Timothy Spall "adored" the simplicity of the script for ‘Mrs. Lowry & Son’.
The 60-year-old ‘Harry Potter’ alumnus is set to star alongside Vanessa Redgrave in the new movie about the iconic Manchester-born painter – which is set to be helmed by Adrian Noble.
‘Mrs. Lowry & Son’ examines the relationship between the painter and his overbearing, bedridden and depressed mother Elizabeth, and Spall – who also played artist JMW Turner in the 2014 movie ‘Turner’ – admits he actually paints in his new role.
Speaking to The Times newspaper, Spall said: "What I adored about it was that it had a simplicity that, until you actually read it properly and understand it, looks very simple … imparted like [Lowry’s] painting through sense of feeling, understanding and atmosphere through two people. I do paint a little bit [in the film]. It’s mainly about his relationship with his mother and how that influenced his work … he was an only child. He didn’t have a wife or any lover. It’s about this very unusual close relationship … how that informed his work and how that work happened late in his life."
Lowry was born in 1887 and is known for his unique depictions of the industrial Manchester and spent his days as a rent collector and his evenings at art classes despite his antagonistic mother’s criticism. He died in 1976.
Although Lowry was somewhat of a recluse and avoided being a public figure, Spall believes there is enough footage of him to help bring the man to life on the big screen.
He said: "There’s not much footage of him, but there’s enough for me to know what he looked like and sounded like.
"He wasn’t a public figure particularly, so I don’t have to worry about trying to be Irving or Paisley."
‘Mrs. Lowry & Son’ is written by Martyn Hesford – who adapted the story from his own stage play of the same name.
It is set to be produced by Debbie Gray and the movie will start shooting mid-January in both Manchester and London.
Timothy Spall loved the simple script for Mrs. Lowry and Son
