BBC broadcasts more corsets
November 13, 2007 
A new BBC Two film by acclaimed writer-director Stephen Poliakoff that was broadcast on Monday night featured a compulsive storyline, a host of talented actors and one or two corsets.
In Capturing Mary, Maggie Smith stars as the eponymous heroine who recollects her experiences in an old house in central London when she visits the building in later years.
In the flashbacks to her life as a journalist in the 50s, Ruth Wilson plays the younger version of Mary and wears a corset for the role.
Wearing a green satin corset dress to attend a party, Mary is drawn into the sinister secrets of Greville, an older man played by David Walliams, whom she meets at the gathering. This character turns the fortunes of the promising writer after she spurns his advances.
Incidentally, at the party Mary is also entertained by a pair of risque music hall artists, who perform old-time songs wearing red lacy corsets.
Deborah Jones, the producer of Capturing Mary, said: "With this drama, Stephen once again demonstrates a wonderful sense of structure and rhythm and an unrivalled mastery of detail.
"At the same time Stephen is not afraid to go into uncomfortable areas, which is refreshing and bold. He also possesses a remarkable ability to conjure up character; each character in this film is rich and interesting in its own right."
Poliakoff himself said: "David Walliams and Ruth Wilson are a really interesting combination. I think they work so well together.
"We did a lot of rehearsing beforehand, which is rare in television these days, and during that period David and Ruth worked exceptionally hard to create their characters. It really paid off, because they absolutely inhabit that world."
While wearing a 50s-style corset dress, Ms Wilson is more used traditional corsets of older eras, after her Bafta-award-winning performance as the heroine in Jane Eyre.
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