In 1907 Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent was published, documenting a terrorist bomb threat in Great Britain with extremism and international disagreements at the heart of its dark plot. It may feel like a bizarre prognostication of similar occurrences in more recent years, but the reality is that it was as steeped in its own timeline’s troubles as it has continued to be throughout history. However, that doesn’t stop it from being an incredibly relevant production with the ongoing threat from ISIS and other extremist groups, which is why the upcoming BBC 1 adaptation is one to watch out for.
Air date
An official air date hasn’t been announced as of yet, but filming began in September and with three 60-minute episodes to the mini-series adaptation, it wouldn’t be too big a stretch to see it airing around the Christmas 2015 period. The last signifiacant adaptation of the book was the Christopher Hampton directed 1996 film, which starred Bob Hoskins, Patricia Arquette, Gérard Depardieu and Jim Broadbent.
Story
The story centres on secret Russian spy, Verloc, who runs a backstreet shop in Soho as a front for his operations in Britain to spy on a group of anarchists. When Russia becomes impatient with the British government for not doing anything to stop what it views as violent extremism, Verloc is given a new mission to provoke a bomb attack to force a crackdown on them.
However, hot on his tail is Chief Inspector Heat and the rest of the British police, leaving Verloc in a desperate position as he tries to fulfill his orders and avoid detection. As a result, he takes himself and his family deeper into the heart of a tragic terrorist plot as the the spy thriller draws to its dramatic culmination.
Cast
The cast for the new BBC 1 adaptation of The Secret Agent will see Toby Jones (Doctor Who, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) taking on the role of Verloc, alongside Vicky McClure (This Is England ’90), who will play his previously loyal wife, Winnie. They’re joined by Stephen Graham (Boardwalk Empire, This Is England ’90), who will be playing Chief Inspector Heat, and Ian Hart (Boardwalk Empire), who stars as the Professor.
Tom Goodman-Hill (Humans) will play Heat’s senior, Assistant Commissioner Stone, and David Rawson (Peaky Blinders) plays Verloc’s Russian intermediary, Vladimir. Tom Vaughan-Lawlor plays London anarchist, Michaelis, and Raphael Acloque plays his compatriot, Ossipon.
Production
The production of Joseph Conrad’s novel has been written by Tony Merchant, who’d previous credits include The Mark Of Cain and 18th Century BBC legal drama, Garrow’s Law. Charles McDougall (Queer As Folk) directs, making his return to UK television drama following a string of directorial credits for US shows, including The Office, The Tudors and House Of Cards. The three part adaptation is being overseen by executive producers, Simon Heath and Polly Hill, and produced by Priscilla Parrish.
First impressions
The cast looks very strong with two of the biggest hitters from the This Is England series, Stephen Graham and Vicky McClure, along with Toby Jones, who’s no slouch when it comes to serious acting skills either. It should be a tense spy thriller that dissects the topics of extremist groups, terrorism and , which featured so prominantly in Joseph Conrad’s classic novel.
