By Anthony Frajman
Patrick Melrose stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role, with a supporting cast that includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Pip Torrens, Blythe Danner and Australia’s own Hugo Weaving. It is based on a series of autobiographical novels by Edward St Aubyn, centring on the upbringing and adult life of privileged Englishman Melrose, attempting to overcome his addictions and the death of his father.
Weaving and Nicholls, who participated in a Q&A after the screening, spoke about the challenges of turning five novels into a miniseries.
“There’s several things you read in the book, you go that’s wonderful, but there’s no real way to put it on the screen,” Nicholls said.
“I think if I’ve learned anything by adaptation, it’s that there’s no point trying to do everything, you’ve got to select the stuff you hold important and do it extremely well, because if you try and do everything, you just end up with a kind of rough summary,” the adaptor of Great Expectations, Far From the Madding Crowd, and his own novel, One Day, added.
“There were endless examples of stuff that was just beautiful on the page, but [wouldn’t work for the series]…
“Initially, we were going to have four different directors, so really, four different productions. What we realised as we worked more, was that we really needed a sense of continuity; one director who was extremely versatile,” Nicholls said about his director Edward Berger (Deutschland 83).
One of the ways they went about adapting the story to television, was making it an international production.
“We have a German director, American producers, and a multinational cast, and I think that’s fantastic,” he added.
Weaving, who gives an evocative performance as Aristocrat David Melrose, deceased but lingering father to Cumberbatch’s character, noted that “it was actually very enjoyable, because my character is a performer. He’s on. He’s a construct. There’s an enjoyment in doing it.
“He’s a man who’s so damaged, that he’s detached from himself, so despite all the sadism and cruelty he exhibits, there’s something in David that is human.
“I thought the role was absolutely extraordinary, and I couldn’t believe someone offered it to me.
“When I was reading it, I started to read the book aloud, I don’t normally read aloud, but I was reading aloud because I wanted to hear this text,” Weaving added.
The five-part series debuted on BBC First on Foxtel on Monday July 23.
