Comments | blue_condition: Let's talk about Control, George...

blue_condition

Let's talk about Control, George...

Sep 10, 2008 17:45

Buried in the announcement that ISIHAC will return (something I'm ambivalent about - how do you replace Humph? - the only person who could do that mix of charm and bewilderment is Bill Bailey) the BBC also announced that that there'll be a new radio adaptation of all of John le Carré's George Smiley novels, 20 hours long ( Read more... )

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And finally le Carre loveandgarbage September 10 2008, 21:37:25 UTC

I'm really looking forward to The Looking Glass War (which is an underrated entry in the le Carre works i think), and will be interested to see how they adapt the two that Hepton starred in before. The last radio adaptation of Smiley's People uses Mendel as a vehicle to have someone chuntering away to someone to explain what he's doing early on - but it is a bit of a cheat. Also the previous adaptation of The Spy who came in from the cold on Radio 4 was bloody good.

Casting will be fascinating. Jacobi is a good call. Or how about Hugh Bonneville? and will we get Marc Warren as Ricky?

Re: And finally le Carre blue_condition September 11 2008, 13:52:34 UTC

Yes, The Looking-Glass War is possibly the bleakest thing JleC's ever written. It'll make an interesting serial.

Hugh Bonneville is too young for Smiley, but he'd make a splendid Guillam. Marc Warren is just right for Ricki Tarr.

Stephen Fry would make an interesting Bill Haydon, and Michael Jayston's old enough to graduate from Guillam to Control ;)

And, reusing actors who've played in JleC adaptations, perhaps Bill Paterson could move up from Lauder Strickland to Percy Alleline...

Re: And finally le Carre blue_condition September 11 2008, 13:53:58 UTC

...but who could remove the memory of Barry Foster's.... eccentric portrayal of Enderby on the telly Smiley's People? ;)

Re: And finally le Carre loveandgarbage September 11 2008, 15:02:48 UTC

John Hurt?

Re: And finally le Carre blue_condition September 11 2008, 15:04:48 UTC

"Meanwhile, back at the ranch..." - can't see him being as bumptious as Barry Foster was. OTOH he might be a bloody good Control.

Re: And finally le Carre loveandgarbage September 12 2008, 13:37:53 UTC

Who do you fancy for Leamas? Colin Blakely was very good in the old R4 adaptation.

Re: And finally le Carre blue_condition September 13 2008, 23:29:14 UTC

Rob Brydon doing a Richard Burton?

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