‘Timothy Spall gives the performance of his life’: The Sixth Commandment viewers pour praise on star
‘Timothy Spall in particular delivers a performance of exquisite, agonising tenderness,’ posted one fan
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Timothy Spall has drawn huge praise for his performance as Peter Farquhar, a cherished and inspirational teacher who was murdered in 2015, in the BBC One true-crime drama The Sixth Commandment.
The first episode of the show, written by Sarah Phelps, tells the story of how a twenty-something student and church warden, Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke) tricked Farquhar into a relationship, convinced him to put him in his will, then gaslit and abused him, before murdering him.
Viewers have been sharing their thoughts on the series on social media, with many highlighting Spall’s performance.
“Sarah Phelps’ The Sixth Commandment is an astonishing watch,” tweeted one person. “Rarely have I seen a true-crime drama so rich in compassion for the victims, or so disgusted by its monster. Timothy Spall in particular delivers a performance of exquisite, agonising tenderness.”
Another viewer added: “Timothy Spall with the performance of his life and Éanna Hardwicke sensationally chilling as the murderer. Acting of the highest order and script-writing off the scale. Unmissable.”
The Sixth Commandment review: What starts with so much promise descends into tawdry true crime
‘Unbeknown to him, he was narrating what was being done to him’: How The Sixth Commandment brought a harrowing British case to the screen
Jeremy Vine forces Twitter user to pay out after claiming he was at centre of BBC scandal
A third wrote: “I can highly recommend this, watched the first two episodes and it’s superb. Wonderful acting from everyone, but Timothy Spall is superb. It will break your heart.”
“Timothy Spall is playing this part so brilliantly. An acting masterclass if ever I saw one,” a fourth posted.
Another enthralled viewer tweeted: “Timothy Spall was immense... I was feeling so much anxiety and fear for him, beautifully played, and brilliantly written...”
“I smell a Bafta for Timothy Spall,” someone else said, while another shared: “Timothy Spall’s performance in this is as good as television gets.”
In the show, Spall portrays how Farquhar had repressed his sexuality for his whole life, and how he couldn’t believe his luck when he thought he’d found a companion in Field.
At the series launch, attended by The Independent, Spall said it was this internal battle that Farquhar had been fighting that drew him to the role. “Within Peter, I saw a real tension between somebody trying to reconcile their desires with their faith,” he said, “and within that attempt at reconciliation, that almost denial of the reality of it, along comes the object of a prayer, so perfectly an answer to a prayer that he cannot believe it.
“And I think that is the real deep tragedy of it: that this man who had given up hope for love, finds it. And he died sincerely believing it was still there.”
Episode two of the series focuses on Field’s next victim, retired headteacher Ann Moore-Martin (Anne Field).
Read The Independent’s review of the show here and a feature about the making of the series here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments