Jack Farthing Talks George Warleggan

Jack Farthing reveals that we will see his character, George Warleggan, rise the highest and fall the farthest he ever has in this series of Poldark.

‘It is peaks and troughs for George this series. There are definitely moments that are too much to deal with, whether they are setbacks that Ross has instigated or personal losses; George is put through the ultimate human tests. When we meet him in series four a little time has passed and he has recovered and got his bearings again. He and Elizabeth are starting this new, secure partnership and he has promised to cherish and love Valentine in a way that he always should have and Elizabeth has accepted it. They are a team, more so than ever. George is almost submissive because he cares so deeply about this relationship and he needs it to work. He was shown a world in which he didn’t have Elizabeth at the end of last series and it was too much to bear so he has started again with a clean slate.

‘However, George faces a humongous, professional loss early in the series. He prides his political power right up there with his relationship with Elizabeth and to have that in jeopardy is terrifying so that motivates and energises a whole new spark in George. Having been knocked really far off his perch, he climbs up and up until everything seems to be going well for him and he is commanding a huge amount of authority in Cornwall. Then Geoffrey Charles puts his foot in it in an appalling way that causes all of George’s old feelings of suspicion to come flooding back. But it is George’s set-backs which propel him into his next adventure and so we see him recover, he gets everything he has ever dreamed of, he reaches the absolute pinnacle of success and happiness and then a heartbeat later his entire world collapses.’

After the climactic moment between George and his wife, Elizabeth (Heida Reed), last series Jack tells us that we see these two are working together to start fresh.

‘We see them as close as we have ever seen them this series. They figure out how it works, their marriage and partnership. Elizabeth is a hugely intelligent, forward thinking, bold, energetic character who is confined by her context and George really sees that. He sees how exceptional she is and how knowledgeable she is about the world he is so desperately trying to be a part of and so they work together. From growing up in that world Elizabeth has gained all of this free experience, which George has not and because of that doors open to her in a way they don’t to him and so he is very happy to be on her arm as much as she is his. They are a unit, the three of them and they come as close and rise as high as we have ever seen in this series.

‘So many of the scenes that Heida and I have shot in previous series have been antagonistic and tense whereas this series we had some really nice moments where we could be happy together which was unusual and really great to play. There were scenes where were laughing and smiling and were looking at each other thinking ‘what is going on?!’

Whilst his relationship with Elizabeth may be a source of happiness, Jack discloses that George’s rivalry with Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) is as present as ever this series.

‘As much as George wants to have Ross completely out of his life there is an inevitability to them coming back together. This series they come back together in different spheres and in a different context, which is interesting. The ways in which they meet and butt heads is different to anything we have seen before. But it is a biological thing, they just can’t fit together, we all have those people and sometimes you can’t even explain it.’

The first day of filming Photo: Official Poldark

Jack does tell us however, that fans can expect to see more of George’s humane and emotional side that we were given a glimpse of at the end of last series.

‘George has to face some of his toughest moments this series so we definitely get to see more of his emotional side. For me, that is the work I love the most, as it is the most challenging. With the more time we spend with these characters, the more of them we see and it is nice to surprise people, including myself, and to remind everyone that people constantly behave out of character. We all behave in unpredictable ways all of the time depending on our context and so that is fun to play as an actor and it is liberating because it feels human. Those are my favourite moments, when you feel George is acting out of character but you understand it because he is human and human beings are multi-dimensional.’

This series we see George out of Cornwall more than usual as he embarks on his political journey in London.

‘Politics represents the opportunity to exert power and influence, and George obviously loves that and needs that to boost himself, massage his ego and to remind himself that despite his lowly roots he is a force to be reckoned with. Politics is the ultimate playground for people who want power like that so it is the logical next step for George. He fits in in London, maybe more so than on the Cornish cliffs, because he can mix with the type of person he pretends to be and is so desperately trying to be.

