Channel 4 is not generally known for producing costume dramas, but “The Devil’s Whore” is far removed from the average Dickens or Austen adaptation. Heaving bosoms and adorable orphans have no place in director Marc Munden’s graphic depiction of the English Civil War, from the grinding poverty of the ordinary citizen to the blinkered world of the court of King Charles I.
A mixture of real figures from the period (Oliver Cromwell, Thomas Rainsborough, John Liliburne) and fictional characters, the drama explores the religious and political divisions of the 17th century, and events which triggered the bloody nine-year conflict. Rather than a straight historical recreation, the programme uses its central character, Angelica Fanshawe (Andrea Riseborough), to view both sides of the war.
Stuck Between God And The Devil
With Catholic persecution a harsh fact of life in 1638, Angelica is abandoned by her mother who flees to France to live in a nunnery. This is the beginning of Angelica’s disillusionment with God, and throughout her life she sees images of the devil at moments of great suffering. Taken in by the King’s court, she leads a life of privilege, albeit one restricted to the typical subservient role of women of the day. Rather than inheriting her father’s land and estate on his death, ownership passed to her cousin Harry (Ben Aldridge), and although they marry for love, Angelica notes wryly “So Fanshawe married Fanshawe. Harry did not wed the house and land; they were his already. I did not wed the name; it was mine already.” The wife becomes yet another possession of the husband.
A Woman With An Independent Mind
Far from the usual giggling, empty-headed maiden, Angelica takes notice of events around her and soon begins asking awkward questions, much to Harry’s displeasure. A fervent supporter of the King, he is quick to send away the wife of one of the Parliamentarians who comes to beg for her husband’s release from prison. Angelica cannot understand why he will not listen, and secretly visits the man in jail to hear his grievances. From then on Harry and Angelica grow further apart; he becomes a colonel in the King’s Army, while she is trapped at court unable to see him. Meanwhile the bloody battles rage around them as the Royalists and the Parliamentarians fight for control of the country.
Although filmed in South Africa, Marc Murden’s vision of 17th-century England is brought vividly to life. Co-writers Peter Flannery and Martina Brant create a real feel for the period, ensuring neither side in the conflict overwhelms the story. Stand-out performances include John Simm as mercenary Edward Sexby and Peter Capaldi as the brutal, inflexible Charles I. "The Devil's Whore" is definitely one to watch over the coming weeks.
