Nigel Williams – What Was Pebble Mill?

Witchcraft

Script front page and cast list for the BBC 2 drama Witchcraft. This was a two parter on BBC 2, transmitted in 1992, written by Nigel Williams and directed by Peter Sasdy.

It was a challenging production, with several members of the team left bruised by the experience.

Here is the BFI database entry for the drama:

Part 1:

A film school teacher chooses 17th-century witchcraft and adultery as the theme of his latest script. As shooting of the film begins, real-life events take on a menacing quality and events from the past seem to be being re-enacted in the present. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/463201

Part 2:

As reality and fiction blur, the parallels between the 17th-century past and the present drive Jamie to a breakdown. He becomes possessed by the image of Ezekiel, the Witchfinder. Meg makes a bizarre discovery putting everyone’s lives at risk. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/481195

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Christine Houston: ‘(Film Unit) Made rare location visit to take replacement equipment. The set was a totally constructed medieval village in the middle of a field, complete with olde worlde long-horned cattle. Managed to watch about 30secs of filming before director “cut” to query authenticity of costumes for the period!! I had a catering services lunch with the crew while the exasperated costume dept tried to convince him all was good. Also remember being completely disorientated when Tim Everett put his headphones on me – thought there were people talking behind me when they were actually on the other side of the field. WEIRD!!’

Victoria Trow: ‘Oh blimey, Peter Sasdy, divide and rule merchant. The editing team was at the rehearsal rooms. The best advice we had was from the PA who said we should always write down any instructions from Peter to cover ourselves. John [Rosser] wouldn’t talk about Peter until he’d not only left the building but had been seen to drive away in his car – John was convinced he had bat hearing. Nightmare yes, intense yes, fun in some kind of crazy way, yes; was it worth it, was it a good film? No!’

Terry Powell: ‘The directer was a nightmare bully, sexist and just a complete —-. I think that covers that. Terry, costume.’

‘Kinsey’, ‘Witchcraft’, ‘Olly’s Prison’, ‘Dead Romantic’

This copy of the BBC internal newletter – ‘Midlands News’ from 1992 makes mention of the successful second series of ‘Kinsey’ produced by Carol Parks, and looks forward to the transmission of ‘Witchcraft’. ‘Witchcraft’ was written by Nigel Williams. Both productions were had Barry Hanson as executive producer. ‘Olly’s Prison’ and ‘Dead Romantic’ are also mentioned.

Thanks to Marie Phillips for making this copy of ‘Midlands News’ available.

Witchcraft – photos by Willoughby Gullachsen

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.

‘Witchcraft’ was a drama serial transmitted in 1992. It was produced at Pebble Mill in 1991 by Carol Parks, with Barry Hanson as exec producer. the script was written by Nigel Williams, and directed by Peter Sasdy. John Greening was the 1st AD, with Will Trotter as Location Manager. Jane Barton was the PA. Nigel Jones was the designer, with John Plush his assistant. John Kenway was the lighting cameraman, Herbie Donnelly the lighting gaffer and Tim Everett the sound recordist. John Rosser was the film editor.

The storyline features a film school teacher, Jamie, who chooses 17th-century witchcraft and adultery as the theme of his latest script. As shooting of the film begins, real-life events take on a menacing quality and events from the past seem to be being re-enacted in the present. Fact and fiction blur, and Jamie suffers a breakdown and becomes possessed by the Witchfinder.

The series starred Peter McEnery as Jamie Matheson, Alan Howard as Alan Oakfield, Lisa Harrow as Meg, Georgia Slowe as Judy, Judy Campbell as Juliet, Clive Wood as Rick, Dorian Healy as Derwent, Rosemary McHale as Ruth, Suzannah Lipscomb as Emma, and Kit Owen as Thomasina.

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