Andrew Scott's new film "Elsinore" opened the 70th BFI London Film Festival on Wednesday night, earning the Irish actor a long standing ovation at the Royal Festival Hall. The film tells the true story of Ian Charleson, the "Chariots of Fire" actor who took on "Hamlet" at the National Theatre in 1989 while seriously ill with AIDS, and who died the following January at the age of 40.
Directed by BAFTA nominee Simon Stone, whose previous film was "The Dig", and written by BAFTA winner and Golden Globe nominee Stephen Beresford of "Pride", "Elsinore" is described by distributor StudioCanal as a "deeply moving and inspiring true story" of an actor who faced incredible odds while preparing to give the performance of his life. Scott, who serves as a producer on the film as well as its star, has spoken about wanting to honor the whole man rather than only his illness.
Speaking to Reuters on the night of the European premiere, Scott said the key to the role was understanding that "he was a man who had a great zest for life," describing Charleson as funny, charming, and deeply loved by those around him. The actor said he wanted to celebrate Charleson's life rather than focus solely on his final months.
The premiere carried an unusual weight given the geography of the occasion. The Royal Festival Hall sits next door to the National Theatre, where Charleson gave the performance at the heart of the film. Charleson came to "Hamlet" after Daniel Day-Lewis abruptly withdrew from Richard Eyre's 1989 production, and director Eyre, who played in the film by Johnny Flynn, sought Charleson out as his replacement. Charleson's run of 24 performances in the title role has long been part of London theater lore.
Scott is no stranger to the part himself, having played "Hamlet" on the London stage, a detail Stone pointed to when the festival line-up was announced. The director said the team was lucky to have "a London Hamlet himself, breathing delicate inspiring life into this beautiful story," and praised Charleson's short but dazzling career, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
The ensemble around Scott is formidable. Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Olivia Colman plays Dr. Margaret Johnson, Charleson's doctor, in a reunion with her "Fleabag" co-star. The cast also features Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson, David Dawson, Monica Dolan, Matthew Beard, Joe Locke, Georgie Glen, Sadie Soverall, Adeel Akhtar, Dickie Beau and Kadiff Kirwan, with Juliet Stevenson and Peter Mullan.
Andrew Scott and Olivia Coleman in "Elsinore".
Locke, best known to younger audiences for "Heartstopper", described his reaction to first reading Beresford's script while traveling home for Christmas last year. He told The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet that he could not stop crying, calling it a gorgeous piece of writing and adding that "Andrew gives the most incredible performance."
Festival programmers were equally taken with it. BFI London Film Festival artistic director Kristy Matheson said in a statement that few films this year would leave a lasting imprint quite like Elsinore, and that the festival could not be prouder to open its 70th edition with a film that centers "community, resistance and the triumph of art."
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Andrea Occhipinti of Lucky Red produces alongside Gabrielle Tana of Magnolia Mae Films, with Pete Shilaimon and Mickey Liddell of LD Entertainment and Stefano Massenzi and Carolyn Marks Blackwood.
The film has been gathering awards season momentum since late summer. Elsinore had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 4 and has drawn strongly positive reviews, with Scott's performance singled out repeatedly for praise. It was subsequently screened in Toronto before arriving in London.
Focus Features releases Elsinore in American theaters on November 20, 2026. StudioCanal will bring the film to Irish cinemas on January 29, 2027.
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