 The
crinolines and corsets are tossed aside in this lavish TV adaptation of one
of the most notoriously filthy novels in English literature, John Cleland's
Fanny Hill. Starring Alison Steadman, Hugo Speer and Samantha Bond
and introducing Rebecca Night as the eponymous Fanny, this sumptuous BBC
drama, first shown on BBC 4, when it received the biggest-ever audience for
the channel, will be available to buy on DVD on 21st January 2008
from Fremantle Media.With a screenplay by Andrew Davies (Pride & Prejudice, Tipping The Velvet), the undisputed master of ripping bodices and breeches, Fanny Hill is the titillating story of a young country girl who falls into a life of prostitution in bawdy 18th-century London. After losing her parents to smallpox, Fanny is lured to London by her childhood friend Esther Davies (Emma Stansfield). Esther introduces the innocent Fanny to the notorious madam Mrs Brown (Alison Steadman) who in turn offers her a way to earn her keep. The horrified Fanny escapes Mrs Brown's clutches by eloping with one of the clients, Charles (Alex Robertson). The two live happily for a while in Mrs Jones' (Ruth Sheen) house, but when Charles' father discovers that his son's fiancée is a prostitute he banishes him to the West Indies leaving Fanny alone and destitute. Having lost Charles's baby and with no income, Mrs Jones introduces Fanny to Mr H (Hugo Speer) and she reluctantly agrees to be his mistress. Driven mad by Fanny's continued love for Charles, Mr H sleeps with his maid and Fanny retaliates with his manservant. Expelled for her indiscretion, Fanny seeks out Esther at Mrs Cole's (Samantha Bond) brothel. There she embraces the varied clientele and her sexuality and embarks on a seductive rollercoaster ride of youthful experimentation and sexual liberation. Speaking about the drama, Andrew Davies says: "Fanny Hill is a brilliant story about a young woman learning the ways of the world – and making the world work for her. It is, perhaps, the ultimate kiss-and-tell story, with the difference that Fanny is not telling her story to make money, or to settle old scores with former lovers. She is on a mission: she wants to tell the truth about men's dealings with women, and to set down for the first time ever that women's desire is at least equal to men's." |