'He loves being in the city and having those double doors swing open for him. He can waltz into these parties he is finally getting invited to and by the end of the series he even has a line to the Prime Minister, which is unthinkable. He feels like he has come home, he would much rather spend time in his London house than in Cornwall, he resents going to the provincial back quarter that he thinks Trenwith is and he wants to be where he big buildings and important people are.’

Jack tells us that with political storylines unfolding in London, this series feels like the biggest one yet.

‘The show really bursts its seams this series. We filmed in London, surrounded by these incredible white marble buildings and it felt unusual for Poldark, which was fun. This series will feel bigger and it will be unusual for audiences to see the characters they are familiar with in places such as the House of Commons. Our House of Commons set is amazing and is part of why this series feels more national than ever. George gets this beautiful new London house. It feels like his world and the show have grown because of it, especially when you think back to where it all started, in the countryside of Cornwall.’

Source: BBC Media Centre 

Aidan Turner Talks Poldark S4

Eleanor Tomlinson Talks Poldark S4
Poldark S4: Max Bennett is Monk Adderley

Poldark S4: Rebecca Front is Lady Whitworth
Heida Reed is Elizabeth Warleggan
Poldark S4: Gabriella Wilde is Caroline Enys
Poldark S4: Luke Norris is Dwight Enys
Poldark S4: Christian Brassington Talks Reverend Osborne Whitworth
Poldark S4: Ellise Chappell is Morwenna Whitworth
Poldark S4: Harry Richardson is Drake Carne
Beatie Edney Talks Poldark S4
Poldark S4: Tom York is Sam Carne
Poldark S4: Ciara Charteris is Emma Tregirls

Poldark S4: Heida Reed is Elizabeth Warleggan

Heida Reed and Jack farthing as Elizabeth and George Warleggan  Photo: BBC

Heida Reed has enjoyed her character, Elizabeth Warleggan, raising her social game and embracing her new position in society this series.

‘This series is really exciting for Elizabeth as we finally see her come out of her shell and be a lady of society. Elizabeth was born to be admired, to charm people, wear nice clothes and have interesting conversations with the best of society and she is finally able to do that without having to worry too much about anything else.

'It has taken her a very long time to get there so she is really trying to enjoy and make the most of it, whether she is in London or Cornwall. She thoroughly enjoys being in London because it is presents the opportunity of raising her social game, incorporating new people into her circle and also seeing what is new fashion wise.’

The later time period of series four, as well as the new setting of London, brings a great shift in the fashions and thus, costumes of Poldark this year. Heida reveals that she wasn’t initially too excited about this…

‘One of my favourite periods of all time, visually, was the period we started in at the very beginning of the show when Ross (Aidan Turner) goes off to war. That style, with the tiny waists and the billowing skirts created such beautiful silhouettes. It is uncomfortable  to wear that sort of style for a long period of time but it looks amazing. So I wasn’t, at first, super enthusiastic about changing the style because it was such a drastic change but the costume designer, Howard Burden, has done such an incredible job at making us look gorgeous and the corsets are different and in a lot of ways more comfortable so that was a nice change. I actually ended up liking the cut and fabrics way more than I anticipated.’

Something else that was new for Heida this series was having a teenage son.

‘Geoffrey Charles is all grown up this series and it was definitely a shock showing up to rehearsals, before series four, and meeting Louis (Davison). Louis is older than he plays and is really tall which is funny because it suddenly made me feel very old. I have been so lucky with all of the brilliant actors who have played Geoffrey Charles. It’s great to get to move that relationship forward and it is fun to play a mother who is struggling with her teenage son who is getting up to all sorts of no good. It is a different beat to play and is something I haven’t done before.

‘Geoffrey Charles is Elizabeth’s pride and joy and Debbie (Horsfield) and I have always talked about the fact that he is the only thing Elizabeth hasn’t messed up and hasn’t got anything to hide about. She loves him like nothing else in her life. It is obviously sad for her that George (Jack Farthing) will never embrace him as much as she would like him to. So the fact that Ross is in London to help out and keep an eye on him means the world to Elizabeth. They handle it very well and very delicately in terms of making their friendship about being grownups who are now friends who also both care for Geoffrey Charles.’

