No Offence at BAFTA: Series 3 Q&A

Following the premiere screening of the series opener at BAFTA, there was a Q&A that gave great insights into the creation of Friday Street’s mad world. Here are some selected soundbites.

• PAUL ABBOTT (CREATOR AND WRITER)

ON THE THIRD SEASON’S STORY ARC: “We were looking at resetting the button on No Offence. When we look at the original formation of No Offence it was imagining cops who would have to look after the families in Shameless!

We wanted a story that is a vessel for our sense of humour and we usually find the best of those by finding the darkest. The kind of society these cops would be looking at would be tormented by racism and it’s the perfect mouthpiece for that very dark, jet black humour that we get out of all kinds of things that we definitely need to look at in society but we relish looking at as a comedy! The darker the material we tackle the funnier we seek to be allowed to become. We don’t shy away from much”

ON THE REALISM: “We have zero accuracy! Detectives and police officers don’t actually talk to each other so that would have screwed up our entire show. We turn it through a really good prism. We get moral stories and a sense of humanity out of it. We’re too funny to be a procedural and too procedural to be a comedy so we sit in that frequency somewhere inbetween”

ON JOY’S DEATH: “We’re very untypical of most dramas because we killed a member of the cast in the first act and anybody else would have milked that to the end but we didn’t have time because one of the main fixtures of this show is teamwork. They had to recover their teamwork. It becomes a professional imperative”

ON BEING TOPICAL: “I seem to hit the zeitgeist quite a few times but with this kind of topic, it’s never ever going away. For as long as it’s part of our five a day newsfeed then with racism there will always be an event”

ON THE FUTURE OF THE SHOW:

“It’s got a really high narrative metabolism and we deliberately designed it like that because this is the speed with which the police have to accept their load. I don’t think we’ll run out of stories for this because you just have to read the papers everyday to see your baseline. We’re not going for sensational stories. They’re the stories that give us the longevity to tell our jet black comedy version of any headline you care to present us with”

ON THE WRITING PROCESS: “Breaking a story is normally done in a room once we’re all together. We’ll have several stories each to pitch and the story that has the most impact across the board, that shows some germination for story, for future developmental stories from it. So you’ve got your core, spinal story. We negotiate over weeks and months. It’s a bit like that’s the title of the album, we’re going to do the far right is the title of the album and then each episode has its own single title, stories of the week that give each episode a different complection but  you’re attending to this totem pole that you’ve set up. The way we break stories is by talking stuff to death until something clicks”

ON THE SHOW’S INFLUENCES: “We wanted to appeal to a crime addicted audience, it had to work as a procedural. It really was like writing two shows at once. I didn’t use many shows as a reference because I knew we hadn’t seen anything quite like it. I hadn’t seen any comedy cop stuff that worked for me before. You have to imagine this little world before it exists and see wether you can make Viv storming into the office looking like R2D2 funny!”

• JOANNA SCANLAN (VIV DEERING)

ON THE SHOW’S APPEAL: “For me it’s always about the moral centre. In an old fashioned sense there is right and wrong. There’s elements of a western in it.

The series starts with this huge event, we lose a member of our family and you can never lose sight of that but the lesson is that life is really tough. You lose people, they die”

ON VIV’S APPEAL: “Someone drew up a t-shirt with the slogan”when I grow up I want to be Viv Deering’. She’s a good mother. There’s a maternal, feminine nature as well as the masculine and they’re very well balanced. I think that’s something people can trust”

ON THE POLITICS OF SERIES THREE: “What’s really prescient is how the right are hijacking the democratic process. So here we’ve got a mayoral election as the structure for the democracy but it’s not within opposition or through terrorism, it’s actually within the voting structure”

ON VIV’S FUTURE: “I want to see what happens as power changes. As in real life, people get older. I’m looking forward to getting a gold clock!”

ON THE EVOLUTION OF WOMEN’S ROLES IN THE MEDIA: “There’s a cultural space that seems to be changing. The day I received the script to audition for this role I read this incredible monologue that Deering started with, which was actually cut and never appeared in the end result, I thought “THAT is something else”. Martin Carr said to me very early on you’ll be playing Paul Abbott in a dress!

I got very lucky with this part. I’ve not seen any other fat, middle aged women playing leading roles, particularly as detectives. A lot of those characters usually go off in a different direction. They usually become about being nice or warm or evil or whatever and here she’s complex.

