The Ash Tree title

The Ash Tree is a 1975 supernatural fiction short film produced by the BBC. Running at 32 minutes, it was based on the short story "The Ash-tree" by British writer M. R. James which was included in his 1904 collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. The story was adapted by David Rudkin as "The Ash Tree", and was part of the BBC's A Ghost Story for Christmas strand.[1] It was first broadcast on 23 December 1975 at 11.35pm.[2] The adaptation stars Edward Petherbridge in the dual role of Sir Richard and Sir Matthew and Barbara Ewing as the witch, Anne Mothersole. It was directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark.[3][4]

Synopsis

In 1735 the aristocrat Sir Richard (Edward Petherbridge) inherits his family estate, Castringham Hall in Suffolk, from his recently deceased childless uncle, who in turn had inherited it from his own childless uncle, Sir Matthew (Petherbridge in a dual role). The new owner is determined not to follow the path of his relatives by marrying his fiancée, Lady Augusta (Lalla Ward), and producing heirs. However, Sir Richard is disturbed by the strange infantile noises coming from an ash tree (Fraxinus excelsior) outside his bedroom window and he is haunted by visions of his relative’s role in a witchcraft trial of 1690.[4][5]

Cast

Edward Petherbridge (seen here in a self-portrait of 2007) played Sir Richard and Sir Matthew in the drama

Adaptation

Clark is less than complimentary of his adaptation of The Ash Tree, which he felt didn't make Mistress Mothersole an effective villain, as a result of both his and adaptor David Rudkin's sympathy for witch trial victims; "We know so much about the hysteria of the witch trials and the ignorance and downright evil that fueled them that it was well-nigh impossible to portray her as James intended. Although, even he makes her a complicated character, hinting that she was popular with local farmers and the pagan fertility aspects that this implies. Frankly, I don't think the script quite did justice to the story, and maybe someone else should have a go at it."[6]

Clark gave his writers a lot of leeway in their interpretation of James's original stories, and Rudkin's "television version" changes the well-off Mistress Mothersole (Barbara Ewing), who has property of her own, into a younger and more attractive woman, hinting at a sexual attraction between her and Sir Matthew that would have been unthinkable in James's original 1904 story. Rudkin also changed the relationship between Sir Richard inheriting Castringham Hall from his father and grandfather to his childless uncle and great-uncle in order to be able to introduce the character of Lady Augusta (Lalla Ward in a pre-Doctor Who role).

Locations

Prideaux Place near Padstow featured as Castringham Hall

Clark relocates the Suffolk scenes of James's original story to Cornwall, with Prideaux Place near Padstow featuring as Castringham Hall. The scene of the hanging of the witches was filmed at the Cheesewring on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall.

References

  1. ↑ The Ash Tree at IMDb
  2. ↑ "The Ash Tree". British Film Institute Database. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  3. ↑ Brockhurst, Colin. "A Ghost Story for Christmas". phantomframe.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  4. 1 2 Angelini, Sergio, The Ash Tree at the BFI's Screenonline. Retrieved 2010-7-7.
  5. ↑ The Ash Tree (1975), Radio Times online
  6. ↑ D'Amico, John (12 February 2014). "An Interview with Lawrence Gordon Clark, Master of Ghostly Horror". Smug Horror.
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