Gunpowder, Treason & Plot (2004) (TV)

Director:

Gillies MacKinnon

Writer:

Jimmy McGovern (writer)

Release Date:

14 March 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Mini series depicting the turbulent and bloody reigns of Scottish monarchs Mary, Queen of Scots and her son King James VI of Scotland who became King James I of England and foiled the Gunpowder Plot. |

Plot Keywords:

King | Gunpowder | Mary Queen Of Scots | England | Queen

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Vulpe Adrian	...	Soldier
Carmen Ungureanu	...	Mary of Guise
Clémence Poésy	...	Mary, Queen of Scots
Tadeusz Pasternak	...	David Riccio
Maria Popistasu	...	Lady Marie
Catherine McCormack	...	Queen Elizabeth I
Steven Duffy	...	Lord James
Catalin Babliuc	...	Father Michael
Kevin McKidd	...	Bothwell
Emil Hostina	...	Bothwell's Lieutenant
Daniela Nardini	...	Lady Huntly
Radu Andrei Micu	...	Sir John Huntly
Iona Ruxandra Bratosin	...	Young Mary
Gary Lewis	...	John Knox
Garry Sweeney	...	Lord Gunn
Michael Nardone	...	Lord Ruthven
Paul Nicholls	...	Lord Darnley
Adrian Stefan	...	Taylor
Daniel Cristian Iancu	...	English Soldier
Sira Stampe	...	Queen Anne of Denmark
Robert Carlyle	...	King James I
Tim McInnerny	...	Cecil
Iain Robertson	...	James Huntly
Richard Coyle	...	Catesby
Richard Harrington	...	Thomas Percy
Sam Troughton	...	Thomas Winter
Patrick O'Kane	...	Francis Tresham
Julian Firth	...	Peers The Parliamentarian
Michael Fassbender	...	Guy Fawkes
Emilia Fox	...	Lady Margaret
Madalina Constantin	...	Anne Tresham
Mihai Bendeac	...	Whynniard (as Mihai Valentin Bendeac)
Claudiu Istodor	...	Merchant
Catalin Istodor	...	Robert Digby
Rupert Procter	...	Lord Monteagle
Dan Bordeianu	...	Ward
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vasile Albinet	...	Ploter
Alex Buescu	...	James's servant
Gabi Burlacu	...	Ploter
Zoltan Butuc	...	Lord Huntly
Antonia Ionescu	...	Lynsday wife
Daniel Pasleaga	...	Ploter
Adrian Pavlovschi	...	Executioner (uncredited)
Vasilescu Valentin	...	Lord Killer (uncredited)

Directed by
Gillies MacKinnon

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jimmy McGovern		writer

Produced by
Catherine Aitken	....	executive producer (episode "Mary Queen of Scots")
Justin Bodle	....	executive producer
Robert Cooper	....	executive producer
Elinor Day	....	executive producer
Patrick Irwin	....	executive producer
Gub Neal	....	producer
Gareth Neame	....	executive producer
Gill Parry	....	executive producer (episode "Mary Queen of Scots")
Justin Thomson-Glover	....	executive producer
Alan J. Wands	....	producer

Original Music by
John E. Keane		(as John Keane)

Cinematography by
Nigel Willoughby

Film Editing by
Pia Di Ciaula

Casting by
Julia Duff
Craig Stokes
Andreea Tanasescu

Production Design by
Andy Harris

Art Direction by
Ioana Corciova
Margaret Horspool		(supervising art director)
Carmen Pasula