Elizabeth’s husband, George Warleggan is in London pursuing a political career. Heida describes how Elizabeth has become his well-connected accomplice...

‘They’re definitely a bit of a power couple and there is a recognisable Macbeth element there, just not as morbid. Elizabeth is very good at turning a blind eye to the more severe things that George gets up to. She sees what she wants to see in him and that is why she loves him so much. People may think that she is trapped in a loveless marriage and they may not understand why she has married him. At first it had everything to do with security but now there is a real mutual love, respect and understanding. They really get off on aiding each other in their rise to the top, within their world. She is the perfect right hand woman, the perfect partner for him and he is brilliant for her as well.

‘This series George and Elizabeth are very happy. It has taken a lot to get there and for the storm to calm but they finally get to be what they want to be and there is a great respect and love between them now. That was so much fun for Jack and I, who have been partners for three years on Poldark.

'We finally got to play a happy couple and it is a different experience. It is a lot of fun, especially when you do it with your friend who you know and who you have worked alongside for a such long time. Being in a happy relationship with George made me really care for them as a couple this series. For a brief moment they have everything they have ever wanted.'

And Heida can finally see what it is Elizabeth sees in George...

‘I always understood how George was viewed and why people didn’t understand why Elizabeth would marry him but for the first time this series I loved George. I know he doesn’t always do the right thing and that he isn’t always a stand up man but there is something about him and about his progression as a character this series that is really great. He is definitely not one-dimensional, there are many layers to him and I hope that audiences see that. So much of what he does comes from a real love for Elizabeth and that is true and pure, he truly loves her and is terrified of losing her.’

Source: BBC Media Centre

Aidan Turner Talks Poldark S4

Eleanor Tomlinson Talks Poldark S4
Poldark S4: Max Bennett is Monk Adderley

Poldark S4: Rebecca Front is Lady Whitworth
Jack Farthing Talks George Warleggan
Poldark S4: Gabriella Wilde is Caroline Enys
Poldark S4: Luke Norris is Dwight Enys
Poldark S4: Christian Brassington Talks Reverend Osborne Whitworth
Poldark S4: Ellise Chappell is Morwenna Whitworth
Poldark S4: Harry Richardson is Drake Carne
Beatie Edney Talks Poldark S4
Poldark S4: Tom York is Sam Carne
Poldark S4: Ciara Charteris is Emma Tregirls

Filming 'Poldark' in Wells

Last Friday Poldark took over the Market Place in Wells for some series four filming with the town hall being transformed into the Warleggan Bank and market stalls filling the square. Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner), George Warleggan (Jack Farthing), Dwight Enys (Luke Norris) and Reverend Whitworth (Christian Brassington) were all spotted during the day.

Filming also took place at Vicars' Close.

Promo Shots for 'Poldark' S3

The BBC have released some promo shots of the cast for Poldark series three:

Aidan Turner as Ross

Eleanor Tomlinson as Demelza

Heida Reed as Elizabeth

Jack Farthing as George Warleggan

Luke Norris as Dwight Enys

Gabriella Wilde as Caroline Penvenen

Pics from 'Poldark' S3 Preview Screening

Here are a few pics from the Q&As at last night's Poldark S3 preview screening. Sorry, there's no report as news from the event is embargoed for a while.

Photo: Evie Bowman

Eleanor Tomlinson 

Luke Norris

Aidan Turner 

Aidan and Jack Farthing

Karen Thrussell, Luke Norris, Eleanor Tomlinson

Ellise Chappell (Morwenna)

Debbie Horsfield, Harry Richardson (Drake), Tom York (Sam)

All photos by Evie Bowman.

Poldark preview: S2 Episode 4

'Thirty Pieces of Silver'. George tells Ross that Francis betrayed him.

VIDEO: 'Poldark' Cast Talk to Spotlight

from kayamaj on Vimeo.

