Maelstrom
Cast
Tusse Silberg

Catherine Durrell
(Tusse Silberg)

 David Beames

Anders Bjornson
(David Beames)

 Susan Gilmore

Anna Marie Jordahl
(Susan Gilmore)

 Chirstopher Scoular

Lars Nilsen
(Christopher Scoular)

 Edita Brychta

Ingrid Nilsen
(Edita Brychta)
Ann Todd
Astrid Linderman
(Ann Todd)
John Abineri
Olav Tunheim
(John Abineri)
Trevor Baxter
Dr Albrigsten
(Trevor Baxter)


Catherine Durrell & Anders Bjornsen
(Tusse Silberg & David Beames)
Tusse Silberg & David Beames Although living most of her life in Britain, Tusse Silberg was born in Stockholm. Prior to Maelstrom she had appeared in Smiley's People and Reilly Ace of Spies. Silberg's performance as the "attractive and independent" Catherine Durrell is at best dull. Bird had wanted her replaced, but producer Vere Lorrimer wouldn't hear of it. She seems incapable of any form of facial expression and in scenes where, clearly, she is intended to display emotion we merely get embarrassing silences giving the impression that the actors have momentarily forgotten their lines.

Anders Bjornsen was played by a little known British actor David Beames. His character is described as "humorous and resourceful". Prior to Maelstrom Beames had appeared on television in Wings and Enemy at the Door. He had also played one of 'The Sandbaggers' in Ian Mackintosh's excellent spy series of the same name, although he lasted for only one episode before being seen off by the opposition.

Trevor Baxter Dr. Albrigsten
(Trevor Baxter)

Trevor Baxter, the "friendly and compassionate Dr Albrigsten, confidant to Astrid and the Jordahls", had also played a doctor (Dr. Phillimore) in Michael Bird's previous BBC series, The Dark Side of the Sun. Vere Lorrimer told him that when they first discussed Maelstrom as a project Michael Bird had said, "I don't really know what happens in the first instalment but I do know that Trevor Baxter arrives." Lorrimer also told him that watching the early rushes Bird had said, "He's very good value," thereby making it impossible, Lorrimer felt, to offer any criticism of Baxter's performance.

Ann Todd
Astrid Linderman
(Ann Todd)


Veteran British film star Ann Todd played Astrid Linderman, "great Aunt to the Jordahl sisters". In her early seventies, Miss Todd had not acted for several years. Trevor Baxter recalls that during studio work there was a scene with David Beames and him in which Miss Todd had difficulty remembering her lines. The director said they would do the scene with Todd reading the lines in her wheelchair while the camera focussed on him and Beames for reactions. "When it came to it Ann Todd ran over my left foot and then, soon after, manipulating her wheelchair got her script caught in the spokes of one of its wheels. The combination of crushed toes and the sound of shredding pages, while our faces tried to register expressions appropriate to the scene, was too much for David and myself: we both got a bad attack of the giggles and I gather there was fury in the control room! However, the scene cut together quite well in the end!"

Susan Gilmore and Edita Brychta Anne Marie and Ingrid Jordahl
(Susan Gilmore and Edita Brychta)

The Jordahl sisters "highly strung and insecure" Ingrid and "sophisticated and self-assured" Anne Marie were played by Edita Brychta and Susan Gilmore. Gilmore was best known for a stint in Angels (the Holby City of the 80s). She was cast as Anne Marie by director David Maloney after he saw her play the lead in Man of Mode at Richmond's Orange Tree Theatre. After Maelstrom she went on to star in the BBC's boat building soap Howard's Way.

Edita Brychta was born in Prague in 1961 and came to Britain with her parents in 1968 at the time of the Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia.

Chirstopher Scoular Lars Nilsen
(Christopher Scoular)

When they hit it off, Bird liked to use actors more than once but his "Michael J Bird repertory company" was less in evidence in this production. Christopher Scoular, like Trevor Baxter, had appeared in The Dark Side of the Sun. Scoular played the infinitely patient "young business executive" Lars Nilsen, husband of Ingrid and brother-in-law to Anne Marie. In fact his character has little to do and Scoular is hardly stretched in the role. In most of the publicity shots he looks as though he is modelling knitting patterns, although it was good to see a friendly face.
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