Set Decoration by
Liz Griffiths

Costume Design by
Nic Ede

Makeup Department
Gabi Cretan	....	makeup artist (as Gabriela Cretan)
Andreea Dardea	....	assistant makeup artist
Ioana Lita	....	hair stylist
Penny Smith	....	makeup designer
Steve Smith	....	assistant makeup artist (as Steven Smith)
Sue Westwood	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Linda Gamble	....	unit manager
Claire Hughes	....	production manager
Gabriel Popescu	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Delmar	....	second unit director
Alex Fotea	....	second second assistant director
Theodor Halacu-Nicon	....	first assistant director
Ian Madden	....	second unit director
Laurentiu Maronese	....	third assistant director
Virgil Nicolaescu	....	second assistant director (multiple episodes)
Ana-Alexandra Predescu	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Vasile Anghel	....	art department coordinator
Iulian Bostanaru	....	assistant art director
Louise Corcoran	....	production buyer: UK
Petre Enescu	....	scenery works supervisor
Fiona Gavin	....	draughtswoman
John Knight	....	property master
Tim Monroe	....	stand-by art director
Izabela Niculae	....	construction coordinator
Pisau Petrica	....	props
Adrian Popa	....	set decorator assistant
Andreea Popa	....	assistant art director
Doina Repanovici	....	draftsman
Alexandru Roxana	....	assistant art director
David Weatherstone	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Justine Angus	....	foley artist
Christian Bass	....	foley recordist
Colette Dahanne	....	assistant sound mixer
Iain Eyre	....	sound editor
Richard Fettes	....	dialogue editor
Chris Gurney	....	boom operator
Kahl Henderson	....	adr mixer
Steve Little	....	dialogue editor
Danny Longhurst	....	foley editor
Gerard Loret	....	sound effects editor
Liviu Lupsa	....	cable person
Colin Miller	....	sound effects editor
Adrian Rhodes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rosie Straker	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
Petre Constantin	....	special effects assistant
Mihai Reti	....	special effects supervisor
Florin Stoian	....	special effects assistant

Visual Effects by
Frazer Churchill	....	visual effects designer
Hal Couzens	....	visual effects producer: Double Negative
Neil Miller	....	matte painter: Double Negative

Stunts
Vasile Albinet	....	stunts
Aurel Boata	....	stunts
Ion Carangea	....	stunts
Florian Ciprian	....	stunt performer
Tom Delmar	....	stunt coordinator
Calin Ferezan	....	stunts
Mihai Iliescu	....	stunts
Mihai Ionita	....	stunts
Alin Luchian	....	stunt performer
John Maldea	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Catalin Mancafa	....	stunts
Dicu Marian	....	stunts
Mihaela Elena Oros	....	stunt double
Daniel Pasleaga	....	stunt performer
Carmen Preda	....	stunt double
Nicolae Stoica	....	stunt double (as Nicu Stoica)
Valeriu Tomescu	....	stunts
Dicu Aurel	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Gabi Burlacu	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nelu Caragea	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Andrabulea Cigel	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Nicu Constantin	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Ion Craciun	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Eugen Dinca	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Ciprian Dumitrascu	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Doru Dumitrescu	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Petre Dumitru	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Marius Florian	....	assistant stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Serban Gabriel	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Razvan Gheorghiu	....	assistant stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Viorel Ivanica	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
John Maldea	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Silviu Mihai	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Adrian Pavlovschi	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Florin Pirvu	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Vasile Popa	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Rasvan Puiu	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Romeo Raicu	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Gita Rena	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Vasilescu Valentin	....	utility stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cos Aelenei	....	still photographer
David Bourke	....	gaffer
Catalin Ciobanu	....	electrician
Alexandru Durac	....	second assistant camera
Andy Edridge	....	key grip
Tom Gates	....	gaffer
Marios Ivascu	....	camera operator
Marius Ivascu	....	camera operator
Ionut Lupulescu	....	camera loader
Florin Nicolae	....	gaffer
George Nicolae	....	best boy
Sam Osborne	....	focus puller
Razvan Paslaru	....	grip
Bogdan Stanciu	....	Steadicam operator
Nicolae Vasile	....	electrician

Casting Department
Sylvie Brocheré	....	additional casting
Vasile Filipescu	....	additional casting
Liliana Toma	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Heather Blurton	....	costume stand-by
Nicoleta Cirnu	....	assistant wardrobe
Alan Flyng	....	costume supervisor: men
Radu Mada	....	assistant costume designer
Gillian Martin	....	costume supervisor: women
Claudia Sarbu	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Chris Beeton	....	colorist
Cas Casey	....	on-line editor
Paul Hyman	....	second assistant editor
Karoline Moser	....	first assistant editor

