The BFI London Film Festival (LFF) opened last night (October 7) with tears followed by disco dancing as Simon Stone’s Elsinore opened the 70th
The BFI London Film Festival (LFF) opened last night (October 7) with tears followed by disco dancing as Simon Stone’s Elsinore opened the 70th edition of the festival.
Elsinore is based on the life of UK actor Ian Charleson, played by Andrew Scott, as he endeavours to perform Hamlet on stage in London while dying from Aids in the delayed 1980s.
Much of the film was shot and is set at the National Theatre, a stone’s throw from LFF’s opening-night venue, the Royal Festival Hall.
“It’s such a great honour for us to be able to open the 70th edition of the festival with a work that centres community, resistance, and the triumph of art,” said LFF director Kristy Matheson.
Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson and Joe Locke also star in the film.
BFI CEO Ben Roberts emphasised the UK-wide footprint of LFF in his opening night speech. “Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Scottish, Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Sheffield… We really want to make it a UK-wide festival.”
Post-screening, the tearful audience welcomed the cast to the stage, with a standing ovation for Scott.
But the real stars of the night were some of the actual people in Charleson’s life who featured in the film. Scott introduced them to the stage alongside the actors who portrayed them: Linda Tolhurst, the stage doorkeeper at the National Theatre for 46 years, with Monica Dolan; long-time National Theatre dresser Ralph Mills, with Paul Chahidi; and actor and director Sean Mathias, played by Matthew Beard.
The biggest cheer, and another standing ovation, was reserved for Dr Margaret Johnson, who was joined by Colman who portrays her in the film. Johnson treated Charleson towards the end of his life, and is a pioneer of HIV and Aids care in the UK. She set up a London HIV clinic, renamed the Ian Charleson Day Centre.
Although not in the film, Charleson’s real-life sister Lizzie Charleson was also on stage. “She’s someone I hope I can call a new friend, who has been completely wonderful to me in this whole experience,” said Scott.
The ceremony ended with Scott directing the audience to dance their way out of the theatre to The Ethel Merman Disco Album, which provides the soundtrack to some of the film. “He went out performing,” added Scott. “So this one’s for you, Ian.”
Elsinore is produced by the UK’s Magnolia Mae Entertainment, with Italy’s Lucky Red, and backing from LD Entertainment and Studiocanal. Studiocanal is releasing the film in territories including UK-Ireland and France, and Focus Features has North American rights.
“The film industry is fed from the theatre”
Earlier on the red carpet, director Stone told Screen he believed the film industry should look to the theatre world for inspiration and allocate more budget for research and development.
“In the theatre world, we’re always trying to see if something works for quite a while before we dismiss it as an idea,” said Stone, adding, “R&D being a part of the film industry would be an extraordinary improvement.”
Elsinore screenwriter Stephen Beresford said that he would love to see more of a “symbiotic” relationship between the film and theatre industries.
LFF continues until October 18.
