Mervyn Peake

Mervyn Laurence Peake (July 9, 1911 - November 17, 1968) was a British modernist writer, artist, poet and illustrator. He is best known for what are usually referred to as the Gormenghast books, though the Titus books would be more accurate: the four works that exist were the beginning of what Peake conceived as a lengthy cycle, following his protagonist Titus Groan from cradle to grave, but Peake's untimely death interrupted the cycle at what is now commonly but erroneously called a trilogy. They are sometimes compared to the work of his contemporary J.R.R. Tolkien, but his surreal fiction was influenced by his early love for Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson rather than Tolkien's studies of mythology and philology.

Dramatic adaptations of Peake's work

In 1984, BBC Radio 4 broadcast two 90-minute plays based on Titus Groan and Gormenghast, adapted by Brian Sibley and starring Sting as Steerpike and Freddie Jones as the Artist (narrator). A slightly abridged compilation of the two, running to 160 minutes, and entitled Titus Groan of Gormenghast, was broadcast on Christmas Day, 1992. BBC 7 repeated the original versions on 21 and 28 September, 2003.

Related Topics:
1984 - BBC Radio 4 - Titus Groan - Gormenghast - Brian Sibley - Sting - Steerpike - Freddie Jones - Christmas Day - 1992 - BBC 7 - 21 - 28 September - 2003

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In 1986 Mr Pye was adapted as a four-part Channel 4 miniseries starring Derek Jacobi.

Related Topics:
1986 - Derek Jacobi

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In 2000, the BBC and WGBH Boston co-produced a lavish miniseries, titled Gormenghast, based on the first two books of the trilogy. It starred Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Steerpike, Neve McIntosh as Fuchsia, June Brown as Nannie Slagg, Ian Richardson as Lord Groan, Christopher Lee as Flay, Richard Griffiths as Swelter, Warren Mitchell as Barquentine, Celia Imrie as Countess Gertrude, Lynsey Baxter and Zoe Wanamaker as the twins, Cora and Clarice, and John Sessions as Dr Prunesquallor. The supporting cast included Stephen Fry and Eric Sykes and the series is also notable as the last screen performance by comedy legend Spike Milligan (as the Headmaster).

Related Topics:
2000 - BBC - WGBH Boston - Gormenghast - Jonathan Rhys-Meyers - Neve McIntosh - June Brown - Ian Richardson - Christopher Lee - Richard Griffiths - Warren Mitchell - Celia Imrie - Lynsey Baxter - Zoe Wanamaker - John Sessions - Stephen Fry - Eric Sykes - Spike Milligan

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The 30-minute TV short film A Boy In Darkness (also made in 2000 and adapted from Peake's short story) was the first production from the BBC Drama Lab. It was set in a 'virtual' computer-generated world created by young computer game designers, and starred Jack Ryder (from Eastenders) as Titus, with Terry Jones (Monty Python's Flying Circus) narrating.

Related Topics:
2000 - Jack Ryder - Eastenders - Terry Jones - Monty Python's Flying Circus

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Irmin Schmidt, founder of seminal German 'Krautrock' group Can wrote an opera called Gormenghast, based on the novels; it was first performed in Wuppertal, Germany, in November 1998. A number of early songs by New Zealand rock group Split Enz were inspired by Peake's work.

Related Topics:
Irmin Schmidt - Krautrock - Can - Split Enz

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