The Mystery Of Edwin Drood - Review by Maggie Woods

“Although Charles Dickens died before
completing his alluring, darkly-gothic
classic murder mystery story of sibling
rivalry, destructive jealousy and
unrequited love, The Mystery Of Edwin
Drood remains a fascinating and
intriguing example of the Victorian
author’s talents, perfectly adapted for
television as another gem for the BBC...”

DESTINED BY VIRTUE OF HER FATHER'S WILL to marry the youthful, ambitious and dashing Edwin Drood (Freddie Fox: King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword), the lovely Rosa Bud (Tamzin Merchant: Jane Eyre) welcomes him as he visits the school where she is finishing her education, to the consternation of her envious friends.

Sadly for 17-year-old Rosa, there is one obstacle that stands in her way — her fear of Edwin's beloved Uncle Jack, John Jasper (Matthew Rhys: The Americans), who casts a dark shadow over their relationship with his desire for his nephew's fiancée, although Edwin, whom Jasper calls Ned, can see no wrong in him.

“The darkly gothic
The Mystery
Of Edwin Drood
is an enthralling and
intriguing tale effectively
adapted by the BBC
to join its noteworthy list
of delightful
Dickens’ dramas...”

Unknown to his friends, the deeply disturbed John Jasper, a respected choirmaster at the cathedral in the city of Cloisterham, frequents a notorious opium den run by "Princess Puffer" (Ellie Harrington), where he has visions of ridding himself of Edwin in order to woo the object of his desire, Rosa.

Things become further complicated with the arrival of Helena Landless (Amber Rose Revah) and her brother Neville (Sacha Dhawan) from Ceylon, claiming that their father is Edwin's father Captain Edwin Drood, who died in a mining accident in Egypt.

Neville appears to have a soft spot for Rosa and a jealous Jasper tries to get rid of him by blaming him for murder following the sudden disappearance of Edwin.

The worst is feared, and Jasper descends deeper into madness. Would he really murder the only person whom he had ever felt loved him unconditionally or would his obsession with Rosa push him over the edge to carry out the most unthinkable crime?

The Reverend Septimus Crisparkel (Rory Kinnear) and Mrs McKenzie (the ever-fresh Julia McKenzie) fear for Jasper's sanity, but more family secrets are coming out of the woodwork along with the reasons for Jasper's love-hate relationship with his nephew.

The darkly gothic The Mystery Of Edwin Drood is an enthralling and intriguing tale, effectively adapted by the BBC in 2012 to join its noteworthy list of delightful Dickens' dramas.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood also features: Alun Armstrong as Mr Grewgious; Ron Cook as Durdles; Ian McNeice as Mayor Sapsea; Janet Dale as Miss Twinkleton; Alfie Davis as Deputy; David Dawson as Bazzard; and Josie Farmiloe as The Maid.

The Composer is John Lunn; Director of Photography is Alan Almond; Screenplay is by Gwyneth Hughes; Produced by Lisa Osborne; and Directed by Diarmuid Lawrence.

* Charles Dickens' The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, dramatically adapted by Gwyneth Hughes, originally aired on BBC2 and will be released in the UK for the first time on DVD by Second Sight on 6 November 2017. Certificate: 12 | Running Time: 120 Minutes Approximately | Catalogue Number: 2NDVD3329 | RRP: £15.99.

"The darkly gothic The Mystery Of Edwin Drood is an enthralling and intriguing tale effectively adapted by the BBC in 2012 to join its noteworthy list of delightful Dickens' dramas" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar

"A Dickensian delight" — The Guardian

"I was absorbed from the start by this dark little gothic tale. The Mystery of Edwin Drood is the latest demonstration that Dickens and telly go together like custard and jelly" — The Telegraph

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