A classic coming-of-age tale starring an Oscar-winner and helmed by the creative genius behind Peaky Blinders. Certainly, there is much to commend the new BBC adaptation of Great Expectations, which premieres on BBC One on Sunday 26 March.
The six-part series offers a sinister take on the story of Pip, an orphan who yearns for a greater lot in life, until a twist of fate and the evil machinations of the mysterious and eccentric Miss Havisham (Olivia Colman) show him a dark world of possibilities. TV critics have given the series less-than-favourable reviews thus far, although some commend the ‘electric’ Colman. But no doubt the star power in front and behind the camera (Tom Hardy and Ridley Scott both have executive producer credits) will be enough to draw in curious viewers on Sunday night.
Here, Tatler reveals everything you need to know about the adaptation…
What is the plot of Great Expectations?
Great Expectations follows the story of the orphaned Pip, a blacksmith’s apprentice who receives a windfall of money which lets him travel to London and enter high-society. When he meets Miss Havisham, a woman who was jilted at the altar and has remained in her wedding dress ever since, he is forced to work out whether the world he has sought out will truly make him the man he wants to be.
Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones is the most prominent member of the Royal Family you’ve never met. Rediscover her exclusive from the May issue of Tatler on the anniversary of Princess Margaret’s birth
However, rumours have been flying around of a changed ending in Knight’s adaptation of the series, and the Daily Telegraph confirmed that the ‘changes include a new ending which departs dramatically from Dickens’s original text’. Though we can’t be sure exactly what the changed ending is, we do know that we’re in for a surprise when it comes to the conclusion of the series, which Steven Knight said he tried to direct by imagining, ‘if Dickens was writing the story now and had the freedom to go to those darker places, what would he do? If he had been liberated to write the things that were going on that he wasn’t allowed to write about.’
Who stars in the series?
Olivia Colman is a forebodingly dark Miss Havisham, while bright young things Fionn Whitehead and Shalom Brune-Franklin star as Pip and Miss Havisham’s adopted daughter, Estella, respectively. Mr Jaggers is played by Ashley Thomas (Top Boy, Black Mirror) and Magwitch is played by Johnny Harris who starred as scrooge in Knight’s 2019 A Christmas Carol.
The most sinister Miss Havisham yet?
A wealthy spinster who was jilted at the altar, Miss Havisham lives in an ancient mansion with her daughter Estella. It’s a role which has been played by a whole host of stars; from Martita Hunt’s 1946 performance in David Lean’s iconic film adaptation, to Gillian Anderson in 2011, to Helena Bonham-Carter’s 2012 interpretation. Now, it’s Olivia Colman’s turn to take on the role, which she likened to a Shakespeare character, explaining that ‘every Shakespeare character is played slightly different by everybody who plays it’. In an interview with the Radio Times, she admitted that she was initially reluctant to play the character ‘because a couple of my good mates had played it and I thought “Oh no”’.
Colman portrays an inventive, dark take on the original Miss Havisham. She looks haggard and pale and has an air of mystery about her. Colman explained to the BBC that, ‘In this version she is an opium addict so she has had a bit of a life – indoors, no sunshine’. She adopts a baby, Estella who she ‘sort of trains to be an assassin in a way; to hurt men as much as she was hurt’.
Costumes with glamorous fashion references
‘There were Galliano references, Vivienne Westwood references,’ says Shalom Brune-Franklon, who plays Estella in the series. ‘So, they were trying to go for something that was a bit more editorial and grungy, not quite traditional. I guess I would describe her style as a weird rotting grunge princess.’ Not only this, but the costumes were done to specifically replicate the darkness the characters embody. ‘I don’t want it dusty and old, I want it rotten. I think Miss Havisham is darker than that, she is rotten on the inside’, said costume designer Verity Hawkes to the BBC.
A-list behind-the-scenes talent
The star power isn’t limited to in front of the camera. Executive producers include Sir Ridley Scott (director of Gladiator, Alien, House of Gucci et al.) and Peaky Blinders alumnus Tom Hardy. Executive producer Kate Crowe told the BBC, ‘Obviously Ridley is an icon of cinema so having his input and his lens on things is always really invaluable.’ Fellow executive producer Dean Baker added, ‘It was great to have Ridley read the scripts and get his thoughts, as well as being across the casting and director selection. It’s a privilege to have both Ridley and Tom as part of our creative team.’
Where can I watch it?
Great Expectations premiers on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday 26 March.
