Ian Dury as De Flores.

SYNOPSIS

Beatrice Joanna is the daughter of the most powerful man in Alicante. Already engaged to be married, she now falls in love with another young nobleman, and in desperation conspires with her father's servant, the hideously disfigured De Flores, to murder her fiancee. But having committed the crime, De Flores demands the reward of her virginity - and so begins the tragic spiral of lies, deception and murder.

The Changeling is based on Middleton and Rowley's tragic drama which has been performed and appreciated for over 300 years - yet never before brought to film.

Marcus Thompson's radical adaptation shot in Alicante and Pinewood Studios, brings to life the play's sardonic realism with a flamboyance of contemporary style. Startling visual imagery combined with sumptuous sets, and costumes by Elizabeth Emanuel, are underlined by a haunting soundtrack by Brian Gray and Gary Moore, which transforms the work into a powerful and electrifying cinema experience.

The final outcome is a compelling and obsessive film - the story of two damned souls, Beatrice and De Flores - that culminates in an orgy of madness, sex and death.

The Changeling (1622) is a powerful work which has been performed, appreciated and exhaustively analysed for over three hundred years. Samuel Pepys recorded a visit to a successful performance at the Salisbury Court Theatre on the 23 February 1660. It is now regarded as one of the major plays of the Jacobean period. According to critic TB Tomlinson 'outside of Shakespeare, the most obviously intelligent play in English'. It is frequently studied as part of the English A Level syllabus.

Though The Changeling is in many ways a play of its time, particularly in its mood, it's concern with the process of human corruption, and its scenes of sensational horror, it has become increasingly popular with twentieth century audiences. In recent times it has moved literally into the limelight as one stage director after another has responded to the contemporary appeal of Middleton's sardonic realism and his strong sense of theatre.

It is a play which has received a considerable amount of critical attention. T.S Elliot expressed the view that The Changeling has a moral universality which makes it not simply a play of it's times; he said that 'more than any other play except those of Shakespeare it has a profound and permanent moral value and horror'. Twentieth century audiences have become receptive to Jacobean plays, and there can be many reasons. It may be that contemporary audiences see the predominant sexual interest and the violence of some scenes as being true to life. The events of The Changeling are hardly more lurid and sordid than events reported in some of our more sensational newspapers. The modern audience is aware of the inner life of the individual and of human sexuality. We respond with fascination to a pre-Freudian play which shows such a remarkable intuitive understanding of human psychology.

The main interest of twentieth century critics has been in the psychological exploration of the Beatrice - De Flores relationship. Critics have been divided over the interest and artistic integrity of the sub-plot, though many argue a close thematic relation between the main plot and sub-plot, in which the sub plot presents the triumph of virtue whilst the main plot shows the overthrow of vice, sin and temptation.

The Changeling powerfully presents the tragic spectacle of a woman unwittingly bringing about her own destruction, and, although she is not admirable, nor even very likable, the audience watches in horror. Middleton and Rowley found the story for the main plot of The Changeling in a book by John Reynolds entitled 'The Triumphs of God's Revenge against the Crying and Execrable Sin of Wilful and Premeditated Murder' (1621), and a translation by Leonard Digges of a Spanish story called 'Gerardo, The Unfortunate Spaniard' (1622). No definite source for the sub-plot has been identified.

From early beginnings as an assistant film editor at Granada Television, Marcus Thompson is steadily becoming an accomplished screenwriter, director and producer. His years of experience as a film editor is proving to be an invaluable foundation on which to base his directorial career. Drawing, collage and painting are important and influence the rest of his work. He has recently completed his first feature film, Middleton’s Changeling, and is currently working on A Place To Stay, which he scripted and will direct in July ‘99.

1999 Appointed to jury of Fantasporto 99 Portugese International Film Festival.

1998 Completed Middleton’s Changeling, (96 mins, 35 mm CinemaScope, Colour, Digital Dolby SRD, Icon Entertainment International.)

1997 Writer : A Place To Stay.

1995 Writer : The Biggest Thing that Ever Hit Broadway.

1994 Established British based High Time Pictures with Peter King to develop and produced independent feature films. Scripted/directed/produced Middleton’s Changeling.

1989/93 Produced and directed numerous music videos for EMI, Virgin, Phonogram, Chrysalis. Bands such as Jesus Jones, Ocean Colour Scene, Run-Rig. Produced and directed various TV commercials.

1990 Exhibition of collage & oil paintings at the Mall Galleries, London.

1988 Director of Malevolence (Home movie 85 mins, 16 mm, B/W, Dolby Stereo.) Psychological thriller. Starring Marian McLaughlin. Music by Andy Shepherd