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Acclaimed actor Richard E. Grant's "Wah-Wah" is a semi-autobiographical "coming-of-age at the end of an age" story, told through the eyes of young Ralph Compton. Set during the last gasp of the British Empire in Swaziland, South East Africa, in 1969, the plot focuses on the dysfunctional Compton family whose gradual disintegration mirrors the end of British rule. As an 11-year-old, Ralph witnesses his mother's adultery with his father's best friend. His parents divorce and Ralph is sent to boarding school. His father, Harry (Gabriel Byrne), not only loses his wife (Miranda Richardson) and best friend, but also his position as Minister of Education with the coming of Independence, prompting his rapid descent into alcoholism. Now 14, Ralph (Nicholas Hoult) returns home to discover that his father has re-married an American ex-air "hostess" named Ruby whom his father has known all of six weeks. As round a peg as you could find in this square holed society, Ruby (Emily Watson) ridicules the petty snobbery of the restless colonials whose chief amusements are gin, adultery, and their foppish slang of "toodle-pip" and "hobbly-jobbly" -- that Ruby identifies as sounding like "Wah-Wah." Although Ralph is initially wary of Ruby, he bonds with her as his father's drinking escalates and becomes dangerously out of control. It's this chaos that stokes Ralph's inner turmoil, and eventually forges his creative mind.
Original Release
08/17/2005
US Release
05/12/2006
Links
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Gabriel Byrne | Harry Compton |
Emily Watson | Ruby Compton |
Julie Walters | Gwen Traherne |
Nicholas Hoult | Ralph Compton - 14 years |
Miranda Richardson | Lauren Compton |
Zac Fox | Ralph Compton - 11 years old / Ralph Compton - 11 years |
Celia Imrie | Lady Riva Hardwick |
Julian Wadham | Charles Bingham |
Fenella Woolgar | June Broughton |
John Matshikiza | Dr. Zim Mzimba |
Directors
Writers
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Gabriel Byrne | Harry Compton |
Emily Watson | Ruby Compton |
Julie Walters | Gwen Traherne |
Nicholas Hoult | Ralph Compton - 14 years |
Miranda Richardson | Lauren Compton |
Zac Fox | Ralph Compton - 11 years old / Ralph Compton - 11 years |
Celia Imrie | Lady Riva Hardwick |
Julian Wadham | Charles Bingham |
Fenella Woolgar | June Broughton |
John Matshikiza | Dr. Zim Mzimba |
Sid Mitchell | Vernon |
John Carlisle | Sir Gifford Hardwick / Sir Giffard Hardwick |
Mathokoza Sibiya | Dozen |
Sindisiswe Nxumalo | Regina |
Michael Richard | Tobias |
Caroline Smart | Taj |
Ian Roberts | John Traherne |
Olivia Grant | Monica |
Sibusiso Mamba | Father Ndlovu |
Tony Hatton | Mr. Parker |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Julia Blackman | Executive Producer |
Jeremy Nathan | Executive Producer |
Joel Phiri | Executive Producer |
Jeff Abberley | Producer |
Pierre Kubel | Producer |
Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar | Producer |
Pascal Ralite | Producer |
Chris Curling | Producer |