New BBC Commission Spotlights British Ballerina

LONDON: The U.K. indie Mammoth Screen has been commissioned by BBC Four to produce Margot, a film based on the life of Dame Margot Fonteyn, as part of the channel’s season of one-off films about the artistic careers of British female icons.

The 90-minute drama explores the ballerina’s dancing partnership and complex relationship with Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev. When they met, Margot was in her 40s and married to philandering Panamanian diplomat Roberto "Tito" Arias. At a time when many thought she would retire, her collaboration with Nureyev propelled them both to international stardom. The screenplay is written by Amanda Coe, who wrote BBC Four’s award-winning Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story, and will be an executive producer on the project.

Coe said: “To a little girl fascinated by ballet like I was, Margot Fonteyn seemed more regal than a member of the royal family; a perfectly graceful icon who personified all the elegant and remote qualities of the ballet world. It was a revelation to discover that this persona was every bit as much a part of her discipline and artistry as the roles she played on stage.”