法律之外

DanielMays(LineOfDuty,RogueOne:AStarWarsStory,PublicEnemies)starsinBBCTwo’spowerfulfactualdramaasPeterWildeblood,athoughtfulandprivategayjournalistwhoseloverEddieMcNally(playedbynewcomertotelevision,RichardGadd),underpressurefromtheauthorities,turnedQueen’sevidenceagainsthiminoneofthemostexplosivecourtcasesofthe1950s-theinfamousMontaguTrial.Morethantenyearsbeforethedecriminalisationofhomosexualactsin1967,PeterWildeblood,andhisfriendsLordMontagu(MarkEdel-Hunt)andMichaelPitt-Rivers,werefoundguiltyofhomosexualoffencesandjailed.Withhiscareerintattersandhisprivatelifepainfullyexposed,Wildebloodbeganhissentenceabrokenman,butheemergedfromWormwoodScrubsayearlaterdeterminedtodoallhecouldtochangethewaythesedraconianlawsagainsthomosexualityimpactedonthelivesofmenlikehim.Danielsays:「I’mincrediblyproudtobepartofadramathattellssuchanimportantreal-lifestory.PeterWildebloodisafascinating,complex,yetflawedcharacterfromatimewhenbeingagaymaninBritainwasincrediblydifficult-Ican’twaittobringhistaletolifefortheBBCTwoaudience.」PatrickHolland,ChannelEditor,BBCTwo,said:「50yearsago,itwasacrimetobeagaymanintheUK.AgainstTheLawisastunningpiecethatmeldsdramaanddocumentarytestimonytotellthestoryofoneman,andhiswidergeneration,astheystruggledtomakesocietyaccepttheirsexualityasnon-criminal.ItisbrillianttohaveafilmthatbringstheauthorshipofBrianFillis,thevisionofdirectorFergusO’Brien,andtheoutstandingtalentofDanielMaysandcasttothisimportantsubject」ThedramaalsofeaturesMarkGatiss(Taboo,Sherlock)asWildeblood’sprisonpsychiatrist,DoctorLandersandCharlieCreed-Miles(RipperStreet,PeakyBlinders)asSuperintendentJones.Woventhroughthispowerfuldramaisreal-lifetestimonyfromachorusofmenwholivedthroughthosedarkdays,whenhomosexualswereroutinelyimprisonedorforcedtoundergochemicalaversiontherapyinanattempttocurethemoftheir"condition".Thereisalsotestimonyfromaretiredpoliceofficerwhosejobitwastoenforcetheselaws,andaformerpsychiatricnursewhoadministeredtheso-calledcures.Alloftheseaccountsservetoamplifythethemesofthedramaandhelptoimmerseusintherealityofadarkchapterinourrecentpast,apaststillwithinthereachoflivingmemory.