I came across this today:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9843404/New-BBC-drama-to-show-the-scandalous-stories-of-the-playboy-Princes.htmlThe article was from Feb--did anyone see this production? Poliakoff did the well-made (if very inaccurate The Lost Prince) some years ago.
"In the early-1930s, the then Prince of Wales — later Edward VIII — and his younger brother Prince George, Duke of Kent, indulged in a bohemian lifestyle among the underground jazz musicians of the day that the Royal family could never get away with today. .. the 1930s princes enjoyed themselves unencumbered, protected by the press barons of the day. Now their “scandalous exploits” have inspired a BBC drama written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff." Dancing on the Edge portrays the then Prince of Wales, who abdicated in 1936, and Prince George — not to be confused with his older brother Albert, later George VI — and their “extraordinary” relationship with the black jazz musicians of the pre-war era. It includes scenes inspired by true stories of their behaviour that were never reported by the press at the time."
"Poliakoff, who read surviving diaries from the 1930s as research, said the programme would hint at the “indulgent” lifestyles of the royal brothers in a time when they were uninhibited by prying eyes. Describing the behaviour of Prince George, the Duke of Kent, as going far beyond Prince Harry’s indiscretions, he said their exploits would cause an “enormous scandal” in the modern world. Poliakoff said: “He was much worse. There’s no comparison. It was a very indulgent life. I don’t think anybody knew the total truth about it, but there were stories of a series of affairs and drugs.” One of the scenes is inspired by a genuine event in which the then Prince of Wales attended a party with Duke Ellington, the big band leader, and ended up playing the drums on stage “for hours” in front of incredulous spectators. The prince was also known to have been a fan of the jazz singer Florence Mills, going to see her more than 25 times. “It was an extraordinary moment across race and class,” Poliakoff said. “The idea of Prince Charles drumming with a band and giving them nicknames would be thought extreme in our time.”The activities of Prince George were said to be even more controversial. While some were aware at the time, their excesses were largely sheltered from public judgment by high-powered friends, including newspaper proprietors, said Poliakoff. “There was not the same press back then,” he added. “It was much more respectful and friends like Lord Beaverbrook ensured nothing untoward about them would appear.” He added that while the television show was fiction, the stories it depicts were “absolutely historically accurate”.
Some more on the production:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9805738/Poliakoffs-Dancing-on-the-Edge-behind-the-scenes.htmlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9832513/Dancing-on-the-Edge-Stephen-Poliakoff-interview.htmlI hadn't heard of this prior. It sounds interesting. I was a fan of The Lost Prince to a large extent even if the historical inaccuracies set my teeth to gnashing. It was well-produced, acted and the costumes were lovely. This looks on part with that, though reflective of a much different era. Both show George Kent though.
