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Inside story of deals that built coalition set to be a TV drama Inside story of deals that built coalition set to be a TV drama
(4 months later)
Britain stood on a political cliff-edge three years ago as the three main parties negotiated to forge a government. Now a television drama will attempt to show the conflict and tensions inside Downing Street as the country waited to hear who would form a coalition.Britain stood on a political cliff-edge three years ago as the three main parties negotiated to forge a government. Now a television drama will attempt to show the conflict and tensions inside Downing Street as the country waited to hear who would form a coalition.
The drama, adapted by Richard Cottan, writer of the BBC's praised Wallander, is to be based on the recent book by former New Labour minister Andrew Adonis. After a fraught bidding war between television production companies, the rights to turn 5 Days in May into a screenplay were secured last week by the people behind the BBC police drama Line of Duty and the post-second world war spy series The Bletchley Circle.The drama, adapted by Richard Cottan, writer of the BBC's praised Wallander, is to be based on the recent book by former New Labour minister Andrew Adonis. After a fraught bidding war between television production companies, the rights to turn 5 Days in May into a screenplay were secured last week by the people behind the BBC police drama Line of Duty and the post-second world war spy series The Bletchley Circle.
The coalition drama will centre on the frantic deals being cut by a small cast of characters – including Gordon Brown, Paddy Ashdown, Ed Balls, Nick Clegg, David Laws, Alastair Campbell, Peter Mandelson and Adonis himself – during day and night sessions in Westminster. Cottan, who wrote the Thatcher TV drama Margaret starring Lindsay Duncan in 2009, is expected to stick closely to the structure of Adonis's book, which critics have compared to a taut political thriller. "It is very exciting," said Adonis this weekend, admitting that he is the rather unlikely fulcrum of such intense activity in the entertainment industry. "I wrote it all down at the time because I wanted to bring it to life for other people. Then looking at again a few years later, I also wanted to give readers a sense of the electric drama and to get it across as a real-time narrative, the way it felt for us."The coalition drama will centre on the frantic deals being cut by a small cast of characters – including Gordon Brown, Paddy Ashdown, Ed Balls, Nick Clegg, David Laws, Alastair Campbell, Peter Mandelson and Adonis himself – during day and night sessions in Westminster. Cottan, who wrote the Thatcher TV drama Margaret starring Lindsay Duncan in 2009, is expected to stick closely to the structure of Adonis's book, which critics have compared to a taut political thriller. "It is very exciting," said Adonis this weekend, admitting that he is the rather unlikely fulcrum of such intense activity in the entertainment industry. "I wrote it all down at the time because I wanted to bring it to life for other people. Then looking at again a few years later, I also wanted to give readers a sense of the electric drama and to get it across as a real-time narrative, the way it felt for us."
Another writer who is believed to have wanted to turn the book into a drama was the acclaimed young playwright James Graham, author of the National Theatre's recent production This House, which centred on the Labour government's struggle to survive a hung parliament and a tiny majority from 1974 to 1979.Another writer who is believed to have wanted to turn the book into a drama was the acclaimed young playwright James Graham, author of the National Theatre's recent production This House, which centred on the Labour government's struggle to survive a hung parliament and a tiny majority from 1974 to 1979.
Simon Heath, creative director of the successful bidder, World Productions, said the first-person point of view of Adonis's book, which begins with a listed dramatis personae like a play, made it a natural for adaptation. "Quite soon after the election I had a discussion about whether this would make a drama," he said. "Now, three years on, we have been given a final act for the story. What has happened since ensures that the events described in the book are shot through with a good deal of retrospective irony."Simon Heath, creative director of the successful bidder, World Productions, said the first-person point of view of Adonis's book, which begins with a listed dramatis personae like a play, made it a natural for adaptation. "Quite soon after the election I had a discussion about whether this would make a drama," he said. "Now, three years on, we have been given a final act for the story. What has happened since ensures that the events described in the book are shot through with a good deal of retrospective irony."
Heath believes part of the power of the drama will also lie in a sense shared by many of the electorate that "we were all a little bit hoodwinked". Like Adonis, he argues the story serves as a warning against the way that significant political decisions are often taken under duress by people who are sometimes prepared to abandon a policy simply because they are tired.Heath believes part of the power of the drama will also lie in a sense shared by many of the electorate that "we were all a little bit hoodwinked". Like Adonis, he argues the story serves as a warning against the way that significant political decisions are often taken under duress by people who are sometimes prepared to abandon a policy simply because they are tired.
