Mrs Biggs

This is a dramatisation of Charmian Powell's love affair and marriage to the famous train robber Ronnie Biggs.

Starring Sheridan Smith (Charmian) and Daniel Mays (Ronnie), it's a very interesting portrayal focusing on Charmian's life. In this way, it makes it feel that it's more about the characters behind Ronnie Biggs instead of focusing on his crimes. Also its interesting to see how Charmian is led into Ronnie's criminal antics and how much she grows as a character which helps me to believe in the passage of time that takes place and the strength of their relationship..

Obviously the drama tackled the train robbery and does it in a way where the perspectives of Charmian, whose blissfully unaware, and Ronnie, whose every much a small part of the operation, are juxtaposed cleverly. I think this along with Charmian's horrified and then protective response, made it very easy to understand her reaction and how she struggles to hide the truth. I found that showing all the things she did including helping in the plan for Ronnie's prison escape and then their life on the run abroad, made it very easy for me to understand and warm towards her.

Smith gave a superb performance, with Mays also giving a good portrayal, allowing me to be able to see how much they have worked on their character's relationship and chemistry. I get a great sense that Charmian and Ronnie did love each other, but maybe Charmian more, and how much it affected Charmian because of being cut off from her family and facing life as a single mother and under the supervision of the criminal associates of Bruce Reynolds. Within this situation I felt a lot of sympathy for Charmian as she faced the horror of having an illegal abortion as a result of an affair. Furthermore, I felt that the death of their eldest children Nicholas due to a car crash was approached and done in a very sympathetic and powerful way, making me see how and why their relationship crumbles. Smith was very powerful in these scenes and gave a heartbreaking performance.

I very good and fascinating drama-documentary.