Upcoming play about Princess Diana’s infamous BBC Panorama interview with Martin Bashir will use ‘very limited number of quotes for legal reasons – after Prince William called for the exchange to never be aired again
An upcoming play about Princess Diana’s infamous BBC Panorama interview with Martin Bashir will use a ‘very limited’ number of quotes for legal reasons, after Prince William promised the exchange would never be broadcast again.
Only two or three lines from the disgraced interview will be used in the production, said creator Jonathan Maitland, who worked alongside Bashir at the BBC and ITV.
The former journalist, who also wrote The Last Temptation Of Boris Johnson, stressed that he will not use “substantial parts” of the interview due to the Prince of Wales’ opinion and copyright law.
He said: ‘On the advice of lawyers, we can use a very limited amount of them, that is, two or three lines – but only those lines that are well known and famous enough to be in the public domain as historical quotes, such as “there were three of us in this marriage.”
The piece comes two years after a report by Lord Dyson concluded that the BBC had covered up “fraudulent conduct” by Bashir, who used false documents to win Princess Diana’s trust.
An upcoming play about Princess Diana’s infamous BBC Panorama interview with Martin Bashir will use a ‘very limited’ number of quotes for legal reasons
Creator and former journalist Jonathan Maitland (pictured) insisted he will not use ‘substantial parts’ of the interview due to the Prince of Wales’ opinion and copyright law
It led to an irate Prince William demanding a boycott of the 1995 interview, condemning Bashir’s “lurid and false allegations” to fuel the “paranoia and isolation” of his mother’s final years.
The production, directed by Michael Fentiman, pro of the Royal Shakespeare Company, premieres next month at the Park Theater in Finsbury Park, London.
It is described as “giving insight into the story behind the interview: the woman who gave it, the man who made it happen, and the institution that broadcast it.”
Mr Maitland added: ‘There are a great many of her trying to decide whether or not to do the interview and, if so, what to say.
“Then there’s a bit of the interview, but with some kind of work around it… and then there’s a lot of the aftermath and subsequent scandal and Bashir’s fall from grace.”
Paul Burrell, Princess Diana’s former royal butler-turned-I’m A Celebrity Star, will also be played by an actor as a “fourth wall storyteller.”
Last year, the hit Netflix series The Crown was criticized for being “too friendly” when presenting the Panorama interview, with critics claiming the reality of the betrayal was “much worse” than how it played out on screen.
Prince William demanded a boycott of the 1995 interview following Lord Dyson’s report condemning Bashir’s “lurid and false allegations” to fuel the “paranoia and isolation” of his mother’s final years
Prince Harry’s decision to use footage from the interview in his Netflix docuseries came despite both brothers previously criticizing the BBC over the interview. Pictured: The brother is together after the Queen’s death
Andy Webb, who had previously spoken out against the BBC’s treatment of the former Princess of Wales, has spent years trying to get to the bottom of Bashir’s interview.
While he praised The Crown’s portrayal of the incident overall, he said some aspects of the “bad campaign of cheating” could have been improved.
Writing in the Telegraph in November, he said the scenes had been “carefully researched” and showed how “appalling” the deception was, but said it fell short by portraying Bashir himself as the “lone killer who deceived his bosses as thoroughly as the princess herself. ‘.
He argued that in his view several people at the BBC were also involved in covering up Bashir’s deception.
Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were also criticized for using elements of the interview in their explosive Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, which aired last November.
Halfway through the first episode of the series, clips are shown of Princess Diana speaking to the journalist.
Footage of Princess Diana’s interview with Martin Bashir has been shown in the Harry and Meghan Netflix docuseries
Journalist Andy Webb, who worked for the BBC, said The Crown has been “too friendly” in portraying the deception. Pictured: Elizabeth Debicki and Prasanna Puwanarajah as Diana and Bashir in series five of The Crown
The final series of The Crown depicts a four-minute replay of the 1995 interview, despite Prince William asking for it to be ‘never broadcast again’ when the Dyson report revealed that Bashir had played on the paranoia of princess Diana.
Sources close to Prince of Wales at the time said he would have been “furious” because his brother appeared to be ignoring his plea to never broadcast the Panorama interview again.
“Unfortunately, this once again shows that the gulf between the two brothers couldn’t be wider,” someone told the Mirror.
Before the clip is shown, Harry says, speaking of his mother’s struggles with press intrusion, “I think she had a lived experience of how she struggled with living that life. She felt obligated to talk about it.
“Especially in that Panorama interview. I think we all know now that she was tricked into giving the interview. But at the same time she spoke the truth about her experience.’
In the Panorama interview clip used in the Netflix episode, Diana says, “I still find the interest to this day daunting and phenomenal. Because I don’t really like being the center of attention.
“When I have my public duties, I understand that I will be photographed when I get out of the car. But actually I’m being photographed now when I go out my door, my front door. I never know where a lens will end up.’
The decision to use the footage comes despite both brothers previously rating the BBC negatively about the interview.
Prince Harry labeled the exchange “unethical” following the publication of Lord Dyson’s report.
At the time, he thanked those who took on “some form of responsibility” for “owning it,” but said that “the ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately cost (Diana’s) life.”
Both brothers received ‘unreserved apologies’ from the BBC over Bashir’s behavior and the 25-year cover-up.