QUAD Derby

44 Inch Chest (18)

At QUAD Friday 5th - Sunday 7thMarch 2010 

John Hurt is a unique actor, someone who can move seamlessly from a sensitive portrayal of Quentin Crisp (The Naked Civil Servant) to a biting, snarling aggressive character such as ‘Old Man Peanut’ in 44 Inch Chest.

The lead role who the action centres around is played with no less aplomb by Ray Winstone in a film that takes a poetic journey through the thoughts and feelings of an East End hard man, robbed of his masculinity by a younger man who seduces his wife.

QUAD’s patron John Hurt CBE turns in another performance which you can’t imagine anyone else could play as well, alongside a supporting cast that includes Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson and the excellent Stephen Dillane.

The action is played out primarily in one solitary room and it is this use of space that helps to create an air of tension and frustration that is borne out by Winstone’s character. The film is a great example of the breadth of John Hurt’s talent and depth of writing talent in the UK. 

Click here for more information on the film and to book tickets.

Adam Buss, Deputy Director