Written in part by Tom Davis and James De Frond, comedy crime series ‘The Curse’ is a stylish period piece that would transport you to 1980s London with ease. The story follows a gang of petty crooks who are literally cursed. Thanks to their lack of wits and poor capacity for judgment, they often get into trouble. However, the story takes a southerly turn as the ragtag crew become entangled in one of the greatest gold heists in history.
After the success of “Money Heist”, thriller dramas are making a comeback. From the first glance, this series stands out from the crowd with its dreamlike portrayal of boxing clubs and restaurants in London’s underground. The entire cast reinforces the authenticity of the performance. However, you might be wondering if the heist plot is pulled straight from the newspaper headlines. If the thought has indeed crossed your mind, let us probe deeper.
Is the curse based on a true story?
“The Curse” is partly based on a true story. Although most heist stories are fictional, this one may be inspired by a real crime incident. James De Frond directed the series from a script he wrote alongside Tom Davis, who starred as Leary in “Free Fire.” The writing team also included Hugo Chegwin, Allan Mustafa and Steve Stamp, the last of whom also took over the lead role of Sidney Wilson on the show. Davis and De Frond previously collaborated on “Murder In Successville.”
Although primarily a work of fiction, the series borrows from a real crime incident – that of the infamous Brink’s-Mat Robbery. Brink’s Mat was a large warehouse located in Unit 7 of the Heathrow International Trading Estate near Heathrow Airport in London. On November 26, 1983, around 6:40 a.m., a gang of six people entered the warehouse. They had the help of security guard Anthony Black, who was involved in the robbery. Black helped them into the warehouse, as they extracted the password from the staff threatening to burn them alive.
They poured gasoline on the workers, and one of them knocked over the key to escape death. The robbers had news of the warehouse containing 3.2 million euros in cash. However, they hit an even bigger jackpot. They found three tons – 3000 kilos – of gold bars, which belonged to Johnson Matthey Bankers Ltd. The gold, diamond and cash the thieves stole from the warehouse is said to be worth €100 million after adjusting for 2020 inflation.
Two days after the robbery – which newspapers called the “crime of the century” – a couple reported a flaming crucible operating in a nearby garden. They found this odd and deduced a possible connection between the heist and the nearby sight. The police came, but the case was not their responsibility. They promised to send the police personnel responsible for the area and left. The police did not follow up on the incident and time passed. A year later Johnson Matthey Bankers Ltd collapsed, and after fourteen months the police finally raided the residence.
Police arrested the resident, a local jeweler named John Palmer. However, he was acquitted in a later trial. Police captured Micky McAvoy and Brian Robinson, alongside his brother-in-law, the security guard. However, the gold was never recovered. Clearly, as is evident, the story of the series builds from a real incident, although the series fictionalizes much of the story. The series leaves room for the imagination as most of the story remains a mystery to the general public.
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