Miss Marple : Playing Philip Durrant
 Richard Armitage played Philip Durrant in an adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel, "Ordeal by Innocence".
The novel was been altered in the adaptation, not least because it was not a Miss Marple novel. The character of Philip Durrant in particular was considerably changed, and is a rather less sympathetic person than the original.
Durrant is the husband of Mary Argyle, one of the adopted children of the murder victim, Rachel Argyle. He was an officer in the Royal Air Force who fought in the Second World War (the story is set a few years later in the 1950s).
Richard Armitage constructed a 'backstory' for the character. "[He] was bit of a bounty hunter," he said. "I
have worked out that he has been
very badly wronged by his own
family, so he is left penniless. He
finds out Mary is from a very
wealthy family and so he pretends
he has loads of money and they
get married. This all happens before
the story starts, so when the story
begins you find him married into this
family because he knows his wife
will inherit “old money”. I think his
intention was to get into the family,
get the money and get out." But at some point after the murder of Rachel Argyle he contracted polio, and is now confined to a wheelchair. "He has
become dependent on Mary and
her family, which has really
embittered him." [1]
Lisa Stansfield, who played his wife Mary, said, "Philip doesn’t
really like her - he married her for
her mother’s money. She’s a little
bit hard done by because she
married him for love and then found
out it wasn’t reciprocated." [1] The relationship between them is tense, with Mary trying to care for him and Philip resenting his dependence on her. This is typified in this excerpt from the drama.
For Richard Armitage as an actor, the part had its attractions. Philip is not, on the face of it, a very attractive person. "I’m trying to give
him a thread of reason and
humanity," he said. "And there is a glimmer with another character, who he
genuinely has affection for. It was a challenge because he has an
interesting journey. Being restrained by paralysis - I thought that would
be interesting to play." [1]
Of the drama, he said, "It’s like a big game of Cluedo, this episode. It’s all set in one house – it’s
quite contained and suffocating. There are so many characters, all of
whom are loose cannons. It’s quite fun to play it with a certain amount
of ambiguity because you know people are going to be looking at
everybody - you can lace everything with a bit of suspicion which ups
the game for everyone." [1] In fact, almost all the characters in the drama come under suspicion of having murdered Rachel Argyle at some point.
He has a slight link with Agatha Christie herself. "My mum used to play in Agatha Christie’s garden – she used to live in
Wallingford as a child and that’s where Christie had a house," he said. "My mum told me that she used to climb over the garden wall and play in her
garden. I’ve always got this image of my mum creeping up to the
house and pressing her nose against the window and watching
Agatha Christie at her typewriter. Complete fabrication in my head
probably!" [1]
Of Christie, he said, "I think she is quintessentially English, although it is an England
that has probably disappeared. It’s not about a council estate - it’s
about the moneyed Home Counties with posh people with posh
houses. It’s nostalgia, but it's good nostalgia." [1]
For many, Joan Hickson was the definitive Miss Marple, but Richard Armitage praised Geraldine McEwan's portrayal of the elderly but sharp detective. "Geraldine is probably part of that generation of nostalgics. To me, in
the best sense, she seems to have a true English eccentricity about her.
There’s something a bit other-worldly that she brings to Miss Marple -
she has such a beautiful, crisp, soft speaking voice. She doesn’t shout
or talk too loudly, which is the antithesis of what we seem to see
nowadays on television – shouting, screaming, crying, abusive
relationships. This is very much the opposite, which is the appeal.” [1]
He enjoyed the filming of the drama. "It’s particularly nice having Lisa Stansfield push me around in a
wheelchair! I kept turning round to her and saying “go on, sing All
Around The World”! It is quite surreal seeing all these people like Juliet
Stevenson and Jane Seymour and Alison Steadman. Everyone had so
much fun. It felt like we were on a three-week murder mystery weekend!
I think what attracts everyone to it is that they will be part of an
ensemble, and a really starry ensemble." [1]
Source
[1] Chorion/ITV press pack for Miss Marple, series 3
Back to top |