"There is always drama in showing the decline of a significant empire, whether it is the Romans or New Labour," he said. "With this particular drama, we also want to ask if our governments should be constructed in this way.""There is always drama in showing the decline of a significant empire, whether it is the Romans or New Labour," he said. "With this particular drama, we also want to ask if our governments should be constructed in this way."
Adonis, who has returned to the Labour fold after working in a non-partisan thinktank and is now working on the new manifesto, said he chose World Productions because of their track record of quality television. "I was surprised by the level of interest, but what was quite striking is that almost every review said it read like a play. I am quite curious to see who plays Gordon Brown. David Morrissey was excellent in The Deal."Adonis, who has returned to the Labour fold after working in a non-partisan thinktank and is now working on the new manifesto, said he chose World Productions because of their track record of quality television. "I was surprised by the level of interest, but what was quite striking is that almost every review said it read like a play. I am quite curious to see who plays Gordon Brown. David Morrissey was excellent in The Deal."
Despite the eventual outcome of the negotiations, David Cameron never appears in Adonis's book. "In a sense, the key player is not there throughout," Adonis said, "and that helps make it more dramatically effective, so it will interesting to see if they keep this element. I haven't discussed how they will adapt it and I take the view that the artists should now get on with it."Despite the eventual outcome of the negotiations, David Cameron never appears in Adonis's book. "In a sense, the key player is not there throughout," Adonis said, "and that helps make it more dramatically effective, so it will interesting to see if they keep this element. I haven't discussed how they will adapt it and I take the view that the artists should now get on with it."
Heath said that although plans are at an early stage the focus will probably stay on the New Labour bunker and the screenplay is likely to stick to the same tight, five-day timeframe. World Productions have also handled Westminster before in the drama series Party Animals which introduced several fresh acting stars, including Matt Smith, Andrew Buchan and Andrea Riseborough.Heath said that although plans are at an early stage the focus will probably stay on the New Labour bunker and the screenplay is likely to stick to the same tight, five-day timeframe. World Productions have also handled Westminster before in the drama series Party Animals which introduced several fresh acting stars, including Matt Smith, Andrew Buchan and Andrea Riseborough.
Since the broadcast of The Deal in 2003, the appetite for political drama seems to have grown both on television and in live theatre. Peter Mullan and Tony Slattery have both played Brown and Nathaniel Parker is currently playing him in the West End in The Audience, starring Helen Mirren. A new one-man play, The Confessions of Gordon Brown, previews this week in London, ahead of a month-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe. Inspired by the idea of Brown as a Shakespearean tragic hero, writer Kevin Toolis will concentrate on the time the former prime minister has spent in Kirkcaldy since losing the election and will star the Scottish actor Ian Grieve. Toolis said he looked for an actor "with the same demonic energy" as Brown but the real demon of Adonis's piece, and therefore perhaps the plum acting role, is Paddy Ashdown, who tells the Labour deal-makers they are not offering enough and that Brown's attitude has been rude.Since the broadcast of The Deal in 2003, the appetite for political drama seems to have grown both on television and in live theatre. Peter Mullan and Tony Slattery have both played Brown and Nathaniel Parker is currently playing him in the West End in The Audience, starring Helen Mirren. A new one-man play, The Confessions of Gordon Brown, previews this week in London, ahead of a month-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe. Inspired by the idea of Brown as a Shakespearean tragic hero, writer Kevin Toolis will concentrate on the time the former prime minister has spent in Kirkcaldy since losing the election and will star the Scottish actor Ian Grieve. Toolis said he looked for an actor "with the same demonic energy" as Brown but the real demon of Adonis's piece, and therefore perhaps the plum acting role, is Paddy Ashdown, who tells the Labour deal-makers they are not offering enough and that Brown's attitude has been rude.
"There is more interest in political drama now and I wonder if it is because we are little less differential since the Thatcher and Major eras," said Heath. "The Deal was one of the defining pieces of recent years, because it was about male friendship and betrayal, which are staple elements of drama.""There is more interest in political drama now and I wonder if it is because we are little less differential since the Thatcher and Major eras," said Heath. "The Deal was one of the defining pieces of recent years, because it was about male friendship and betrayal, which are staple elements of drama."
Heath concedes there are few parts on offer for female actors and will not comment on whether Gillian Anderson or Romola Garai might consider the part of Sarah Brown. "The lack of women is a reflection of the reality of that world that we see in the book," he said.Heath concedes there are few parts on offer for female actors and will not comment on whether Gillian Anderson or Romola Garai might consider the part of Sarah Brown. "The lack of women is a reflection of the reality of that world that we see in the book," he said.
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