No Touching at Downton Abbey, Actors Told

The cast of Downton Abbey have been banned from touching one another unnecessarily onscreen because there was so little physical contact in the era, the show’s historical expert has disclosed

Alastair Bruce, who works on etiquette and historical accuracy behind the scenes of the ITV period drama, said he instructed actors not to touch each other.

He claimed there was “no physical contact” and “no hugging” in the early 20th century, in a time before antibiotics when the spread of disease was rife.

The disclosure gives an insight into Downton storylines, in which even the most distressed characters – including the bereaved Lady Edith this series – received little physical comfort from their closest family.

Exceptions are made for specific scenes which require contact as part of the story, such as weddings, romances or the death of Lady Sybil, in which her family were seen nursing her.

Mr Bruce, a royal equerry and commenter, said it was essential for plots to unfold in accordance with “the correct protocol of the period”, admitting he was particularly cautious on the Downton set thanks to its eagle-eyed viewers.[amazon asin=B00KX44P22&template=*lrc ad (right)]

He added he regularly emphasised the need for physical distance on screen, despite the modern proclivity for greeting with a kiss.

“I tell the actors not to touch each other,” Mr Bruce told the BBC Radio 2 Arts Show. “I don’t want any hugging, no physical contact; they just didn’t do that in those days.

“The reason they didn’t is because it wasn’t that long before then that disease was spread so much more easily.

“We hug, kiss – good Lord you meet somebody now and they kiss you within minutes – and it’s because we’ve got antibiotics.

“But I don’t think people realise how distant natural life was for the British in that period.”

The advisor, who has also worked on films The Young Victoria and The King’s Speech, added his role was to “make sure that the director knows how to bring the story out within the frame of the correct protocol of the period”.

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