Charmian Biggs story to be made into TV drama

The story of the life of Charmian Biggs, ex-wife of Ronald Biggs, is to be told in a five part ITV drama produced by ITV Studios.

Written by award-winning writer and Executive Producer Jeff Pope (The Murder of Stephen Lawrence, See No Evil: The Moors Murders, Appropriate Adult as executive producer), 'Mrs Biggs', will chronicle Charmian's life from the fateful moment that, as a teenager on a train, she first met and fell in love with the flirtatious and worldly Biggs.

It will recount the story of their struggle to stay together in the face of fierce opposition from Charmian's family - aghast at Biggs' criminal record - and their idyllic life as the parents of young children before money worries forced Biggs to ask for a loan from an old friend to pay the deposit on a house they wanted to buy for their growing family. That friend was Bruce Reynolds, at that moment planning the most famous crimes in British history - the Great Train Robbery of August 1963.

The consequences of the robbery were to devastate Charmian's life. Blissfully ignorant of what her husband was up to - he told her he was on a tree felling job in Wiltshire whilst away on the robbery - she nonetheless went on the run with her husband and children after he'd dramatically skipped over the wall of Wandsworth prison.

Shunned by her parents and desperate to keep her own family together, she secretly emigrated with her sons to Australia on false passports. Biggs had already quietly slipped out there and she now managed to help her husband, one of the world's most wanted men, to avoid capture for more than four years.

But she was never to find any real peace and when - at her insistence - Biggs skipped the country for Rio, only hours before Melbourne Police discovered where they were living, Charmian and her three boys were on their own, facing an uncertain future in a foreign country.

Tragedy was to follow with the death in a car accident of her eldest son Nicky and she threw herself into building a life for her other two sons, studying for a degree and taking on a job as she pleaded to be allowed to stay in Australia. Then, when Biggs was discovered by Scotland Yard living under an assumed name in Rio, she flew out for an emotional reunion.

Biggs broke the news to her that that he had a chance of evading extradition as the father of an unborn child by a local night club dancer, Raimunda Nascimento De Castro - and then asked her for a divorce. He told his loyal wife that it would give him a better chance of persuading the Brazilian authorities that he intended to bring up his baby with Raimunda - and therefore be allowed to stay. Although utterly heartbroken, Charmian agreed.

Set on location in London, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Paris, Adelaide, Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro, 'Mrs Biggs' is a co-production with Melbourne based December Media for Seven Network in Australia.

Charmian, who was allowed to remain in Australia, has acted as consultant to the production. She said: "If my story were to be dramatized I wanted it to be done as accurately as possible. It seemed to me this was an opportunity to convey the rollercoaster of emotions involved, rather than just the bare facts.'

Jeff Pope has been developing the drama for four years.

He said: "Charmian's is one of the great untold stories of the 20th Century, set against the backdrop of one of the greatest crimes of all times. But at the heart of it is a simple love story between Charmian and Ron."

Jeff also commented on the fact the drama will be a co-production:

"The story is, on one level, about a young family coming to Australia in the '60s, when it was a land of opportunity and discovery. We always knew we were going to need an Australian partner and Seven Network were committed and supportive right from the word go. We are looking forward to working with Seven on this great adventure."

'Mrs Biggs' will be produced by Kwadjo Dajan (Appropriate Adult as co-producer) and directed by Paul Whittington (Vera, DCI Banks).

'Mrs Biggs' has been commissioned for ITV by Director of Drama Commissioning, Laura Mackie and Controller of Drama Commissioning Sally Haynes.

"'Mrs Biggs' is the heartbreaking story of Charmian's enduring love for Ron Biggs. It's a very moving and emotional narrative, which Jeff has written beautifully," said Laura. "We are delighted to have commissioned five episodes from ITV Studios."

Filming will begin in Manchester in February 2012 before moving to Australia, and will continue for eleven weeks. Casting details will be made known prior to commencement of production.

Sleeping Dogs

Drowning Fish Productions and The Impulse Company presents:Sleeping Dogs
By Brenda Gottsche
BARONS COURT THEATRE, Tuesday 31st January – Saturday 18th February 2012
PRESS PERFORMANCE: Friday 3rd February

‘Brenda Gottsche’s bright comedy drama... a gently provocative, highly enjoyable evening.’
Time Out (on The Fulham Jesus)

Doctor Roz is Britain’s fastest-rising celebrity shrink. Her radio show has ratings through the roof and her self-help books fly off the shelves. She’s got a great marriage to Leo, who has just written a best-selling crime novel, and a teenage son whose idea of rebellion is to find Jesus.

