The Scandalous Lady W (2015)

Natalie Dormer takes the title role of Lady W who on marriage was considered as chattel to her husband as wives tended to be at the time. Her Lord and Master was Sir Richard, a pompous politician as well as a voyeur and pervert to boot.

In order to please him Lady W slept with 26 men while he watched through the keyhole. Lady W eventually fell in love with Captain George Bisset who she became pregnant with and eventually ran off with.

Sir Richard felt aggrieved as he felt he was robbed of his property and sued Captain George for £20,000, a princely sum in those days. In the ensuing court case, Lady W turned the tables on her husband as she unveiled his fetishes to the world at large.

This was a fun filled drama, slightly naughty here and there but brought out the hypocrisy and perversion of the ruling elite. although the language sounded modern we are told that the actual court case is based on the court transcripts.

Dormer was strong, stubborn and sexy all in red. Shaun Evans had the difficult role as the cuckolded husband but he endeavoured to bring out his character's repression and perversion at the same time.

Aneurin Barnard who appeared in Cilla last year as Cilla Black's husband looked unrecognisable without the grey/blond hairdo he was saddled with in that drama and was more gorgeous George here who eventually was also embarrassed of Lady W's bedroom antics.

The BBC cuts that the corporation have had to endure for the last 5 years are now beginning to show. This was a low budget drama for BBC2, quickly shot and you can tell the director was doing their best with a meagre budget and whatever Georgian setting they could get access to.