"Gormenghast" (2000) TV mini-series

Director:

Andy Wilson

Writers:

Mervyn Peake (novels)
Malcolm McKay (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 June 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

Tagline:

77 generations built the kingdom of Gormenghast... Will one kitchen boy bring it down?

Plot:

A villain threatens the rise of a new earl in an ancient kingdom.

Plot Keywords:

Library | Ambition | TV Mini-Series | Tradition | Steampunk

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Celia Imrie	...	Lady Gertrude
John Sessions	...	Dr. Prunesquallor
Warren Mitchell	...	Barquentine
George Yiasoumi	...	Bookman
Ian Richardson	...	Lord Groan
Neve McIntosh	...	Lady Fuchsia
June Brown	...	Nannie Slagg
Christopher Lee	...	Flay
Richard Griffiths	...	Swelter
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Steerpike
Zoë Wanamaker	...	Clarice Groan
Lynsey Baxter	...	Cora Groan
Fiona Shaw	...	Irma Prunesquallor
Olga Sosnovska	...	Keda
Eric Sykes	...	Mollocks
Sean Hughes	...	Poet
Windsor Davies	...	Rottcodd
Cameron Powrie	...	Titus (12 years)
Stephen Fry	...	Professor Bellgrove
Tim Barlow	...	Boatman
Lewis Rose	...	Doggit
Mark Williams	...	Professor Perch
James Dreyfus	...	Professor Fluke
Phil Cornwell	...	Professor Shred
Steve Pemberton	...	Professor Mule
Martin Clunes	...	Professor Flower
Spike Milligan	...	De'Ath
Gregor Fisher	...	The Fly
Caroline Nelson	...	Wild Girl
Andrew Robertson	...	Titus (17 years) (as Andrew N. Robertson)
Daniela Zocchi	...	Wild girl (17 years)

Directed by
Andy Wilson

Writing credits
Mervyn Peake		(novels "Titus Groan" and "Gormenghast")
Malcolm McKay		(screenplay)

Produced by
Al Burgess	....	line producer
Estelle Daniel	....	producer
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: WGBH
Hilary Salmon	....	executive producer: BBC
Michael Wearing	....	executive producer: BBC

Original Music by
Richard Rodney Bennett

Cinematography by
Gavin Finney

Film Editing by
Paul Tothill

Casting by
Marilyn Johnson

Production Design by
Christopher Hobbs

Art Direction by
David Hindle
Andrew Munro		(senior art director)

Costume Design by
Odile Dicks-Mireaux

Makeup Department
Diane Chenery-Wickens	....	makeup artist
Julie Dartnell	....	makeup artist
Christine Greenwood	....	makeup designer
Joan Hills	....	makeup designer
Liz Michie	....	hair stylist
Sandra Shepherd	....	makeup artist
David White	....	prosthetics

Production Management
David Mason	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Giles Butler	....	second assistant director
Matthew Cope	....	second unit director
Alexander Gibb	....	third assistant director (as Alex Gibb)
Ryan Green	....	additional assistant director

Art Department
Robert Betts	....	stand-by painter
Paul Bradburn	....	storeman
Christine Buttner	....	graphic designer
Alan Chesters	....	construction supervisor
Mark Copeland	....	model maker
Joshua Critcher	....	stand-by props
Jenny Edwards	....	art department assistant
Trisha Edwards	....	set dresser
Danny Evans	....	dressing props
Paul Garner	....	storyboard artist
Ned Kelly	....	supervising carpenter
Ron King	....	scenic artist
Terence Meadows	....	stand-by stagehand (as Terry Meadows)
Wesley Peppiatt	....	stand-by props
Raymond Perry	....	property master (as Ray Perry)
Steve Rogers	....	stand-by carpenter
Annushka Russell	....	art assistant
Ben Smith	....	assistant art director
Zoe Smith	....	art department runner
Tom Still	....	set designer
Tom Wales	....	assistant art director
Ian Young	....	dressing props

Sound Department
Keith Batten	....	boom operator
Paul Carr	....	dubbing mixer
Lee Crichlow	....	dubbing editor
Alistair Crocker	....	sound recordist
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer (2000)
Jon Hemming	....	dubbing editor
Ben Norrington	....	adr editor
Michael Redfern	....	dubbing editor

