Civil war drama filmed 6,000 miles away in SOUTH AFRICA.. because the real battlefield doesn't look ENGLISH enough.Byline: BY ROD CHAYTOR PRODUCERS of a new historical TV series filmed an English Civil War English civil war, 1642–48, the conflict between King Charles I of England and a large body of his subjects, generally called the "parliamentarians," that culminated in the defeat and execution of the king and the establishment of a republican commonwealth. battle in South Africa South Africa, Afrikaans Suid-Afrika, officially Republic of South Africa, republic (2005 est. pop. 44,344,000), 471,442 sq mi (1,221,037 sq km), S Africa. - because they reckon its historic UK site is not authentic enough. Channel 4's drama The Devil's Whore re-created the 1645 Battle of Naseby in countryside north of Cape Town Cape Town or Capetown, city (1991 pop. 854,616), legislative capital of South Africa and capital of Western Cape, a port on the Atlantic Ocean. It was the capital of Cape Province before that province's subdivision in 1994. , 6,000 miles from the actual battlefield in Northants. The producers said it was cheaper to film in South Africa and the landscape looked more like 17th century Naseby. But history groups have rubbished their claim - saying Naseby battlefield is one of the best preserved in Britain. James Kemp, 36, whose historical re-enactment group is part of the English Civil War Society that has helped re-create dozens of battles, said: "This seems bizarre. "You could not get any more authentic than the actual battlefield site itself. There may be the odd telegraph pole in the background but surely with the technology they have this wouldn't be a problem." County councillor Ursula Jones was also disappointed. She added: "It's a shame they couldn't use the site because it is so well preserved." Liza Mar shall, Channel 4's controller of drama, defended the decision to film in South Africa. She added: "It's much more affordable to film there and we found a region where the countryside just looks similar to England." Martin Marix Evans, deputy chairman of the Naseby Battlefield Project, agreed. He said: "The landscape was very different when the battle took place. "Shooting in Naseby would only really work for close-up scenes." The Devil's Whore will be screened in the autumn. It is set between 1642 and 1660 and shows the unfolding of the civil war, the beheading of Charles I and the rise of Oliver Cromwell through the eyes of aristocrat Angelica Fanshawe. Naseby was the war's turning point, in which the king's army was shattered by Parliament's forces. CHARLES THE STAMMERER stam·mer v. stam·mered, stam·mer·ing, stam·mers v.intr. To speak with involuntary pauses or repetitions. v.tr. To utter with involuntary pauses or repetitions. n. Charles I hated public speaking because he suffered from a stammer CAPTION(S): FIELD OF BATTLE Naseby countryside is well preserved; ON YOUR PIKE A UK re-enactment of Battle of Naseby |
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