The Speaker of Mandarin
1992: Adapted by Trevor Preston from the Ruth Rendell novel.
Chief Superintendent Howard Fortune sends his Uncle Reg on an official police visit to China. On his return to England, the Chief Inspector is called to the scene of a murder - a local woman - whom he met in China has been found shot in her own home. The killing forces Wexford to relive his experiences in China and eventually the memory of one particular event helps solve the case… Continue reading →
Background: Throughout his trip to China, Wexford reads supernatural stories and drinks rather too much green tea. He even suffers hallucinations like the hero in Sheridan Le Fanu’s famous Green Tea story. The Speaker of Mandarin was filmed on location in Hong Kong. Firm friendships were forged between the British and Chinese crew who worked together on the production and a farewell dinner was held on a boat which sailed to a nearby island.
Neil Zeiger: “The main difficulty in filming was the sheer number of people. We ended up hiding the camera to avoid attracting anymore. The weather hampered filming too; the crew clambered to the top of the Hong Kong Sheraton Hotel for fabulous views over Victoria Harbour. But within seconds the fog came down and we just couldn’t see a thing.”
Audio Clip: “Do you believe in premonition?”
Audio Clip: “Do you believe in premonition?”
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Cast and Crew
- DCI Wexford
- GEORGE BAKER
- DI Burden
- CHRISTOPHER RAVENSCROFT
- Dora Wexford
- LOUIE RAMSAY
- Milborough Lang
- VIRGINIA McKENNA
- Chief Supt Howard Fortune
- HOWARD DRURY
- Adam Knighton
- NORMAN RODWAY
- Adela Knighton
- DENYSE ALEXANDER
- Irene Bell
- ANNETTE CROSBIE
- Sung Lao Zhong
- KAY TONG LIM
- Lewis Fanning
- MICHAEL CARTER
- Hilda Avery
- MARJORIE YATES
- Janine
- MAGGIE STEED
- Lois Knox
- FRANCES CUKA
- Gordon Vinald
- DOMINIC JEPHCOTT
- Pandora
- HELENA MICHELL
- Margery Bauman
- FIONA WALKER
- Angus Norris
- MATTHEW MARSH
- Jennifer Norris
- OLIVIA WILLIAMS
- CID Officer
- STEPHEN JAMESON
- Burnett
- DAVID CONVILLE
- Shop Assistant
- CHRISTINE COLLINS
- Jack Heyward
- IAN EAST
- Mrs Fanning
- ARBEL JONES
- DS Martin
- KEN KITSON
- Dr Len Crocker
- JOHN BURGESS
- Kevin Smith
- ALEX LEPPARD
- Silver Perry
- BARRY LOWE
- Bingley
- DAVE ATKINS
- Sgt Willoughby
- COLIN CAMPBELL
- Miss Elf
- ANNABELLE LANYON
- Bank Manager
- IAN BARRITT
- Mrs Thompson
- MARY JO RANDLE
- Dobson Flint
- FREDERICK TREVES
- Original music composed by
- BRIAN BENNETT
- Production Associate
- GEORGE BAKER
- Casting Director
- MARILYN JOHNSON
- Production Manager
- GRAEME MacARTHUR
- Location Manager
- IAN STRACHAN
- 1st Assistant Director
- PHIL HARTLEY
- 2nd Assistant Director
- STEPHANIE SULLIVAN
- 3rd Assistant Director
- SARAH BAKER
- Production Co-ordinator
- CATHERINE BOLWELL
- Producer’s Secretary
- LESLEY COURLEY
- Costume Design
- RITA ANGELL
- Wardrobe Mistress
- SHERYL BRITTAIN
- Wardrobe Assistant
- ERIKA PHAROAH
- Make Up
- TONI HOLMES
DEBORAH McKINLAY - Production Buyer
- GRAHAM CURTIS
- Art Director
- PETER BULL
- Design Assistant
- HEATHER GIBSON
- Graphics
- JOHN HAMON
- Camera Operator
- JULIAN BARBER
- Focus Puller
- BRUCE BARRACLUGH
- Camera Grip
- ALAN IMESON
- Sound Recordist
- MAURICE HILLIER
- Boom Swinger
- LIAM RYAN
- Gaffer Electrician
- JOHN DONOGHUE
- Best Boy
- STEVE PHILPS
- Electricians
- MICK LAY
ROY ROBBERTS - Prop Master
