Mrs Biggs
A 2012 series on the wife of Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs.
Mrs Biggs is a 2012 British television drama that tells the true story of Charmian Biggs, the wife of the infamous Great Train Robber, Ronnie Biggs. The series follows Charmian’s transformation from an innocent young woman into Ronnie’s wife and the mother of their three young sons. Financial troubles lead Ronnie to borrow money from Bruce Reynolds, the mastermind behind the Great Train Robbery of August 1963. After the robbery and Ronnie’s subsequent prison escape, Charmian and her children are forced into a life on the run as she struggles to hold the family together.
Sheridan Smith plays Charmian Biggs, a role that earned her the 2013 BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress. Daniel Mays portrays Ronnie Biggs. The series was written by Jeff Pope, with cooperation from the real Charmian Biggs. Smith’s performance was widely praised by critics.
The cast includes Adrian Scarborough as Bernard Powell, Charmian’s father; Caroline Goodall as Muriel Powell, her mother; Bebe Cave as Gillian Powell, her sister; Jay Simpson as Bruce Reynolds; Claire Rushbrook as Ruby Wright; Jack Lowden as Alan Wright; Tom Brooke as Mike Haynes; Leo Gregory as Eric Flower; Freya Stafford as Julie Flower; Denise Roberts as Annie Pitcher; Phil Cornwell as Detective Sergeant Jack Slipper; Robin Hooper as Mr Kerslake; Luke Newberry as Gordon; Iain McKee as Charlie Wilson; Matthew Cullum as Buster Edwards; Jon Foster as Goody; Ron Cook as Peter; George Oliver as Polish Henry; Sam Healy as Sheree; Libby Tanner as Norma; and Tim Ross as Colin MacKenzie.
Filming took place in London, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Manchester, Adelaide, and Melbourne. The Great Train Robbery scenes were recreated on the East Lancashire Railway using a locomotive from the same batch of engines used in the 1963 heist. Charmian Biggs served as a consultant on the series, flying from Australia to Britain in February 2012 just before filming began. She also visited Ronnie, who was ill; the couple had divorced in 1976 but remained on good terms. Some names in the series were changed for legal reasons. Charmian met Sheridan Smith and sat with her during the manuscript read-through. While filming in Australia, Smith and Daniel Mays spent an evening at Charmian’s house, where she showed them her archive of personal letters and scrapbooks.
Quick Facts
- Writer
- Jeff Pope
- Director
- Paul Whittington
- Starring
- Sheridan Smith / Daniel Mays
- Composer
- Bryony Marks
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Num Series
- 1
- Num Episodes
- 5
- List Episodes
- #Episode list
- Producer
- Kwadjo Dajan / Tony Wright (Australia)
- Cinematography
- Fabian Wagner
- Runtime
- 63-66 minutes (1,5) / 43-46 minutes (2-4)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series covers Charmian Biggs' life from her early marriage to Ronnie Biggs through the aftermath of the Great Train Robbery of August 1963. Money worries lead Ronnie to seek a loan from Bruce Reynolds, the robbery's planner. After Biggs' escape from prison, Charmian and her children live a life of flight as she tries to keep the family together. The series was written by Jeff Pope in co-operation with the real Charmian Biggs, who acted as a consultant and flew from Australia to Britain in February 2012 before filming began. She visited Ronnie, who was ill; the couple had divorced in 1976 but remained on good terms. Some names in the series were changed for legal reasons. Charmian met actress Sheridan Smith and sat with her at the manuscript read-through. While filming in Australia, Smith and Daniel Mays spent an evening at Charmian's house, where she showed them her archive of personal letters and scrapbooks. Charmian herself appears in the background of one scene in the public gallery of an Australian court.
Reader's Guide
Mrs Biggs is significant as a dramatized account of the personal cost of one of Britain's most famous crimes, told from the perspective of the criminal's wife. The series received widespread critical acclaim for Sheridan Smith's performance, which won the 2013 BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress. It also earned nominations for the National Television Award for Outstanding Female Dramatic Performance and the Royal Television Society for Best Actress. Daniel Mays, who played Ronnie Biggs, gained a nomination for the National Television Awards for Outstanding Male Dramatic Performance. The series was filmed across multiple locations in the UK and Australia, and scenes of the Great Train Robbery were recreated on the East Lancashire Railway using a locomotive from the same batch of engines involved in the 1963 raid. The involvement of the real Charmian Biggs as consultant adds a layer of authenticity to the production.
Did You Know?
- Sheridan Smith won the 2013 BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress for her role as Charmian Biggs.
- The real Charmian Biggs appears in the background of one scene in an Australian court.
- Charmian Biggs visited Ronnie Biggs in February 2012 before filming began; they had divorced in 1976 but remained on good terms.
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