The Makng Of A Lady

This was a good one-off rages to riches Victorian tale.

Based on the novel, The Making Of A Marchionness by Frances Hogson Burnett, the central character Emily Fox Seton was saved by the harshness of poverty when she decides to accept the offer of marriage, not out of love but of the need of security, from Lord James Walterhurst, the nephew of her once employer Lady Maria Bayne. Within this comes an interesting exploration of the importance of duty and position and how purity and kindness, that Emily showed, suffered.

It was good how Emily and James come to love each, but it was sad how his duty to his family causes this to be damaged. Emily's friendship with Walderhurst's cousin Alec Osborne and his wife Hester. The arrival of these two characters seemed to, as well as give a lot of humour, bring a darker edge tot he story, with Alec's erratic behaviour and them faking an invitation from James from them to stay.

The figures of Ameerah and Mr Litton also add to the episode, with suspicion over their true intentions and it is uncertain for most of the story as to which one I should trust. This is further amplified by the later discovery of Litton's body in the river. Then it soon appeared to be an attempt to isolate and kill Emily by Alec and Hester as they would inherit the fortune. The tension at the end was very affective and well built.

Lydia Wilson did a great job as Emily, while Linus Roache, James d'Arcy and Hasina Haque all gave strong performances. The supporting cast including Joanna Lumley, Sarah Ridgeway, Claire Hackett and Souad Faress all do gave good portrayals of their characters.