“Clearly the most terrifying thing about this story is that these were educated, clever, savvy people who were slowly drawn in by an incredibly plausible, articulate person – he is not your average villain,” says Saul Dibb, director of true crime series The Sixth Commandment.
The four-part series, which boasts a strong case including Timothy Spall and Anne Reid, explores the deaths of two residents of an English village, and the gripping events that followed. When admired and inspirational teacher, Peter Farquhar (Spall) meets charismatic student Ben Field (Éanna Hardwicke), both Farquhar and his neighbour, Ann Moore-Martin (Reid) are drawn into a web of influence and deceit. The deaths of Farquhar and Moore-Martin set off a lengthy and complex criminal investigation.
While exploring these tragic events, the cast and crew were also very aware of the responsibilities involved in telling the stories of real people and celebrating Farquhar and Moore-Martin as cherished mentors and friends.
“When I received Sarah Phelps’ brilliant scripts, I knew this was an essential story to tell. I am honoured to be playing the remarkable Peter Farquhar and hope I do him justice, which is the very least he deserves,” Spall says of his role.
Timothy Spall as Peter Farquhar. Credit: Amanda Searle / BBC / Wild Mercury
The Sixth Commandment was made with the cooperation of members of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin’s families.
Éanna Hardwicke, who faced the challenge of playing the deceptive Ben Field, says he was very mindful of that trust. “Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin nourished the lives of many in their time and Sarah's writing beautifully draws out the richness of their lives and the positive impact they had while exploring the callousness and cruelty brought into their home by someone they trusted. I'm mindful and appreciative of the confidence of Peter's and Ann's families in trusting us with their stories.”
For executive producer Derek Wax, there was a personal connection to the story.
“I was a pupil at Manchester Grammar School where Peter Farquhar was an English teacher. I was never taught by him personally, but I remember him so clearly and knew how inspiring he was in the classroom. When the trial happened, I was riveted because I had such vivid memories of Peter as gregarious, sometimes quite fierce, but inspirational. It was very upsetting to hear the details of what happened,” he says.
I had such vivid memories of Peter as gregarious, sometimes quite fierce, but inspirational
“The first priority for us was always to honour Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin as human beings, their individuality, warmth and vitality. The documentary [Catching a Killer: A Diary from the Grave] did that but there wasn't that much actual footage of Peter or of Ann, nor did it follow her story. It’s hard to emotionally engage with them as characters if you only see photographs and the briefest bits of footage, whereas a drama gives you an opportunity to illuminate those lives in a three-dimensional way, particularly if you've got very strong actors who can chart the emotional journey of those characters and get into the nuances and complexities of their lives. We've tried to be accurate and respectful in our depiction of the experiences they had.
“The writer, Sarah Phelps, met Peter’s brother Ian, his wife Sue and Ann’s niece Ann-Marie several times. The families’ trust was absolutely key and crucial to us. We involved them as much as possible.”
Anne Reid as Ann Moore-Martin. Credit: Amanda Searle/BBC/Wild Mercury/Amanda Searle
Phelps, who was also an executive producer on the series, says the backstory, the lives of Peter and Ann and their friends and families, was a key part of building the series.
“I’ve spent a lot of my career writing about murder, and I think the victim is always the most important element. One thing I didn't want to do was to glamourise the killer. A lot of TV programs give you the sense that you're falling under the spell of the killer, who’s incredibly intelligent, with some grand plan, but I wanted to understand and honour the victims, to give them life and dignity. They were more than just Ben Field’s victims. That backstory was really important for me. Peter and Ann led full, vibrant, intelligent, educated, lives full of curiosity with families, friends, social lives, their love of poetry and theatre and their devout faiths.”
The series is chilling, in that it shows how people can be totally deceived. “It's a very emotional and frightening story in a kind of ordinary way. It makes you think about how we live in our own little worlds and what we value in life. We need to look more closely at the people we think we know and realise so many are vulnerable and full of hope. And we need to be more vigilant about the people who come into our lives,” Phelps says.
Unlike some true crime stories, this one has an ending.
“I think the appeal is that ultimately justice was done. The trial took place in 2019 so it's very recent. We peel back the layers of that case, which very quickly became about how this young man tricked and inveigled his way into the spotlight. It's about understanding the human cost of this story, not just for Peter and Ann, but also for their families. It’s also about watching exemplary people doing their detective work and finally tracking down somebody who had done terrible things.”
This is an edited extract of material supplied by BBC / Wild Mercury / True Vision.
The Sixth Commandment premieres on SBS on September 4th at 9.25pm, with episodes airing weekly. All four episodes will also be streaming .