All seems well until Leo’s past begins to catch up to him, and, faced with blackmail from an old Australian acquaintance, he has to decide whether the truth is really the best policy or if he should just let sleeping dogs lie. Meanwhile, Roz’s carefully-crafted life begins to fall apart, first at home, then publicly on her radio show.

Sleeping Dogs is a sometimes funny, often moving play that asks the crucial question, ‘how much do we really know of one another?’

Brenda Gottsche, the playwright, divides her time between London and Sydney. Her first play, The Fulham Jesus, debuted at Barons Court in 2003 and has been performed in the USA and in Australia. Hot Property played at the Old Red Lion in 2005, andThe Max Factor at Barons Court in 2007. Her production company is Drowning Fish Productions.

Co-producing is The Impulse Company, founded by Scott Williams to celebrate the work of actors, writers, and directors. Originally from California, Williams has directed the world over, including Measure for Measure at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Ancient History at Hong Kong’s Caught in the Act, and Five O’Clock Angel starring Nichola McAuliffe, which played throughout the UK for over six months. The Impulse Company is expanding its reach with regular work in Paris, Sydney, New York, and Hong Kong.

The cast includes Barbara Hatwell (Anthea Dixon in Brookside) and Gregory Cox (Arcadia, National Theatre)

www.drowningfishproductions.com

Running Time: Approx 2 hours

Company Info

Written by: Brenda Gottsche
Directed by: Scott Williams and Dominique Gerrard
Design by: Philip Lindley
Lighting Design by: Luke Girling
Costumes by: Rachael Smith

Cast:

Leo Gregory Cox Alex Joel Dyer Roz Barbara Hatwell
Andy Andrew William Robb Anna Fiona Watson

Listings information:

Venue: Barons Court Theatre
Address: The Curtain’s Up, 28a Comeragh Road, London W14 9HR
Dates: Tuesday 31st January – Saturday 18th February
Price: £12 (£10 concs.)
Box Office: 020 8932 4747
Transport: Barons Court/West Kensington
Times: Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Sat 2.30pm, Sun 6.30pm

Kafka V Kafka

Nameless Theatre Company presents: Kafka v Kafka

Based on Franz Kafka's Letter to my Father

Adapted and translated by Howard Colyer

BROCKLEY JACK, Tues 17th January - Sat 4th February 2012

At the age of 36, Franz Kafka was driven to write a letter to the father that he feared, addressing his harsh and authoritarian treatment of his son and the humiliations he inflicted on him. The resulting letter, over 100 pages long, was read by his sister and his mother, but not one word was read by his father.

"Dearest Father, recently you asked me why I maintain that I'm afraid of you. And, as usual, I didn't know how to answer. It was due to my fear of you. And because my fear rests on so many details that I couldn't even have discussed half of it."

Based on playwright Howard Coyler's own critically acclaimed translation of the letter, Letter to My Father, published in 2008, Kafka v Kafka is a moving work about the struggle to communicate. Directed by Leigh Tredger and set in the imagination of Franz Kafka, the play is a retelling of his childhood trials and traumas; as much a self-accusation as an accusation against his father, as much self-examination as cross-examination.

Howard Colyer is a playwright and novelist. His most recent productions include The Overcoat, which had a sell-out run at the Brockley Jack in January 2011, Conference Call, which was selected for LOST Theatre's One Act Play Festival in May, and Homework, which appeared at the Brockley Jack in November.

"Howard Colyer states that he was most concerned to reproduce the raw "venting of feelings" in the letter as well as the extraordinary "momentum of the prose." In both these aims he succeeds... his translation catches the naked energy of the original" New York Sun (on Letter to my Father).

www.brockleyjack.co.uk / Running Time: 75 mins

Company Info

Adapted and translated by: Howard Colyer Directed by: Leigh Tredger

Artistic Director: James Farrell Associate Director: Max Pappenheim

Assistant Director: Anna Nguyen Stage Designer: Moi Tran

Lighting Designer: Anna Sbokou

Cast

Franz Jack Wilkie Hermann Gareth Pilkington Julie Jean Apps Ottla Ivy Corbin

Listings information:

Venue: Brockley Jack
Address: 410 Brockley Road, London, SE4 2DH
Dates: Tues 17th Jan - Sat 4th Feb 2012
Price: £12 (£10 concs.)

Box Office: 0844 847 2454

Transport: Train: Crofton Park Station, Honor Oak Park Station; Bus: 122, 172, 171, P4, N171

Times: Tues-Sat 7.45pm, Saturday matinee 4pm