DECLINE AND FALL
Decline and Fall follows the adventures of Paul Pennyfeather (Jack), a luckless young man whose life is turned upside down when he falls victim to the drunken antics of the Bollinger Club and is unfairly sent down from Scone College, Oxford University.
Forced to take a job as a schoolmaster, Paul finds work at an obscure public school in Wales called Llanabba, run by a Dr. Fagan and his two daughters. There Paul makes friends with two fellow school teachers, lapsed priest Mr. Prendergast and hard-drinking trouble-maker Captain Grimes. The wealthy mother of one of Pauls pupils, Margot Beste-Chetwynde, takes a shine to him and offers him work as a private tutor to her son Peter in the holidays.
Soon their relationship becomes a little more than professional, and Paul is engaged to be married to Margot before the summer is out. Paul, however, is unaware that the source of Margots income is rather less salubrious than she would have the world believe, and gets in trouble with the police while obliviously running errands for his fiance.
From here on in, Pauls life takes increasingly surprising and unpredictable turns, as he is thrown into one strange world after another, and tries to keep hold of his sanity. Penned by James Wood (Rev) and directed by Guillem Morales (Inside No.9), this high-end production sees Jack star alongside Eva Longoria, David Suchet, Douglas Hodge, Vincent Franklin and Stephen Graham. Produced by Tiger Aspect Drama and Cavebear Productions for BBC One.
“This adaptation by Rev creator James Wood does it justice, tiptoeing skilfully through Waugh’s minefield of scabrous humour.”
“Jack Whitehall was born to play Paul Pennyfeather in this Evelyn Waugh adaptation…what larks.”
“A very funny and fast-moving adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s classic book. Jack Whitehall is excellent as posh boy Paul Pennyfeather.”
“Jack Whitehall is perfectly cast as the wide-eyed, serious young man…the cast is magnificent.”
