I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know Christine Keeler. She’s almost a mythical character, like folklore …
Dear Christine: A Tribute to Christine Keeler, a new multi-media exhibition of women’s art curated by artist Fionn Wilson, will open in Newcastle next month before moving on to Swansea in October, and London next February. Among the talented contributors are Caroline Coon, Cathy Lomax and Stella Vine. I have contributed some writing alongside Julie Burchill, Amanda Coe, Tanya Gold and Christine’s son, Seymour Platt, which will be published in an exhibition catalogue. Artists Shani Rhys James and Sadie Lee have talked about Keeler’s impact in this trailer, presented by Fionn and released today.
I will be posting further updates on Dear Christine here. In the meantime, Amanda Coe’s new BBC drama, The Trial Of Christine Keeler, is set to air this autumn. If the Daily Mail is to be believed, its young stars Sophie Cookson (Christine) and Ellie Bamber (Mandy Rice-Davies) have already bonded on the set.
And in an interview with the Evening Standard this week, Ellie confirmed that The Trial Of Christine Keeler will retell the Profumo Affair from a female perspective – something I feel is long overdue (and which I also tried to do in my novel, Wicked Baby.)
I don’t think the story of Christine and Mandy has ever been told from a woman’s point of view. This [drama] is definitely from that side. I think it’s really important because they weren’t prostitutes, they weren’t whores, they were just two very, very young women who were totally manipulated and called names that they definitely weren’t. I think it’s about time the truth comes out and people actually look at it without judgment.