I had a blast getting paid to sit on throne
IT’S good to be the king as far as Derek Riddell is concerned.
The actor stars in explosive new BBC historical drama Gunpowder, which tells the inside story of Guy Fawkes and the plot to blow up parliament and kill the reigning British monarch, James I – and James VI of Scotland – on November 5, 1605.
Despite being the target, Glasgowborn Derek was happy to sit on the throne and you can understand why, given that the monarch didn’t have to get his hands dirty in any way shape or form.
Forget thwarting the plotters or being on set with co-stars such as Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington or Hollywood actress Liv Tyler, one of his best days filming was when he realised just how flush James’s regal lifestyle was.
He said: “Most memorable moment on set? The arrival of fake King James I poo in a Tupperware box – so that an unlucky supporting artist, who for a particular scene in episode one had been given the role of ‘master of the royal stool’, could take it away after I’d finished my business.”
Royal privilege was one of the driving forces behind the plan to blow up the king and parliament.
With the country at war with Spain, the persecution of Catholics, which began under the rule of Elizabeth I, had continued when James succeeded her in 1603 – despite the fact his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, was a devout Catholic executed for treason by Elizabeth.
At a time when priests caught saying mass could be executed, the gunpowder plot was set to blow up the House of Lords during the state opening of parliament. The date of the planned explosion, November 5, is burned into memory as Bonfire Night but the man who is most famous for it, Fawkes, was only a bit-part player.
The plot was hatched by Robert Catesby, who led a group of 12 Catholic conspirators.
Catesby was actually a relative of Game of Thrones star Harington, who plays him in the three-part series and whose production company created the series in conjunction with the BBC.
For Derek, 50, a former pupil of Glasgow private school Hutchesons’ Grammar, learning about the gunpowder plot and James was like going back to school. He said: “As a Derek loved playing monarch who didn’t get even his hands dirty.. but playing King James VI also turned out to be an education result of history lessons at school, I knew he was the James responsible for the King James’ Bible and that he forged the union between Scotland and England.
“However, my school days were a long time ago so anything else I might have known had disappeared. It was interesting to go back and try to find out more about his personality and life.
“I read a couple of books on James and also those dealing with the gunpowder plot. I scoured the internet for any other information I could find about him.
“What quickly became apparent was that it’s difficult to get to the truth of what King James I was like. Many of the reports were written by people who had vested interests in painting him as either good or bad. Some would say James was ill-mannered and lazy, with a fat tongue, which made him slobber when he drank, and only interested in having fun and hunting.
“Other reports paint him as a very intelligent but physically frail man who spoke both French and Latin, saw himself anointed by God, took his position very seriously and was a great pragmatist when dealing with matters at home and abroad. I was also surprised to learn about his penchant for young men.”
King James was married to Anne of Denmark but also had affairs with his male courtiers which was brought to light in September when art historians uncovered a masterpiece, missing for nearly 400 years, by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens at Pollok House on Glasgow’s south side.
It was the long-lost portrait of George Villiers, the 1st Duke of Buckingham, who was a lover of the Scottish king. Derek, who starred in BBC Scotland drama Strathblair and has gone on to appear in TV hits including The Book Group, Ugly Betty, The Missing and W1A and will play the part of Torquil Travers in the sequel to JK Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, looks like he has banked another hit with Gunpowder.
As well as Harington and Lord of the Rings star Tyler, it also stars Peter Mullan, Mark Gatiss, Tom Cullen, Edward Holcroft and Shaun Dooley.
Derek said: “It’s got a fantastic cast, great script and looks amazing – but viewers also might learn some history they didn’t already know.”
The truth, however, remains shrouded in mystery.
The gunpowder plot was foiled when Lord Monteagle, brother-in-law of one of the conspirators, received a letter on October 26 warning him not to attend parliament on November 5.
It resulted in parliament being searched and Fawkes was caught with 36 barrels of gunpowder in a cellar beneath the House of Lords. He was tortured and gave up the names of his accomplices.
Derek said: “We will probably never get to the full truth of it.” ● Gunpowder is on BBC1 on October 21.
It’s got a fantastic cast, great script and looks amazing DEREK RIDDELL