Bridget Jones films.

This is the official interview with Academy Award-winning Jim Broadbent for London Spy which starts in the UK on November 9th 2015 and sometime next year on BBC America.



What was it about London Spy that attracted you?

Getting the script was a treat. I’d read Tom Rob Smith’s writing before, so I knew I was in for a good thriller, and that’s absolutely proved to be true. It’s a really good read so I leapt through the five episodes very quickly. I love a good strong thriller myself so it was great to be part of that.

Also, Jakob [Verbruggen] is a very engaging director who is very communicative and clearly has a great relationship with the director of photography and they have a good positive approach, which affected the whole production.



Tell us a bit about the plot

The central character of Danny falls in love a young man, clearly the love of his life, and quite early on, this young man dies under mysterious circumstances.

The arc of the five-part series is the implication and ramifications of this on Danny’s life. What’s exciting is it’s such a strong and unusual story.

There is a great ethical dilemma at the heart of the story that makes it really gripping.



Who do you play and what part does he have in the story?

I play Scottie, who is an old friend of Danny, and who becomes embroiled in the mystery of what happened to his lover.

Initially, he is concerned about Danny falling head over heels in love with this guy and he wants to check him out and see he isn’t going to be a bad egg in terms of Danny’s life.

When Alex disappears, Danny comes to Scottie for advice and help, and Scottie to varying degrees, reluctantly or positively gets engaged with the ongoing narrative.



was it working closely with Ben Whishaw?

Ben’s a wonderful actor and I’m completely in awe of the ease and subtlety and reality that he brings to his characters.



What do you hope audiences get from the series?

It’s a very provocative series with lots of questions asked that people will be fascinated by, and there will be a lot of discussion after the series.

All the time, people will want to be knowing what’s happened and why it’s happened and I think in an entirely original way it it is going to engage the audience incredibly.