Storming performance from Gleeson

TV Review

THEIR has been much written and said about Brendan Gleeson’s performance as Winston Churchhill in Into The Storm. Some have damned the Irish actor for apparently betraying his country.Nonsense, I say! The reality is that this may have been the performance of Brendan Gleeson’s life and, if Winston Churchill believed that he was born to lead Britain to victory in World War II, then Brendan Gleeson must have felt in some way that he was born to play Churchill.
Into the Storm has netted the Irish actor an Emmy and there is no doubt that he deserved this accolade based on the performance he gave in Monday night’s screening of the show on BBC One. It was a wonderful programme of which Gleeson was the shining star. However, he was flanked on all sides by wonderful acting, costumes, scripting and direction. I should add that the director of Into The Storm is Thaddeus O’Sullivan – another Irishman and a gifted director.
The writer behind Into The Storm is Hugh Whitmore and this adaptation of the events of World War II from Churchill’s point of view is the sequel to The Gathering Storm, which was broadcast in 2002 and was also written by Whitmore. In the first installment, Winston Churchill was played in all his cigar-smoking buff ways by Albert Finney. It was a fine performance but I, like many other critics, would wager that Gleeson’s version is better. There is something in the manner of his performance which manages to capture and portray the complexities of the man behind the voice that elevates him far beyond the caricature that many others have played Churchill as.
Words play a very important role in this programme and Whitmore’s emphasis on the speeches Churchill so famously delivered – his inspiration for these speeches and indeed his constant practising of them – plays a very important part in the development of the show and indeed the development of the character. In some ways, it plays out like a greatest hits of Churchill but we shall forgive this as it helps to move the story and the programme along with great deft and interest.
The performance of Churchill’s wife Clemmie, played by Janet McTeer, also deserves special mention. She was his rock on which he leaned very heavily but adored most ardently. She was also his confidant and his strongest critic. He valued her opinion above many and it was she who edited his speeches and advised him on wording. He didn’t always take her advice and in a wonderfully dramatic scene in which she criticises the speech which would ultimately lose him his office as Prime Minister to the Labour Party’s Clement Atlee, we see just how stubborn the man could be and how difficult life with him was for her. Janet McTeer’s performance is excellent and perhaps is deserving of greater praise than has been bestowed on her thus far.
The loss of the election damaged Winston Churchill greatly. He found it very difficult to come to terms with the fact that the people did not want him to lead the country which he had saved. The hurt that he felt is brilliantly portrayed by Gleeson. It is hard for the eyes to lie and great acting is the ability to trick your brain into believing that you are actually experiencing these emotions. Gleeson manages that with every look.
Into The Storm is an excellent programme which deals with a very large and important historical figure and historical period. Whatever your political beliefs, it is undeniable that the Second World War was a devastating and terrifying time in history. Millions of soldiers and civilians lost their lives and it is always important that we look back through whatever medium possible lest we forget the horrors of the past in the pursuit of the riches of the future.
The BBC have been running a search for the best school choir in Britain for the past two years. RTÉ have now followed suit and the final regional final will take place this Sunday. Based on the same format as the BBC version, RTÉ invited second-level schools from all over the island of Ireland to enter the competition. These entries were whittled down to just 20 to perform in regional finals. The regional finals have already been held in Belfast, Dublin and Cork, with the Sligo final to be held this week. There are five schools in each regional final and each week a winner is announced who will go on to compete in the final in Belfast. The winning choir will be crowned the All-Island Second-Level Schools Competition winners and will hold the title of best choir in Ireland and receive £5,000 sterling. The three other finalists will each receive £1,000.
Choirs from all over the land entered but the spread of finalists isn’t as even as one might expect. It seems some counties have produced more choirs than others with many boarding school among the finalists. The show is hosted by Anne Cassin and is perfect Sunday evening fodder for all the family. Anyone with an interest in choral singing will enjoy the performances and although some are clearly better than others, the work and effort put in by all of these young people is wonderful.
For some light entertainment and good choral performances on a Sunday evening, check it out on RTÉ One at 7.30pm.
One to watch: A new programme on 3e called Hung. This is supposed to be a laugh-out-loud comedy with a seedy edge – I think the title gives you a clue. Only time will tell but for now check it out and make up your own mind. It’s on 3e on Monday nights at 11.30pm.