Editing Profumo affair (section)

==In popular culture==
[[File:Christine Keeler on After Dark.JPG|thumb|alt=A photograph of a woman with shoulder-length brown hair facing the viewer and looking slightly to the right while wearing a white shirt with a floral print|Keeler (aged 46) discussing the Profumo affair on ''[[After Dark (TV series)|After Dark]]'' in 1988]]

There have been several dramatised versions of the Profumo affair. The 1989 film ''[[Scandal (1989 film)|Scandal]]'' featured [[Ian McKellen]] as Profumo and [[John Hurt]] as Ward. It was favourably reviewed, but the revival of interest in the affair upset the Profumo family.<ref>Profumo, pp. 274–75</ref> The focus of [[Hugh Whitemore]]'s play ''A Letter of Resignation'', first staged at the [[Comedy Theatre]] in October 1997, was Macmillan's reactions to Profumo's resignation letter, which he received while on holiday in Scotland.<ref>{{cite news |last=De Jongh |first=Nicholas |date=17 October 1997 |title=A Letter Of Resignation |newspaper=The Evening Standard |url=http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/theatre/a-letter-of-resignation-7435383.html |access-date=28 January 2014 |archive-date=4 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404011111/http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/theatre/a-letter-of-resignation-7435383.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The pilot episode of the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] series ''[[Endeavour (TV series)|Endeavour]]'' makes reference to the scandal and uses similar elements in its plot. The [[BBC]] commissioned a 6-part drama ''[[The Trial of Christine Keeler]]'' from [[Ecosse Films]] which was broadcast in the UK at the end of 2019. [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]'s musical ''[[Stephen Ward the Musical|Stephen Ward]]'' opened at London's [[Aldwych Theatre]] on 3 December 2013. Among generally favourable reviews, the ''Daily Telegraph''{{'}}s critic recommended the production as "sharp, funny – and, at times, genuinely touching".<ref>{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Charles |date=24 December 2013 |title=Stephen Ward, review |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/10528838/Stephen-Ward-review.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/10528838/Stephen-Ward-review.html |archive-date=12 January 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Robertson records that the script is "remarkably faithful to the facts".<ref>Robertson, p. 168</ref> In his song, "[[We Didn't Start the Fire]]", [[Billy Joel]] refers to the scandal with the line "British politician sex". Scottish folk musician Al Stewart also refers to the scandal in his song "Post World War II Blues" on the album ''Past Present Future''. On the television show ''[[Mad Men]]'', Season 3, Episode 6 "[[Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency]]" which takes place in early July 1963, American office-manager Joan mentions the Prime Minister of England having a thing for prostitutes. She is corrected by Englishman John Hooker that it was the Secretary of State for War.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MadMenS3E6GuyWalksIntoAnAdvertisingAgency |title=Recap / Mad Men S3 E6 "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency" |website=TV Tropes |quote=Joan: We could hire some prostitutes. I know your Prime Minister enjoys their company. Hooker: Secretary of War. And you'd do best not to bring that up tomorrow. |access-date=August 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240810192700/https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MadMenS3E6GuyWalksIntoAnAdvertisingAgency |archive-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref>
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