Thomas Hardy's classic epic remains one of the most popular novels ever written. This lavish production vividly depicts the powerful tale of a peasant girl whose life is torn apart by the love and jealousy of two men.
Justine Waddell (Mansfield Park) stars as the hapless Child of Nature who is tossed around by the dark forces of fate. Jason Flemyng (Snatch, Mean Machine) is the dark and sinister Alec d'Urberville whose relentless pursuit of Tess triggers the heroine's downfall. Oliver Milburn plays the handsome young Angel Clare, the caring rebel who falls deeply in love with Tess.
The story follows Tess on her journeys around Hardy's Wessex. It is a tale of epic vastness, exploring the class system on the brink of a new century. Modernity clashes with Victorian values and the prejudices and hypocrisy of the era are explosively revealed.
This production closely mirrors the grim realities of Hardy's novel charting Tess's journey from innocent country maiden to ruined tragic heroine; from rural simplicity to a powerful pagan climax at Stonehenge. It is a story that is of its time, yet profoundly timeless...and that is always deeply disturbing.