Andrea Levy’s Small Island adapted for the screen

Naomie Harris in Small Island

Adapted from Andrea Levy’s award-winning and bestselling novel, Small Island tells the captivating and moving story of two different women whose lives are thrown together as they both seek an escape from their trapped existence.

Queenie (Ruth Wilson) was born and raised on a pig farm in Yorkshire but seeking any opportunity to leave the blood and death behind, she soon moves to London to live with her Aunt. When the Aunt unexpectedly dies, Queenie is forced to marry Bernard (Benedict Cumberbatch), a simple but caring man who promises to look after her, even if he doesn’t provide the passion she craves. On the other side of the world is Hortense (Naomie Harris) an educated young Jamaican who dreams of one day living in the Mother Country. She plans to move there with Michael (Ashley Walters); the man with whom she has been raised and the only man she has truly ever loved. But when he is reported missing while on mission during the Second World War she’s forced to marry Gilbert (David Oyelowo), a fellow Jamaican who also plans to return to England after being stationed there during the war. This two-part drama depicts how the two women’s lives eventually collide and portrays the difficulties faced by Jamaicans when first coming to Britain in the 1940s.

Being the child of a Jamaican mother who often spoke about what life was like when she first moved to this country, I viewed Small Island as a wonderful and evocative journey into the traditions and experiences I had only previously heard about. Andrea Levy, the author of Small Island, was also the child of Jamaican immigrants and this soon becomes apparent as she’s created a story that fully encapsulates the experience of thousands of West Indians coming over here in England in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Levy vividly depicts the hopes and expectations they had about England, a country many believed had ‘streets paved with gold’ while also capturing the disappointment, yet unmoving resilience shown by West Indians when finally reaching here and being faced with racism and prejudice from their British ‘brothers and sisters’.

Screenwriter Paula Milne has done a remarkable job capturing the details and emotions from the original novel and in particular the ways and traditions of West Indian people. For example the outrage Gilbert felt when Cecilia – a fellow Jamaican – mentions putting her mother in a care home (‘Yu would leave yu madder wid strangers?!’) or the disgust Hortense experiences when realising she would have to wash her clothes, vegetables and crockery… in the same sink.

With a cast of black British actors from both Caribbean and African descent, the $64 million dollar question is – do they all sound like real Jamaicans? The first to speak is Naomie Harris who is spot on as Hortense Joseph (her mother was born in Jamaica.) Not only is she convincing as a native Jamaican but her performance in general has to be one of the greatest in the drama. She wonderfully captures the dreams and hopes of a girl who has the determination to make them happen even in the face of great hardship. Ashley Walters makes a fine job as Michael the heartbreaker and David Oyelowo and Benedict Cumberbatch also do well as the husbands. However Ruth Wilson as Queenie gives the only performance on par with Harris’: she is truly outstanding.

Small Island is a refreshing, engaging and well made TV drama that depicts not only a familiar history for many of the Anglo-Caribbean community but combines it with a wonderful tale of lost love and hope; a real delight worth staying in for.

Small Island
By Andrea Levy
Adapted by Paula Milne
Screening on BBC One, Sunday 13th December at 9pm (Part 2)
Cast: Naomie Harris, David Oyelowo, Ashley Walters, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ruth Wilson

6 Responses to “Andrea Levy’s Small Island adapted for the screen”

• I read the book and enjoyed it tremendously. The tv drama stayed true to the book which I find a rare achievement. Paula Milne has to be congratulated for capturing all the important elements from the book in her screenplay. I thought Ruth Wilson, Naomie Harris and David Oyelowo were all superb.

  Andy B says
  December 13, 2009 at 11:02 pm

• I had the pleasure of seeing the drama in a public preview screening. In the crowd were Caribbean woman of a certain age who clearly could relate to the material and enjoyed it tremendously. Though I’m not Caribbean and can’t tell you much about whether the accent of the actors was on point, all I can say is that it’s rare to see stories about black people that are not condescending or off the mark. Small Island is that rare thing: a story that rings true and presents us in a good light. Though the main characters Hortense and Gilbert endure a lot of hardships, they do so with grace and humour. The only critic I would made is about the ending but I can’t say more without divulging too much so I will stop here. I’d give this drama 4/5 stars.

  Alice says
  December 12, 2009 at 5:05 pm

• I read this and article on Diversity on TV with interest.
  I haven’t seen the show I’ll catch it on iPlayer.

  UrbanCineaste says
  December 8, 2009 at 9:02 pm

• Small Island on BBC1 drew 5m viewers and beat off ITV1 movie Batman Begins

  http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/ratings/small-island-sails-with-5m/5008849.article

  Alice says
  December 8, 2009 at 12:04 am