Elsinore, one of the most hotly anticipated dramas of the year, has been announced as the opening night film at this year’s London film festival. The drama, which stars Andrew Scott as actor Ian Charleson, will have its European premiere at the Southbank Centre – yards from the National Theatre, in which many of its scenes are set.
Directed by Simon Stone and written by Stephen Beresford (who reunites with Scott 12 years after Pride), the film depicts the final months in the life of the highly acclaimed actor, who reprised the role of Hamlet while terminally ill, aged 40.
Diagnosed with Aids in 1986, the actor – who had come to international fame through his roles in Chariots of Fire and Gandhi – was drafted in by Richard Eyre to take over the role of Hamlet in a 1989 production after Daniel Day-Lewis abruptly left, having seen the ghost of his father on stage.
Charleson, who concentrated on classical theatre work both before and after his film success, persuaded Eyre to let him reprise the role he had first played 15 years before, despite the director’s misgivings over his health. Both fellow cast and crew, as well as the audience, were told that Charleson’s face was swollen following a sinus operation; in fact he was suffering from septicaemia.
Charleson’s performance, which ran for six weeks until mid-November, was widely felt to be one of the finest ever seen on stage. The day after his final show, Ian McKellen refused the Evening Standard award for best actor and instead gave his statuette to Charleson.
Charleson died eight weeks later and was the first showbiz star in the UK to request that Aids be listed as the cause of death, leading to considerably more awareness about the condition.
The film also stars Olivia Colman as Charleson’s doctor, alongside Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn and Monica Dolan. Dickie Beau, who toured a one-man tribute to Charleson’s Hamlet for six years, also features, while David Dawson plays Derek Jarman. It is believed Juliet Stevenson and Peter Mullan play Charleson’s parents.
Elsinore has also been selected as a gala screening at the Toronto film festival, with a world premiere a week beforehand at the Telluride film festival predicted.
Kristy Matheson, BFI London film festival director, said: “Anchored by Andrew Scott’s astounding central performance, few films will leave a lasting imprint on audiences this year quite like Elsinore.” The actor’s role in the film has already attracted considerable awards buzz, with many anticipating voters will be keen to reward a popular actor whose role in All of Us Strangers was overlooked in both Oscar and Bafta nominations.
Elsinore opens in the US on 20 November and in the UK on 29 January. The London film festival is on 7-18 October.
