The Trial of Christine Keeler.

Is anyone else as impressed by James Norton’s portrayal of Ward as I am? Last night moved even my stony heart to sympathy for a man whose superficial values meant he had nothing left to live for. I thought Norton was amazing, and added yet another complicated man to his portfolio of villains and saints. A true star.

Yes, that was my take too.
He also introduced them to sex, albeit briefly, then to powerful men.

suziewoozy that was my take on Stephen Ward too I felt it wasn’t so much about any punishment he may or may not have got but his loss of status which made him make the decision to not face things He had spent a lot of years ‘enjoying’ a very hedonistic lifestyle
chestnut he didn’t pay the ultimate price that would have been imprisonment or some kind of punishment but he opted to control his own end, he wasn’t mentally ill he had the choice in his own hands and chose to make his own ending to his story
If someone is mentally ill and takes their life in desperation it’s very very different to someone who just prefers to not be punished or face life without the perks they re used to
Dr Shipman, Fred West come to mind (I m not comparing him to them just saying it’s the same mindset in my opinion)

And your point is annie ?

We had police and social workers turning their backs on abused children in the last decade, these were not privileged
people.

Yes he did, but he wasn’t an innocent victim was he?

Whatever Stephen Ward was he paid the ultimate price.

Jane10
I don't think many who occupied those circles would have been too shocked ? Don't forget this was the same period when Lord Boothby was having a sexual relationship with Ronnie Kray and had had an affair ( for years) with McMillans wife, Dorothy.

My take on Stephen Ward is that he was a ‘pimp’ who found girls for rich, powerful, well connected men, not in a straight transaction for cash but for social connections and feeling he was ‘one of them’ which of course he never was. He also benefitted financially of course even if indirectly from having patients referred to him. Once it all fell apart and he over reached himself he soon realised how low down in their pecking order he was and as we’ve seen, they moved in remorselessly to destroy him. He was treated badly and unfairly by the establishment but in turn, he had used and exploited young vulnerable women.

Stephen Ward was 50 when he died. According to the TV program last night he slept with CK and MRD. He was easily old enough to be their father and seems to have played this role to a degree. I don't know how sympathetic to feel towards him, the real person as opposed to the brilliant portrayal. Those girls were used and abused, without doubt.

Yes straight away travelsafar.....so close but so far! The actor is James Norton of Granchester, War and Peace, Happy Valley. A very handsome man who has proved he can also portray villainy, pathos and charm in a variety of very different roles.

Sorry for the incorrect name, but i guess you fellow GN posters realised who i meant!!

Poor Stephen. His lifestyle must have seemed incomprehensible to many at the time though. Sad to be abandoned by all his posh friends that he set such store on. A mixed up social climber. Very odd just letting those two girls move in with him.
I don't suppose he'd have coped in jail. Those policemen!!!

Simon Ward died in 2012.

From the preface of the Book The Trail of Steven Ward by Ludovic Kennedy ( in his own words)
If on occasion the book is now rather more vehement than I Han intended, that is because I had not bargained on seeing justice miscarry before my eyes

I found parts of it too difficult to watch last nigh. The actor playing Stephen Ward was brilliant in his portrayal of the hopelessness and despair he felt.

Most proletarian people were prudes in the early 60s. Upper class people were not prudish they were sometimes exploited the poorer sort of people.

My family was proletarian. However my mother who was born in the reign of Victoria was brought up in an orphanage and she sympathised with young Christine and with all motherless girls.

Stephen Ward was a fore runner of the sexual liberation soon to arrive.

I can't believe I lived through it and took no notice whatsoever!

sorry - no complete transcript....

Apparently they nearly re-opened his case in 2017 but decided not to as there was complete transcript of the trial. That's a shame. (info from Wiki)

Probably both good and bad, as are most of us. Stephen Ward was misguided, easily led, loved being flattered and flattering others, pretentious, a bon viveur and something of an aesthete. I haven't been watching this drama partly because, at the time, I found his suicide so sad.

Ha ha, Simon Ward is an actor (Young Winston). I think you mean Stephen Ward. I haven't watched this week's episode yet but I did comment on how heartbreaking it was to see SW's fall from grace last week. James Norton is a fantastic actor. He is tugging at my heart strings.

Stephen Ward, Simon Ward is an actor.

Yes. I think it was dreadful. I still haven't worked out though, whether he was a good man or not.

Anyone else start to feel sad for Simon Ward last night. The reality on his face that his so called friends just disappeared when he needed them was heartbreaking.