Aidan Turner, Eleanor Tomlinson and Jack Farthing talk to BBC Spotlight about Poldark, Cornwall and cream teas at the Poldark series two premier in St Austell, Cornwall. Thanks to Kayamaj for posting on Vimeo

All The Fun of the Fight

The second series of Poldark has its fair share of fights and fisticuffs with Ross (Aidan Turner), George Warleggan (Jack Farthing) and even Dr. Dwight Enys (Luke Norris) seeing a bit of action.

Aidan has had plenty of fight training over the years as many of his screen roles have involved a brawl or battle somewhere along the way. Making Desperate Romantics in 2009, Aidan said he found the scene where he's involved in a punch-up 'scary', but he sees things differently now on Poldark. ‘I really enjoy the fight scenes, they are so much fun,' he says, 'George is working out, he’s boxing and training so he is well able to handle himself these days which makes the fight more interesting. He’s quite vicious in some of these fights. There’s a lot of strangling and throwing ourselves into bookcases, and smashing glass. I put his head into a fire at one stage! Jack (Farthing) is a lovely guy, that’s probably why I enjoy the fight scenes so much because I really like him. He is such a brilliant actor, and I have learnt so much from him.’

And it seems Jack Farthing who plays George has been preparing himself for a scrap. As Jack reveals, ‘George persuades himself that the thing to do is to try and become more

Photo: Official Poldark

of a physical match for Ross, not that he ever really will. To present himself as a different kind of man, not all curlers and frills, he decides to build himself up and starts training. We did some 18th Century boxing, which is very different to modern boxing, it’s all sort of long arm and at a distance. It looks quite funny and a little pathetic…

‘I had a great day with an amazing stuntman who had literally just stepped off the Bond film the day before - he was an absolute tank! George may not be made of muscles but if he puts his mind to something it will be right. That’s what I wanted to aim for. By the end he is a real match for his instructor. That was really good fun.’

Luke Norris as Dwight Enys also gets involved in the fights and, for Luke, this is a reminder of earlier times. ‘About six years ago I got hit in a stage fight and it has left a permanent scar on my face so I am always a bit wary about the fight scenes,' he says, 'I was doing this play for six weeks and we went out on stage one time and instead of aiming to miss the guy had a brain burp and clobbered me straight in the mouth. I’m properly cautious now.’ But Dwight is a loyal friend of Ross's and is always there for him. As Luke says, 'Dwight’s definitely a corner man in the fight. Ross is the boxer and Dwight is the man patching him up.’

Well I'm really glad Dwight is there to look after Ross and, while I'm flinching at Ross being hit at least I can now tell myself that this is Aidan's idea of fun!

Related links:
Poldarked: Aidan Turner: Fighting Talk
Poldarked: Aidan Turner "I Love a Bit of Boxing"

Source: BBC Media

Red Carpet Screening of 'Poldark' S2 in Cornwall

Photo: Robert Viglasky

St Austell is to host a red carpet event and screening of Poldark S2 with cast members Aidan Turner (Ross), Eleanor Tomlinson (Demelza) and Jack Farthing (George Warleggan) all attending. The event is on Sunday 4 September with the red carpet starting around 6pm and the screening at 7pm.  Writer Debbie Horsfield and executive producers Damien Timmer and Karen Thrussel will also be there.

Futher details and tickets are available on the BBC site. Please read the details thoroughly as only the first 100 ticket holders to arrive will line the red carpet, though all audience members will see the cast during the event.

Poldark S2 premieres in the UK on BBC1 on Sunday 4 September 2016 at 9pm.

RTS 'Anatomy of a Hit' Poldark Panel

'Would women find Aidan attractive?' was one surprising revelation from the Poldark Panel at the Royal Television Society's Anatomy of a Hit last Thursday, but there were plenty of other interesting snippets to be had too.  I'd expected an evening of some, now familiar, stories of the writing and production of the show, but the addition of composer Anne Dudley and actor Jack Farthing to the panel brought some new insights, of which Anne's story of executive producer Damien Timmer's question about Aidan Turner was only one. But more of that later.

