Sir John Wolfenden, Vice Chancellor to the University of Reading, enters the committee room. He’s a tall figure – all serious and stern; the quintessential English gentlemen of the 50's, dressed in a sharp suit, and desperate to cling on to traditional family values. He takes a puff of his pipe; smoke threads around his world-weary frame. He’s a man in turmoil. The committee – an assortment of British characters, consisting of women, doctors, psychiatrists, judges, lawyers and ministers of religion appear ghost-like around the table. They’re a mélange of out-spoken characters, with contrasting backgrounds and clashing views, eager to express their plight. It looks like it all might be a bit too much for Sir John.
A Scene Which Possibly Marked the Beginning of Gay Rights in Britain
And so the scene of the Report of the Departmental Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution (or more commonly referred to as The Wolfenden Report) was established. Wolfenden’s 155-page report (which took a pain-staking three years to issue) concluded that in relation to homosexuality, the law should not meddle with the personal affairs of consenting adults.
BBC Four follows on from Channel Four’s ‘Gay season’ and commemorates 50 years since the publication of the Wolfenden report, an event which eventually led to the decimalisation of homosexuality. Consenting Adults is a feature-length dramatisation of the Wolfenden Report – initially a drama revolving a round a committee may seem, well, rather dull. Yet the film also has two other storylines woven through the narrative – an ill-fated love affair between a married baker and a labourer, which ends in blackmail. And the intriguing relationship between Wolfenden and his charismatic gay son, Jeremy Wolfenden (who later became a Foreign Correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and British spy).
Charles Dance and Sean Biggerstaff Have Wonderful Chemistry
Wolfenden, played wonderfully by Charles Dance is a wise, old-fashioned kind of chap, yet he has a bumbling awkward way about him that is endearing; when he has his first meeting with the committee, he suggests they refer to homosexuals as Huntleys and prostitutes as Palmers. The basis of his idea stemming from the Huntley & Palmer biscuit factory he passed on the train. To which one fellow lady committee member hastily replies; “Oh, lets just call a tart a tart!” Sir John simply sits back in his chair, and takes a steady puff on his pipe.
Julian Mitchell’s script is enlightening and funny, providing what may have been a drab affair with colour and heart, despite the nature of the committee discussions. An appearance by the openly-gay Mark Gatiss as the tough, homophobic PC Butcher also raises some laughs, in a scene-stealing performance; “They like to use the mouth Americans”. It’s a gritty and realistic affair, with dramatised transcripts from the original committee meetings used.
Despite a tight budget, director Richard Curson Smith’s style gives the film a polished and classy feel, effectively showcasing the mannerisms of a very conservative era. Jazz music filters throughout the drama, adding atmosphere to every large stride Sir John takes. Watch him cut across the green as he confronts Jeremy.
We see the turbulent, yet loving relationship of Sir John and his son blossom into full-blown approval, with Jeremy citing the closing piece of his Father’s legacy; “You did the right thing against your own inclination. That makes you an admirable man.” Indeed, it does. Lord Wolfenden was voted one of the Pink Papers ‘Gay Heroes’ in 1997.
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