About
History-Drama | 19 min | 2024 |
Audio language: English
Subtitles language: English
In 1937 F. L. ('Peter') Lucas – classical scholar, literary critic, novelist, playwright, political polemicist – is commissioned to write a diary of the following year. Throughout 1938 he recounts his travels, opinions, and growing frustration with Britain’s appeasement of Hitler. Meanwhile his artist wife Prudie designs his play ‘The Lovers of Gudrun’, for the Stockport Garrick Theatre.
As Czechoslovakia is occupied and British PM Chamberlain refuses to act – with Peter consumed by politics and Prudie obsessed by Gudrun – fault lines in their personalities and marriage crack under pressure of impending war. By the time ‘Journal Under The Terror,1938’ is published, their marriage is over. Prudie is absent from the book except to record ‘P’s breakdown and hospitalisation on Gudrun’s opening night.
Writer/ director Nicola Baldwin’s short film adaptation of Lucas’ ‘Journal’ reinstates Prudie (Wilkinson) Lucas – classical scholar, writer, adventurer and artist – into the story, interweaving scenes of their disintegrating marriage alongside his political commentary in a portrait of Britain’s ‘war of nerves’.
The Nervous State was developed with Professor Julie V. Gottlieb at the University of Sheffield and inspired by Julie’s research. The film forms part of The Nervous State Project - encompassing a play, documentaries and a forthcoming book, which bring together historians, writers, actors, history teachers and their students to explore ‘history from within’, with resources for teaching the History of Appeasement in schools.
The Nervous State was shot on location at the Stockport Garrick Theatre and Stockport Plaza, by a brilliant crew of whom 18 / 25 were female including all Heads of Department.