Transportation Department
Cristi Chitu	....	unit transportation coordinator

Other crew
Bita Adrian Claudiu	....	production assistant
George Anton	....	production assistant
Tatiana Badea	....	production assistant
Tatiana Badea	....	translator
Andra Barbuica	....	script supervisor
Andrei Boncea	....	general manager: MediaPro Studios
Sorin Boncea	....	production assistant
John Bridson	....	business affairs executive
Neil Cairns	....	production accountant
Jo Cameron Brown	....	dialect coach: adr
Ioana Cernescu	....	assistant to director
Raul Cosma	....	key set production assistant
Laura Grosu	....	extras coordinator
Alice Lusher	....	production coordinator
John Maldea	....	horse wrangler (as Ion Maldea)
Jennifer McAufield	....	production executive: BBC
Catriona McKenzie	....	script executive
Iana Opran	....	production secretary
Mirela Pancu	....	production accountant
Dorina Popa	....	assistant accountant
Sanda Popescu	....	production coordinator
Razvan Radutiu	....	location manager
Roxy Spencer	....	script editor
Corina Toader	....	stand-in
Vlad Iacob	....	horse master (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Raging Star Films (in association with) ("Mary Queen of Scots" episodes)
• Box TV
• Power
• Powercorp

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2004) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• Powercorp (2004) (worldwide) (all media)
• Alpha Filmes (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• De Lane Lea  sound post-production
• Fatts  post-production script services
• International Stunt Company, The  stunt services and rentals
• Mediapro Studios  production facilities
• Sound Design Company, The  sound editing equipment

Runtime:

205 min (3 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Raging Star Films

Quotes:

David Riccio: Beautiful, is she not?
Bothwell: Who?
David Riccio: You would marry her?
Bothwell: I might consider it, aye.
David Riccio: But you are not the Dauphin of France, the heir apparent of Spain.
Bothwell: No.
David Riccio: And you are not rich?
[pause]
David Riccio: So what would you bring to such a marriage?

Soundtrack:

Nu Gandeasca Tat Omu

Remember, Remember the 5th of November...

This is a BBC historical drama penned by Jimmy McGovern shown in 3 episodes starting in 1561 with the turbulent reign of Mary Queen of Scots and climaxing with the dastardly plot conceived by Robert Catesby, Guy Fawkes et al to assassinate her son King James by blowing up Parliament on November 5 1605. It is a lively piece, full of political and religious intrigue and very bloody in parts - believe me, the sword is not spared. The directorial style, particularly in the final episode was at times a little disconcerting; some of the characters would suddenly turn and speak directly to the camera, but this was my only criticism.

Some great performances, in particular that of Robert Carlyle as a moody, intense and utterly ruthless King James. An unrecognisable Catherine McCormack (remember Murron, William Wallace's young wife in Braveheart?) plays a scheming, all-powerful Queen Bess ("DESTROY HIM!"), whose scenes are sadly brief but memorable. Clemence Poesy, a gorgeous young French actress, gives the character of Mary a naivete and sensuality previously unseen in period pieces covering this time-frame. British audiences will recognise a now fully-grown Paul Nicholls (young Joe Wicks from Eastenders) who clearly relished his scenes playing the doomed Lord Darnley. (A possible future Bond, perhaps). Steven Duffy does well as a treacherous and highly ambitious Lord James, half-brother of Queen Mary, while Kevin McKidd lends dignity and heroism to the character of Bothwell, lover of the young Queen. Tim McInnerny is previously well-known for his comedic performances in the historical comedy Blackadder, so it was a nice change to see him as the cold, calculating Cecil, most powerful man in England.

The accuracy of certain events will no doubt be disputed by historians (the execution of Queen Mary, for example: never before have I seen it portrayed as a plot by James VI to murder his mother in order to get his own hands on the English Crown). But it is a highly enjoyable period drama whose main theme, the eternal struggle between Protestant and Catholics, is used to great effect to portray the events leading up to one of the most infamous plots in British history, commemorated every single 5th November all over these islands ever since.