It’s quite possible that the following story has never been published in any form. The only reason I know it is because I heard it from the director Mike Leigh myself.
If you’re familiar with the way Mike Leigh works, you know that he is a very conscientious man, be it when it comes to writing, preparing, shooting or discussing his work. While his most famous film will probably be the 1996 drama 'Secrets and Lies', fans of Gilbert & Sullivan’s operas like myself often count 1999’s 'Topsy-Turvy' among their favourite films. This moderately light-hearted story of the creation of the duo’s most famous opera, 'The Mikado', received two Oscars for Best Costume Design and Best Makeup.
The film stars a number of pretty big names in British cinema, such as Jim Broadbent and Timothy Spall, with most of them playing members of the opera company producing Gilbert & Sullivan’s works. One of those actors was the Scotsman Kevin McKidd, portraying the tenor Durward Lely, who had one of the principal roles in 'The Mikado'.
To prepare for his role, McKidd decided to go to Arbroath (Scotland), Lely’s birth place. When he arrived, he went to the local library to ask if they happened to have any books on Lely and his life. The librarian said they had something even better and promptly introduced him to Lely’s distant relatives who were still living in the region. After finishing his research, McKidd received from them a little present – a necklace with a pendant that belonged to Lely himself. It is this necklace that you can see McKidd wear in the film.
To prepare for his role, McKidd decided to go to Arbroath (Scotland), Lely’s birth place. When he arrived, he went to the local library to ask if they happened to have any books on Lely and his life. The librarian said they had something even better and promptly introduced him to Lely’s distant relatives who were still living in the region. After finishing his research, McKidd received from them a little present – a necklace with a pendant that belonged to Lely himself. It is this necklace that you can see McKidd wear in the film.
...And now that I’ve got this anecdote written down, I seriously wonder whether it will be of interest to anyone other than Gilbert & Sullivan fanatics. Ah, well.