By Elsie Warner

 

BISLEY provided the idyllic setting for Sarah Phelps’ latest two-part adaptation of Agatha Christie’s drama ‘The Pale Horse’, a story in which suspected witches are accused of conspiring several deaths.

The title refers to pale horse ridden by Death in the Bible in Revelation 6:8 but in the story is a pub.

Most of the action takes place in 1961 in London and also a quaint English village called Much Deeping.

Although Much Deeping looks like a picture postcard town, it’s filled with archaic beliefs in the supernatural.

Much of the action in Much Deeping was filmed in Bisley.

The first episode aired last Sunday on BBC1 to great acclaim.

The chocolate box village of Much Deeping was recreated in Bisley, Gloucestershire.

While The Pale Horse pub scenes were shot in the four-star hotel The Bear Inn.

Sewell said: “Filming scenes with Henry Lloyd-Hughes has brought out such a different aspect of my character because we have a bit of fun together - our characters go out on the town together.

“It’s a very different feel with those scenes and they were great fun to do."

Triggered by a list of names received from a murdered friend, Miss Marple (played by Julia McKenzie) proceeds to London, which was recreated in Bristol, to investigate.

She ventures upon many curious characters including ‘Outnumbered’ star Claire Skinner, ‘Skins’ actor, Kaya Scoledario and ‘Love Actually’ celebrity Rufus Sewell.

Some people claim that Sewell ‘stole the show’ as he featured in numerous topless scenes playing an antiques dealer which could be viewed in the showing on BBC One, Sunday February 9.

Bisley is a civil parish in the borough of Surrey Heath and home to racy author Jilly Cooper.

In order to accommodate Sarah Phelps’ variation of the two-part drama, the village was taken back in time to a fictional 1960’s town suitably named ‘Much Deeping’. This critical process included the installation and use of aged furniture and dated clothing as well as the vintage car Rufus Sewell was seen in. Excitement blanketed the parish as the recreation of Agatha Christie’s famous two-part story could be viewed on BBC One featuring the local landscape.

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the drama, some viewers took to social media to express their opinions on the changes Sarah Phelps made to Christie’s original work.

‘’Really not sure about this adaptation of #palehorse.’’

Several viewers were not certain or happy about the vast amount of changes Phelps made to the initial story.

However, she quickly responded to these complaints saying:“Have I changed loads of stuff? Yeah, of course I have.

"Loads and loads and loads of stuff, otherwise you’d have 30 hours of TV and would you want to watch it? No.”

These negative responses were in a minority compared to the amount of positive feedback that she received about her work.

One viewer took to twitter to announce ‘I'm loving #palehorse. Some witty lines from #SarahPhelps’.

You can view the second part of The Pale Horse on BBC1 on Sunday at 9pm.