John Stonehouse: ITV drama about Black Country MP who faked his death to start next week
The scarcely believable story of a Black Country MP who faked his own death, became embroiled in an affair and used the names of dead constituents to try to set up a new life in Australia becomes the subject of an ITV drama next week.
Stonehouse, a three-part series about former Wednesbury and Walsall North MP, John Stonehouse, begins at 9pm on Monday, and runs for three consecutive nights.
In 1974, Labour’s former postmaster general and the man once tipped as a future Prime Minister left his clothes and passport on a Miami beach – fuelling speculation he had been eaten by a shark – and fled using a passport in the name of a dead constituent.
Months later he turned up in Australia, where the authorities suspected he was actually Lord Lucan, who went missing at the time after being suspected of murdering his children’s nanny.
Once Stonehouse’s identity was revealed he was sent back to Britain and jailed for seven years in 1976 for theft, fraud and deception – only then did he quit as an MP.
Matthew Macfadyen, who plays the MP, said Stonehouse's “chutzpah and vanity” is fascinating.
The 48-year-old Succession actor added that in the former cabinet minister’s “mind’s eye” he was James Bond as played by Roger Moore.
“In Stonehouse’s mind’s eye he was Edward Fox, Roger Moore – one of those guys in an overcoat with the collar turned up.
“A case of, ‘Well, if I’m going to be a spy, I might as well enjoy it’. I imagine he created his own James Bond soundtrack in his head.”
The Pride And Prejudice actor added he played Stonehouse disappearing as if “he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown” which as his wife in the series “points out” was planned “very well in advance”.
He also said: “It’s that chutzpah, a sort of vanity, which I found fascinating. ‘I’ll just do it - it’ll work’.” Hawes, 46, said Stonehouse’s “incredibly bright, confident and savvy” wife must have found it “horrendous, humiliating and deeply upsetting for her” and their children at the time.
They thought he was dead for five weeks to then discover he was in Australia and he had an affair with his secretary.
She added: “I think she was very strong and brave under the circumstances.”
Macfadyen said he thinks Stonehouse’s views on what politics does to people “resonates with events today”.
The actor added: “I’m sure it’s true of many politicians.
“There’s no escape, no hiding place. It exposes all of your faults mercilessly.”
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