In the Bleak Midwinter (1995)

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writer:

Kenneth Branagh (written by)

Release Date:

16 February 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The drama. The passion. The intrigue... And the rehearsals haven't even started.

Plot:

Out of work actor Joe volunteers to help try and save his sister's local church for the community by putting on a Christmas production of Hamlet...

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Actor | Play | Homosexual | William Shakespeare

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Richard Briers	...	Henry Wakefield (Claudius, the Ghost, and the Player King)
Hetta Charnley	...	Molly
Joan Collins	...	Margaretta D'Arcy
Nicholas Farrell	...	Tom Newman (Laertes, Fortinbras, and messengers)
Mark Hadfield	...	Vernon Spatch (Polonius, Marcellus, and First Gravedigger)
Gerard Horan	...	Carnforth Greville (Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Horatio, and Barnardo)
Celia Imrie	...	Fadge
Michael Maloney	...	Joe Harper (Hamlet)
Jennifer Saunders	...	Nancy Crawford
Julia Sawalha	...	Nina Raymond (Ophelia)
John Sessions	...	Terry Du Bois (Queen Gertrude)
Ann Davies	...	Mrs. Branch
James D. White	...	Tim
Robert Hines	...	Mortimer
Allie Byrne	...	Tap Dancer
Adrian Scarborough	...	Young Actor
Brian Pettifer	...	Ventriloquist (as Brian Petifer)
Patrick Doyle	...	Scotsman
Shaun Prendergast	...	Mule Train Man
Carol Starks	...	Audience Member
Edward Jewesbury	...	Nina's Father
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Katy Carmichael	...	Mad Puppet Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Kenneth Branagh

Writing credits
Kenneth Branagh		(written by)

Produced by
David Barron	....	producer
Iona Price	....	associate producer
Tamar Thomas	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jimmy Yuill

Cinematography by
Roger Lanser

Film Editing by
Neil Farrell

Production Design by
Tim Harvey

Costume Design by
Caroline Harris

Makeup Department
Sally Harrison	....	hair stylist: Ms. Collins
Joan Hills	....	makeup artist: Ms. Saunders
Ivana Primorac	....	makeup artist
Jenny Shircore	....	hair stylist
Jenny Shircore	....	makeup artist
Christine White	....	makeup artist
Christine Whitney	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Emma Griffiths	....	third assistant director
Simon Moseley	....	first assistant director
Matthew Penry-Davey	....	third assistant director
Emma Pounds	....	assistant director

Art Department
Frank Billington-Marks	....	property master (as Frank Billington Marks)
Celia Bobak	....	property buyer
Michael Cohen	....	stagehand
Peter Grant	....	stand-by property master
Peter Mounsey	....	painter
Nic Pallace	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Kevin Ahern	....	assistant dialogue editor
Ed Colyer	....	foley artist
Richard Fettes	....	sound editor
Clive Fleury	....	boom operator
Peter Glossop	....	production sound mixer
Tom Glossop	....	sound assistant
Dominic Lester	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gerard McCann	....	foley editor
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jim Roddan	....	dialogue editor
Melanie Viner-Cuneo	....	assistant sound editor

Stunts
Chrissy Monk	....	stunts (as Chrissie Monk)

Camera and Electrical Department
David Appleby	....	still photographer
Marc Atherfold	....	camera trainee
Trevor Coop	....	camera operator
Michael Cuming	....	grip assistant
John Curtis	....	electrician
Simon Finney	....	focus puller
Skip Margetts	....	clapper loader
Billy Merrell	....	best boy electric
Alf Newvell	....	rigger
Tom O'Sullivan	....	electrician
Nick Penn	....	focus puller
Ken Pettigrew	....	gaffer
Darren Quinn	....	grip
Ian Rolfe	....	rigger

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nicole Farhi	....	costumes: Ms. Collins
Geraldine Geraghty	....	wardrobe assistant
Betty Jackson	....	costumes: Ms. Saunders
Caroline Kelly	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Jens Baylis	....	editor trainee
Robbie Broughton	....	second assistant editor
Daniel Farrell	....	first assistant editor
Melanie Viner-Cuneo	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Paul Hulme	....	music engineer
Tom Meadows	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Mike Beaven	....	unit driver
Paul Gamby	....	unit driver
Terry Pritchard	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Ray Adams	....	laboratory supervisor
Anne Casey	....	unit nurse
Alan Church	....	title designer
Rebecca Ciallella	....	production assistant
Simon Giles	....	title designer
Nick Hall	....	fight arranger
Nola Haynes	....	skating coach
Sally Ross	....	production assistant
John Sargent	....	production accountant
Brian Shemmings	....	health and safety
Tom White	....	location manager
Anna Worley	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Castle Rock Entertainment
• Midwinter Films

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Classics (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner (1995) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmayer-Castle Rock-Turner S.A. (1996) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Filmes Lusomundo (1996) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (1995) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (1995) (France) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• Air-Edel Recording Studios  music recorded at
• Corbett & Keene  publicity
• D & D International Locations  location transport (as D & D International Ltd.)
• Delta Sound Services  foley recorded by
• Edit Hire (New Technology)  editing equipment
• First Choice Location Services  catering services
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Location Facilities  facilities
• Magic Camera Company, The  opticals
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Sargent Disc  payroll services
• Sec Fire and Rescue Ltd.  fire protection
• Twickenham Film Studios  re-recording facilities

Also Known As:

A Midwinter's Tale (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for some language.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Germany:12 | New Zealand:M | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

Jimmy Yuill Was offered a key role but had to pass because of his commitments to Wycliffe.

Quotes:

[Prepping Molly to play Hamlet]
Tom Newman: The fight! If it all goes wrong, drop the sword, take this off, and throw it at me. Then I say, "The boot! The boot was poisoned!" and die.

Movie Connections:

Featured in To Be on Camera: A History with Hamlet (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

In The Bleak Midwinter

Wonderful Underrated Classic

This was a film that I wanted to see from the very second that I heard about it. Unfortunately (for one reason and another) I missed it at the cinema and was forced to trawl the depths of video stores to find it. It is a beautifully shot, subtly hilarious piece of cinematic history. Anyone who has ever worked in theatres or have met "theatre types" will empathise with the characters immediately...and anyone who has never experienced the backstage "goings on" of theatres should watch this film to experience the endearing qualities of theatre in its extreme.

Quite simply this film is wonderful and has made me a huge fan of Kenneth Branagh's writing and direction.

My only complaint about this film is that it is impossible to find!! Why can't we buy it on DVD yet??!