As you'd expect, writer Debbie Horsfield continued to have a lot of input into Poldark as it was being made and, although she was not on set as much for the filming of Series 2 as she had been for Series 1, she was always pleased to receive telephone calls and e-mails from the actors about their characters. Jack, in particular, often emailed her. Debbie said she was looking at books five and six in case Poldark is commissioned for a third series. Interestingly, this was the third time in a week I'd heard people involved with the making of Poldark talk about Series 3 in this way - the others being Jack Farthing and Robin Ellis - and it made me think everyone was on message after Aidan's gaff earlier in the year about starting to film S3 in September.

Anne Dudley told of how keen she was to compose the soundtrack for Poldark so persuaded her agent to get the scripts, how she composes at the piano and how she finds abstract themes more useful than ones for characters. She said that, in the theme tune, the piano represents the waves and the lone violin represents Ross standing out against his upbringing.

Jack Farthing initially auditioned for the role of

George Warleggan by PoldarkTV

Francis and took some persuading to see himself as George Warleggan.  He said that as George's appearance is so important to him, the actual process of make-up and costumes helps Jack get into the role of George prior to filming. Jack himself is extremely affable and I'm sure he made a few new fans in the course of the evening.

Mammoth Screen held the rights to Poldark for some time before they started to produce the show and it was interesting to learn from Damien Timmer that he was in contact with Aidan Turner's agent for several months before Aidan was offered the part.

Understandably, producing a big hit like Poldark doesn't mean there aren't anxieties about the second series and there's certainly no complacency here.  Both Damien and Debbie described the thought of the new season as 'daunting' and Jack called it 'a nice scary'. Anne Dudley's story of how Damien Timmer checked with her that women would find Aidan attractive was met by the audience with a mixture of laughter and stunned disbelief but really it gives a good indication of the level of anxiety that producers of shows go through.

Photo: Poldark TV

Oddly enough, one of the highlights of the evening was the screening of four clips from Poldark S1. Almost certainly all the audience had seen the show and most will have watched the DVD - probably more than once - and yet the power of seeing the clips on the big screen was breathtaking. It was particularly noticeable with the 'let it be true' clip where, as it ended, the stillness of the audience was perceptible. I was sure everyone was holding their breath.  Debbie said this scene was so important that she gave strong directions in the script for each movement and every sound.  Debbie chose this clip while Jack selected the scene where Ross reveals Sansom to be cheating at cards and Anne chose 'Resurgam'. Damien's clip was Demelza singing at Trenwith at Christmas and he revealed that, admirably, this was the very first scene Eleanor shot. Such was the pleasure at seeing these clips that one can't help hoping that Mammoth Screen will put on a Poldark Marathon at a cinema and show all eight episodes on the big screen before the start of Series 2!

Finally, just to get us ready for the continuing saga, chair Boyd Hilton, said he had seen a clip of S2 and that it was 'amazing'.

Roll on September!

The National Television Awards 2016

Aidan Turner with his Impact Award
edit by India-Rose for Poldarked, original pics from farfarawaysite.com

Many of us were tuned into the annual National Television Awards (NTAs) on Wednesday night, which were held at London's 02 Arena. With Poldark nominated for Best New Drama, Best TV Moment and Aidan Turner for Best Drama Performance we were looking forward to seeing our favourite stars.

Aidan Turner, Debbie Horsfield & Ruby Bentall on the way to the NTAs
picture by Heida Reed

The evening kicked off at 7pm and early on Aidan Turner and Heida Reed presented the award for Best Drama to Downton Abbey. Both looked as stylish as you'd expect, Aidan was in an Alfred Dunhill suit, styled by his friend and regular stylist Kenny Ho, and Heida wore an off the shoulder teal dress by Emilo De La Morena.

Heida and Aidan, pic posted by Heida Reed

Other stars in attendance were Beatie Edney, Ruby Bentall, Kyle Soller, Jack Farthing, Caroline Blakiston, series one directors Willie McGregor and Ed Bazalgette, writer Debbie Horsfield as well as representatives from the show's producers, Mammoth Screen.