- PAUL KEARNEY
- Construction
- COLIN BRADBURY
MIKE SWANSTON - Standby Propmen
- KENNY PALMER
LEE ROGERS - Standby Craftsmen
- MAX GRANT
- Assistant Film Editors
- JIM LOWNIE
STEVE CRABB - Dubbing Editor
- PETER DANSIE
- Assistant Dubbing Editor
- MARK NEWSON
- Dubbing Mixer
- DAVE FALLON
- Production Accountant
- PETER HARVEY
- Assistant Accountant
- GAY HUSE
- Music recorded by
- DICK PLANT at Honeywell Studios
- Film shot on 16mm
- EASTMANCOLOR
- Processed by
- RANK FILM LABS
- Lighting equipment supplied by
- MICHAEL SAMUELSON LIGHTING LIMITED
- Grip Equipment supplied by
- SNOWDONIA FILMS
- Film Editor
- CHRISTOPHER WENTZELL
- Production Designer
- MARK WARD
- Director of Photography
- KEN BRINSLEY BSC
- Executive Producer
- GRAHAM BENSON
- Producer
- NEIL ZEIGER
- Directed by
- HERBERT WISE
- A Blue Heaven Production for
- TVS
Principal Characters
The Speaker of Mandarin
A long held dream is realised when Reg Wexford secures an invitation to a prestigious police conference in China. However, hopes of combining the conference with a few days spent soaking up the culture are dashed when he finds his time commandeered by an official guide named Sung (Kay Tong Lim). His trip is also hampered by the extreme heat and a series of inexplicable visions in which he witnesses the brutal murder of a woman back home in England.
At his hotel, Wexford comes into contact with a group of British tourists who accompany him on the final leg of his journey to Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, he is shocked to recognise one of his fellow travellers - Adela Knighton (Denyse Alexander) - as the ill-fated woman seen in his visions. Mrs Knighton is travelling with her husband Adam (Norman Rodway) - a retired barrister - and her friend Irene Bell (Annette Crosbie). Adam Knighton seems a reluctant husband and the couple rarely appear to communicate. Wexford is struck by Knighton’s love of Chinese poetry and his stunned reaction to the brief appearance of a beautiful young woman in the hotel bar.
Wexford returns to Kingsmarkham, exhilarated by China but also troubled by his visions. Then - exactly as he foresaw - Adela Knighton is found murdered (the victim of an apparent robbery) at her home in nearby Sewingbury. Adam Knighton is immediately questioned. However, he was in London on the night of the murder and does appear genuinely grief-stricken. Wexford and Burden are also confronted by Knighton’s son-in-law Angus Norris (Matthew Morris) who is eager to communicate his own theories on how and why the murder was committed.
Inspector Mike Burden investigates the possibility that Mrs Knighton’s murder might have been be an act of revenge, committed by a disgruntled criminal who harboured a grudge against the retired barrister. He questions several ex-cons including Silver Perry (Barry Lowe), a surprisingly grateful burglar whom Knighton once saved him from a long prison term.
Wexford becomes convinced that the key to the case must lie with events in China and sets out to interview all of his fellow travellers - including Gordon Vinald (Dominic Jephcott) - an antiques dealer in London. Wexford discovers that Vinald is now married to the mysterious young woman who so entranced Adam Knighton in Hong Kong, and that her mother is the famous former movie star Milborough Lang (Virginia McKenna).
Background notes | Cast & crew »
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