The BBC has released the first images and mini trailer showing off the ensemble cast for its upcoming adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s 1928 comic drama, Decline And Fall. It’s a completely random mix of stars, with Jack Whitehall leading the cast alongside Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives), David Suchet (Poirot) and Stephen Graham (Taboo: Series 2). However, from the look of the picture above, and the trailer below, it seems to be coming together well, with a quirky British comedy style.
The adaptation was initially announced for BBC 2, but has recently been bumped up to BBC 1 with an air date planned for spring 2017. It’ll air as a mini-series with a few fairly hefty episodes covering the public school comedy storyline.
Whiteall plays mild-mannered divinity student Paul Pennyfeather, who finds himself getting kicked out of Oxford University in the 1920s for indecent exposure, thanks to a prank played on him by the infamous Bollinger Club. With his academic career in tatters he manages to get a job at a Welsh public school called Llanabba, but there’s more trouble waiting for him as he falls for Margot Beste-Chetwynde (Longoria), the wealthy mother of one of his pupils.
It’s arguably Whitehall’s most significant acting role, so it’ll be interesting to see how well he can make the transition from the brash silliness of Bad Education and Fresh Meat to the more subtle comedy of Decline And Fall. He looks like he’s got it down to a tee in the new image of the but, so we’re looking forward to seeing it all come together for its spring air date.
In addition to the big name stars, the cast also includes Douglas Hodge (The Night Manager), Vincent Franklin (The Thick Of It), Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones) and Jason Watkins (Taboo). David Suchet plays the headmaster at Llanabba, Dr Augustus Fagan and it looks like Stephen Graham is playing mysterious butler, Philbrick.
The BBC 1 adaptation has been written by James Wood (Rev) and directed by Guillem Morales (Inside No 9). It is executive produced by Ben Cavey (for Cavebear Productions), Will Gould (for Tiger Aspect Drama), Frith Tiplady (for Tiger Aspect Drama) and writer James Wood.