To his surprise Aidan Turner was announced as the winner of a special new Impact Award for his Poldark work; this appears to have replaced the Best TV Moment Award. A delighted Aidan accepted the award and dealt with the inevitable questions about his torso from the press afterwards with charm, grace, modesty and good humour as he always does, a true star. His performance as Ross Poldark has had an extraordinary reaction amongst the media and the public. Leading men have often been compared to Colin Firth, since his turn as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice in 1995, but it really is fair to say there hasn't been anything quite like it until Aidan Turner rode into town as Ross Poldark.

Aidan collecting his award, screencap by Poldarked

Aidan said he was delighted with the award, though he claims not to have noticed too much difference in his own life, but admitted, 'walking down the street, sometimes you get stopped.' and that his family, especially his mum were super proud of his success. He also let slip there are plans under way for a third series of Poldark already, which will begin filming in September 2016.

Aidan with his NTA award
pic from farfarawaysite.com

Sadly Poldark missed out on Best New Drama and Bets Drama Performance to another BBC hit, Doctor Foster, and its lead actress, Suranne Jones.

Here are some more pictures of the evening:

Aidan on the red carpet
pic from farfarawaysite.com

Heida on the red carpet
pic from farfarawaysite.com

Ruby Bentall looking glam
pic from farfarawaysite.com

Jack Farthing, Kyle Soller & Ruby Bentall
pic by Heida Reed

The Poldark Posse! Pic from Beatie Edney's twitter

Willie McGregor and Kyle Soller, who was unimpressed with being mistaken for Seth Rogen!
pic from Willie McGregor's instagram

Check out our exclusive interview with Heida Reed here.

The original pictures from farfarawaysite.com can be found here, along with others from the evening.

'Poldark' Performed Live to Royals

Photo: @QueenVicMirror

The press reports of Jack Farthing and Heida Reed performing as scene from Poldark II for William and Kate and the Chinese President today at Lancaster House, contain spoilers, so here is an excerpt from Yahoo's report with the spoilers removed.

William, Kate, Mr Xi and Madame Peng were given a sneak preview of a crucial scene from the next series of the hit show Poldark during their tour of British creative talent.

The foursome watched intently as Heida Reed, who plays Elizabeth, and Jack Farthing, who portrays Poldark's nemesis George, argued.

Dressed in period costume and in the sumptuous setting of Lancaster House, they performed an intense scene.

Studio cameras and a sound engineer were also in place to give a sense of a film set and after the scene ended the guests chatted to the actors and Debbie Horsfield, writer and executive producer of the hit show.

William asked ''how's it been down there in Cornwall, windy?'', and Farthing and Reed replied together ''really windy'', with the Duke responding ''all the sound microphones were (probably) blown away''.

After the royals and their guests had left, Ms Horsfield said William had mentioned taking breaks in Cornwall: ''He said he had family holidays there, the weather is notoriously fickle and we do film some scenes in the studios.''

The full report from Yahoo, with spoilers, can be read here.

'Poldark' to Air in China

Jack and Heida at Lancaster House. Photo: Victoria Murphy

As the state visit of the Chinese President continues there's news that Poldark is to air in China.

Poldark will be shown on the leading Chinese online video company channel LeTV in an multi-year deal with  ITVS Global Entertainment, according to the Government Press Release  It will be broadcast in December.

Earlier today, cast members Heida Reed (Elizabeth) and  Jack Farthing (George Warleggan) were invited to Lancaster House to meet The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Chinese President, in an event to showcase the creative industries.

'Poldark' Wins TV Choice Award

Pic via @beatieedney 

Congratulations Poldark!

Poldark was a winner at last night's TV Choice Awards collecting the award for Best New Drama as voted for by the public. Cast members Ruby Bentall (Verity), Jack Farthing (George Warleggan), and Beatie Edney (Prudie), received the award on behalf of the show. Jack thanked the public and said he hoped the viewers enjoyed watching Poldark as much as the cast enjoyed being a part of it.

Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson were also up for awards for best actor and actress respectively, but lost out to David Tennant and Sheridan Smith.

The award ceremony was held at the London Hilton on Park Lane on 7 September, 2015.