“Mr. Loverman” by Prof. Bernardine Evaristo is a new BBC drama

Prof. Bernardine Evaristo, the award-winning author and Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University of London, has received her first film adaptation for her 2013 novel. Mr. Loverman. The eight-part drama series of the same name, starring Lennie James, is available to watch on BBC iPlayer from Monday, with the first two episodes airing on BBC One on Monday at 9pm.

Prof. Bernardine Evaristo holds a copy of the new lookbook with Lennie James on the cover

In 2020, during England’s first lockdown, the drama series was first introduced to Prof. Evaristo by screenwriter Nathaniel Price. He was one of the writers of the acclaimed BBC One drama Noughts and crossesand the Brunel Professor was entirely in agreement with his approach to the drama. This came a year after Prof. Evaristo won the Booker Prize for her novel girl, woman, other, and in 2022, Mr. Loverman was given the green light by the BBC.

Mr. Loverman The focus is on a 74-year-old gay Londoner named Barrington, played by award-winning actor Lennie James (The Walking Dead, Line of Duty, Save Me). Originally from Antigua, Barrington is a married father and grandfather who has hidden his sexuality his entire life. Prof. Evaristo said: “As a character, he is full of flaws, with deep desires, fears and contradictions, but he is also very charismatic and funny.”

Lennie James as Barrington in the BBC drama Mr Loverman

The Brunel academic describes the book as a multi-layered exploration of sexuality, forbidden and hidden love and desire. “Ultimately about the consequences of not being true to yourself, the book explores the pressures of family responsibilities, sacrifice dynamics and secrets, conformity versus self-reliance, and Caribbean masculinity and homophobia.”

During pre-production, Prof. Evaristo read the scripts and also visited the London set during filming. “I looked at the script at various stages and gave some feedback, but overall I knew immediately when I started reading Nathaniel’s adaptation that he had captured the soul of the novel,” she explained.

“It was exciting to visit the set at different times and see the material realization of the novel in physical form, such as the set, the furniture and the props, when before everything only existed in my imagination.

“Without exception, I was deeply impressed to see how the actors had brought my characters to life with such talent and performance. As their creator, the characters are so close to me that I know them inside and out, but the experience of seeing them on screen as real people brought a strong level of intimacy that I did not expect. My words have literally become flesh.”

She praises the entire cast, which also includes Tahj Miles (Death in paradise) Portrayal of Barrington’s grandson Daniel.

Tahj Miles as Daniel in the BBC drama Mr Loverman

After watching the series, Prof. Evaristo is pleased that she remained faithful to her novel in terms of the plot lines, the characters and even some of the dialogue. “To my great relief, I love every aspect of the series, from the script to the cast, direction, set design, costumes, soundtrack and cinematography. It’s an exemplary adaptation,” she said.

Last year marked the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation, and with October being Black History Month, it seems like the perfect time Mr. Loverman to come to our screens. “When I started writing this novel, I had long been aware that the Windrush generation had always been portrayed as completely heterosexual, which cannot be an accurate representation of this demographic,” Prof Evaristo said. “I am always interested in writing into the silences of our society and literary culture and bringing to the fore stories and characters that have rarely been explored. The idea of ​​an older gay Caribbean protagonist seemed like the perfect way to address this issue.”

Prof. Evaristo explains why viewers of the series are rolling with laughter and reaching for their tissues. “It is a drama that constantly switches from comedy to tragedy in an emotional rollercoaster,” the professor explained. “I hope audiences find it entertaining but also feel like they’ve gained new insight into the series’ themes.”

The full series of Mr Loverman will be available on BBC iPlayer from Monday and the first two episodes will air on BBC One at 9pm on Monday.

Pictures from the drama (c) BBC/ Fable Pictures/ Des Willie

Click below to watch the trailer for Mr Loverman

Reported by:

Nadine Palmer, media relations

+44 (0)1895 267090
[email protected]