S Y N O P S I S
POWDER HER FACE is based on the life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll. The opera begins and ends in the Duchess’ hotel suite in 1990, and the story is told through a series of flashbacks of her life from the 1930’s, 1950’s and 1970’s. The film was shot at Ealing Studios and on location at Eltham Palace and The Victoria Halls, London.
R E V I E W S
‘POWDER HER FACE will no doubt have the tabloids ranting with outrage at the prospect of a scene depicting oral sex being shown on TV.’
The Observer
The real interest of POWDER HER FACE lay in the way it demonstrated the possibilities of opera on television: the camera and the medium of television added further layers to the kaleidoscopic play of surfaces in the opera. Through the creative conflict between the different forms, POWDER HER FACE found a fascinating articulate grammar.’
Tom Service, Opera
C R E D I T S & C A S T
director
MARGARET WILLIAMS
composer
THOMAS ADÈS
libretto
PHILIP HENSHER
duchess
MARY PLAZAS
maid
HEATHER BUCK
electrician
DANIEL NORMAN
hotel manager
GRAEME BROADBENT
director of photography
JONATHAN BLOOM
production designer
JENNIFER KERNKE
editor
JOHN MIDDLEWICK
producer
GORDON BASKERVILLE