When was England portrayed as such a weird place? Director Stephen Poliakoff has served up a wonderfully realised vision of a land offering unthinking obeisance to its Princes while casual racism and anti-Semitism is unchecked by the surface good manners. In Poliakoff's 1930s London a black jazz band finds success and tragedy. But this is not just a drama about jazz, as some of Britain's better known critics seemed to expect. Dancing on the Edge casts its net wider than that with an evocation of mood and time both effective and affecting. Some of the sets are worthy of fine painters. Even Degas is referenced in one witty little scene with a ballet class.
The BBC deserves praise for allowing the money, air time and creative freedom to realise the director's vision. We're likely to see a lot more of young stars like Tom Hughes (the debonair and highly-strung Julian) and Joanna Vanderham (the sister Julian is so dependent on).
Stand-outs in an unusually strong cast of characters are Chiwetel Ejiofor's Louis and Matthew Goode's Stanley. John Goodman puts in as strong a performance as he gave in Oscar-winning Argo, a slight production compared to Dancing on the Edge.
The BBC deserves praise for allowing the money, air time and creative freedom to realise the director's vision. We're likely to see a lot more of young stars like Tom Hughes (the debonair and highly-strung Julian) and Joanna Vanderham (the sister Julian is so dependent on).
Stand-outs in an unusually strong cast of characters are Chiwetel Ejiofor's Louis and Matthew Goode's Stanley. John Goodman puts in as strong a performance as he gave in Oscar-winning Argo, a slight production compared to Dancing on the Edge.