FANTABULOSA

UK, 2006, 80 minutes, Colour.
Michael Sheen, Cheryl Campbell, Peter Wright, Beatie Edney, Ken Doughty, Ron Cook, Martin Trenamen, Ewan Bailey.
Directed by Andy De Emmony.

Fantabulosa is a story of stage, screen and television star, Kenneth Williams. It is based on his diaries. The film shows a portrait of a tormented actor with greater depth than is usual in this kind of film.

Michael Sheen impersonates Kenneth Williams but also creates a profound character. On the surface he is all language, whinnying, sardonic remarks. Inside he is very much alone, experiencing loneliness, reserved in his inner life, aware of his homosexuality, fearful of making any bodily contact with anyone, fastidious in his cleanliness. This is tested by his friendship with playwright Joe Orton (and appearing in Lute on the West End in London) and Kenneth Halliwell and the impact of Halliwell’s killing Orton. Williams is also very close to his doting mother, alienated from his barber father.

While the film shows a glimpse of Williams’ upbringing, his interest is in theatre and his moving into radio after amateur theatrics. He acted with Tony Hancock on radio but Hancock wanted to get rid of him because of Williams’ faces and voices which attracted the audience. He found a niche in the Carry On films and this film shows various members of the cast in their relationships with him, especially a sympathetic Joan Sims. Hawtrey is a sexual rival. Sid James makes sardonic remarks. There are some glimpses of the making of the Carry On films.

However, the film continues with Williams’ life, his loneliness, his hypochondria, his illnesses, his medication – and his talking about suicide in his diaries and, ultimately, his death by an overdose and the open verdict whether it was accidental or suicide.

Michael Sheen has been a successful stage actor as well as a star in film (Underworld, The Queen) and television. He is well known for his impersonations of Tony Blair in The Deal and The Queen. On stage and on screen he was successful as David Frost in Frost/Nixon.

Andy De Emmony, the director, also made the film about Mary Whitehouse with Julie Walters: Filth, the Mary Whitehouse Story.

1.A portrait of Kenneth Williams, warts and all? Insights? Empathy?

2.Audience knowledge of Kenneth Williams, his career, his appearance in twenty-six of the Carry On films? His personality?

3.The re-creation of the UK from the 50s to the 80s, London, class distinctions, the world of radio and broadcast, television, Pinewood Studios and the making of the Carry On films, the television chat shows, the political changes over the period?

4.The title, tone, Williams using it at the premiere of Carry On, Sergeant and the heyday of his fame and his taking his mother?

5.Michael Sheen’s performance, the impersonation, Williams’ manner, demeanour, faces, range of voices, the whinnying laugh, performance?

6.His father, the barber, cutting his hair, not understanding his son, the issue of performance, the dress, his secretly listening to the radio but not letting his son know? Being distant, the visit, Williams and his hoovering in his underwear and refusing to see his father? The father taking the poison, his death and the pathos, his wife’s fairly neglecting him? Williams’ mother, her doting, buying the dress, his performance at school, in the audience for his radio shows, the premiere of Carry On, Sergeant, defending him against her husband? Her husband’s death and her seemingly cavalier attitude? Moving in next door, supplying the meals, her loss of memory, bringing her home, her outliving her son?

7.Williams’ childhood, ordinary, the play and the dress, the formation of his attitudes? Growing up, performing as the Dauphin, the good reviews? Peter Eade as his agent, their talks, his being on the Hancock program, Hancock not wanting him to do the voices, his doing them nonetheless, the audience response, drawing attention to himself, his being challenged by Hancock, the party and his using Hancock’s ideas about audiences and comedy? Hancock letting him go?

8.Developing a persona, his self-defence, low self-esteem, the whinnying laugh, the quips, the voices, the audience, performing in the restaurant with Eade? The workers in the street? The innuendo, becoming more outrageous?

9.The Carry On films and their success, the premiere, being part of them over the years, with the different members of the cast, his treatment, the producers and their stinginess? Joan Sims as a friend, Charles Hawtrey as a sexual rival? Sid James and the discussions? The other members of the cast in the background?

10.His sexuality, his fastidiousness, obsessive cleanliness, not having contact with people yet wanting it, his imagination, his own sexual activity, the date, the man with the dirty fingernails? The friendship with Joe Orton and Ken Halliwell, the discussions? Performing in Lute? In the park with Orton, his observations, his disgust? Commenting on Orton’s attitudes? His reaction to being in the play? The discussions with Kenneth Halliwell? Orton and their going to Morocco, the news of his death, reflecting on Orton’s death?

11.The portrait of Joe Orton, casual, gifted, homosexual, promiscuous, his relationship with Ken Halliwell, at home? Halliwell and his own writings, self-doubt? Killing Orton?

12.Williams and his health, hypochondria, the piles, the ulcers, the medication, the discussions with the doctor, wind and pain?

13.The end of the Carry On films, his going on Parkinson’s show, difficulties with his agent, the discussions and talk about himself?

14.Williams and his diaries, the scenes of writing in the diaries, being alone, the experience of loneliness, his mother next door?

15.Illness, tablets, his being suicidal, the constant pain, his death?

16.An insight into a complex character, the moodiness and depression of comedians, British media, films and television, the radio tradition?