[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-strange-norrell-sketches":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Last night I was all a-flutter, waiting for the final episode in the BBC's seven-part mini-series interpreting \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanna_Clarke\">Susanna Clarke\u003C/a>'s novel, illustrated by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.portiarosenberg.com/\">Portia Rosenberg\u003C/a>, of \u003Cb>\u003Ci>Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell\u003C/i>\u003C/b>. And I've had fun dashing off character sketches before the start of several episodes. Here's Lady Pole, played by \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Englert\">Alice Englert\u003C/a>, who spends much of her time being forced to dance, under enchantment:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/strange_norrell_ladypole_zpsshebpr9y-a971026c77.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nIf you don't live in Britain, you might have missed all the fuss. Here's the \u003Ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02mrqzv\">website\u003C/a> and the original trailer:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"3128\"/>\\r\n\\r\nAnd the two magicians, Norrell and Strange (played by \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Marsan\">Eddie Marsan\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertie_Carvel\">Bertie Carvel\u003C/a>), who are both obsessed with magic, but go about dealing with their obsessions very differently: \\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more under the cut!-->\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/strange_norrell_duo_zpsosbaxwmz-2e2028a506.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe fairy, known as 'The Gentleman', played by \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Warren\">Marc Warren\u003C/a> who is wonderfully cold, capricious, elegant and awful.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/strange_norrell_gentleman_zpssfib3zgk-c07c2d59c9.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd Twitter went so nuts over the brooding Childermass, played by \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzo_Cilenti\">Enzo Cilenti\u003C/a>, that I found it very amusing. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/strange_norrell_childermass_zps4psaim7q-853116742e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's a little out-take with Childermass:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"3129\"/>\\r\n\\r\nI'll miss all those fine Yorkshire accents. (Well, I'm no expert in Yorkshire accents, but they sounded great to me.) Here's a peek at the original book, which encases a smattering of appropriately murky illustrations by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.portiarosenberg.com/\">Portia Rosenberg\u003C/a>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/strange_norrell_rosenberg_zpsel75zre8-3043916ff6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nUsually I like to read the book before watching a film. But I tried to read this one years ago, and got distracted, or wandered off or something. But I liked the beveled edges, so I kept it, and when I got caught up in the series, I read it all very quickly because I so wanted to know what was going to happen. And I don't think, in this case, the book suffered for having the film's character's in my head; they were beautifully cast. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/strange_norrell_cover_zpsu4scdxlh-f02683eb61.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThanks for some great telly, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/mrpeterharness\">Peter Harness\u003C/a> and the BBC!","2015-06-29T07:56:00.000Z","strange-norrell-sketches",[],"strange & norrell sketches",1776628727713]