Special Effects by
Tom Harris	....	special effects
Nicky O'Sullivan	....	special effects technician
Graham Riddell	....	animatronics designer
Chris Watson	....	shatterglass effects

Visual Effects by
Angela Bailey	....	visual effects editor
Serena Cacciato	....	special effects animator
Alan Church	....	visual effects producer
Virginie Degorgue	....	assistant scenic artist/prop painter
Simon Giles	....	visual effects supervisor
Diane Kingston	....	visual effects production coordinator
Alan Maiden	....	visual effects
Jason McDonald	....	lead animator
Chris Petts	....	special effects animator
Nigel Stone	....	model photography
Trevor Young	....	3D effects coordinator: The Film Factory at VTR (uncredited)

Stunts
Andy Bradford	....	stunt coordinator
Steve Griffin	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Tommy Brown	....	electrician
Dick Conway	....	electrician
Robert Diebelius	....	stand-by rigger
Graham Driscoll	....	electrician
Jack English	....	still photographer
Danny Espey	....	electrician
Simon Finney	....	focus puller
Amy Gilliam	....	assistant camera: second unit
Tony Hannington	....	rigging gaffer
Pip Hare	....	assistant camera
Terry Hunt	....	gaffer
Dick Lee	....	crane grip
Rod Marley	....	clapper loader
Karl Morgan	....	focus puller: second/model unit
Phil Penfold	....	electrician
Richard Potter	....	best boy
Mike Proudfoot	....	camera operator
Tony Turner	....	camera grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Harrington	....	wardrobe assistant
Carin Hoff	....	assistant costume designer
Samantha Mealing	....	wardrobe assistant
Sara Meek	....	wardrobe assistant
Marion Weise	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Mark Gravil	....	assembly editor

Music Department
Jake Arditti	....	musician
John Tavener	....	composer: choral music
John Wilson	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Phyl Allarie	....	production coordinator
Maggie Anson	....	contracts executive
Richard Bonehill	....	sword master
Sue Clark	....	animal consultant
Peter Eardley	....	assistant production accountant
Sarah Fisher	....	production accountant
Steve Harty	....	animal consultant
Nicholas Hopkins	....	floor runner
Andrew Jack	....	voice coach
Karen Jones	....	script supervisor
Howard Kingston	....	production executive
Ashley Russell	....	assistant to producer
Mark Sparrow	....	script editor
Eleanor Watmore	....	secretary to producer
Rosie Bedford-Stradling	....	unit nurse (2000) (uncredited)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (as BBC)
• WGBH

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2000) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• BBC Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Chum Television (????) (Canada) (TV)
• Ekaterinburg Art Home Video (EAHV) (????) (Russia) (VHS)

Special Effects

• The Film Factory at VTR (uncredited)

Other Companies

• BBC Philharmonic Orchestra  music played by (as The BBC Philharmonic)
• The Academy of Ancient Music  music played by
• The Temple Church Choir  music played by
• Lee Lighting  lighting (uncredited)

Runtime:

232 min (4 parts)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:M | UK:12 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Lady Gertrude's white crow was - at the time anyway - the only known white crow in the world.

Quotes:

Steerpike: [dejected, playing the syrinx to his monkey] It's just you and me now, Satan.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Goodbye 2000 (2000) (TV)

Real World - Gormenghast

I've read Mervyn Peake's books over and over again. To me, the story of Titus Groan, 77'th earl of Gormenghast, is one that can actually compete with Tolkien's "The Lord Of The Rings".

So what do I think about the mini series? Well, obviously no one would dare do what Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema did with the aforementioned movie, so I guess a four part mini series was the next best thing. (Although I would have loved to see this in a cinema!) Good actors and an excitingly stylistic production makes this a worthwhile four hours. Some has been left out, of course, but there's still plenty of material left to build the characters of the story.

This is not a fantasy movie. It has no or few classic fantasy elements at all in it. I would rather see it as a fantastic movie, where the laws of the "normal" world aren't broken - just a little bent out of shape...

Gormenghast will provide a glimpse into our own world, and even though it's not always pretty, it's always done in beautiful colors.