That psychology is given to her by this production, by Channel 4, by Paul Abbott writing it on the first place, by the whole team supporting that. I think there is a statement in that. It’s a statement about diversity actually and I’m very lucky to be the one inhabiting it for this moment. Long may it last”

• WILL MELLOR (SPIKE TANNER)

ON WHAT MAKES THE SHOW UNIQUE: “It’s made detectives and police human. A lot of the time they talk in a language that people don’t understand. It’s us versus them but these are real people. They call a spade a spade. We say things other people don’t say and we do things other shows don’t deal with. I think we’ve got the perfect platform by being on Channel 4”

ON THE UNIQUE PACE: “When you see Deering coming back (post Joy’s death) she hadn’t even got time to compose herself and dome crazy thing has kicked off. Crime doesn’t stop for anybody so you haven’t got the time to feel sorry for yourself. You’ve got to pick yourself up and move on. The pace of this show, it doesn’t wait for nobody. My mum says “I have to watch it twice!” Well, that’s not a bad thing. There’s nothing worse than being repetitive”

ON VIV: “She’s got more bollocks than most men! She hasn’t got time for p’s and q’s. It’s refreshing. What’s amazing is the way that Joanna plays it, she doesn’t over-egg the comedy. She just lets it slip right in there. We’re not setting up gags they’re there for you to find”

ON PAUL RITTER: “The way he plays Miller, I’m in awe of the man when I watch him on set. He turns dialogue into fluid water, it’s unbelievable. I look forward to every scene he’s in. He’s the most non-human out of all the characters. You just don’t know where his brain is but he always comes up with the goods. I think he’s a genius”

• CATHERINE MORSHEAD (DIRECTOR)

ON JOY’S DEATH: “It’s funny and dramatic and the big thing is to keep the tone. That episode particularly as there’s such a sad moment in it but we didn’t want to dwell on it. I think that’s one of the things people love about the show. I’ve never seen anyone dies like that on television. It was Paul’s idea that the ambulance turns the lights out. I don’t think you see it coming”

ON THE CAST: “It really is a team. We all work to make this show as good as it can be. They’re all distinctive, Paul has written a group of really fantastic characters. They’re all very clear, eve in the first season we knew because they were so well written instantly. There are fantastic guests too this year”

ON THE CHALLENGES OF FILMING EPISODE ONE: “Joy’s death probably would have been quicker  if we hadn’t of had such shit weather! We started off day one with storm Caroline and it didn’t really get better. We had snow, ice, rain, we had a tornado. We had everything do it took four or five days but even then we had to go back. I was shooting the first scene on day one and I was shooting a  bit of the first scene on the last day!”

No Offence Series 3 Interview: Joanna Scanlan

For today at least, the roles are reversed. Having been tucked away somewhere at the unit base revising her lines, Joanna Scanlan is now the one facing questioning. In a tiny canteen by journalists that is. No night in the cells will follow this encounter. We hope anyway.  Three years ago the post-watershed British public fell in love with Joanna’s incredible performance of DI Viv Deering. She was an instantly classic character.

It must be tiring playing such a high intensity character, all day everyday for six months? “I do find it tiring, I’ve found it harder this year because it’s the first time we’ve ever shot in the winter. I don’t know if it’s real but it feels like its been a longer and harder winter and of course Manchester is very wet so we’ve had to contend with a lot of outdoors and night shoots and we actually had to stop filming during that snow. It’s been a big challenge this year. I have more of a say in how we tell the story. Writing requires standing back a little bit, looking at it and letting something filter down and land on something. It’s very hard to act and write at the same time, to have that editing mind and the acting mind. It’s almost like you get hijacked as an actor by the character.”

Was it daunting to return to Friday Street? “I was excited to do a third series. The first series you’re finding it, the second series you’re consolidating it and I feel there was a lot we achieved in it. I felt that potentially the third series would be the best series.” Do you still feel that now? “At this stage it’s almost impossible to know. We’re right in the middle of what I call the spaghetti with all the different strands crossing over”. Does this third run bring a new dimension to the show? “The first series was personal. Deering had her own in-built drama, the enemy was within. The second series was quite abstract  and this one is a bit of both. It’s a balance of the personal and political stages.”

How does Friday Street respond to the events? “We’re motivated to bring justice but they carry on working tirelessly. They find themselves in a complicated web they didn’t appreciate existed which are local but have national implications. It’s a web of dark forces. Is is all as topical as it sound? “Things are moving so quickly both geopolitically and domestically that it’s hard to know if it is going to still be topical. We’re in a very volatile political arena, it’s definitely in the wake of Brexit.”

The new blood in Marilyn Merchant is clearly a welcome addition too “I really enjoy working with Claire Rushbrook. We’ve never worked together before. She’s a boss but she has sympathy with Deering’s intentions, if not necessarily the methods – they’re even neighbours! There’s a quirk, I suppose it could get edited out where she’s moved into the house opposite so there’s a sense of mirroring between them. It’s as if they are two halves of the same woman! That’s been a really nice relationship, lovely to play.”

Viv is a very complex person but what do you think are her qualities? “She never has any moral indecision. She has absolute integrity. She’s courageous, selfless. She’s vulgar – shameless, to use a phrase!  Brave too,  she has massive emotional intelligence and as such is a good team leader. Her faults are all forgivable. As I see her she’s rebellious and there’s the hypocrisy in using the authority of the crown but being anti-authoritarian but she’s only ever using that to a good purpose so I find that forgivable. To play her, you do feel like you can say what you think. In life I would be more cautious and think through the consequences of saying what I think  but actually Deering doesn’t so it probably does rub off a bit on me!” Joanna herself is softly spoken, contemplative and gives every question thorough examination before giving out enlightening and detailed responses.

How do you get into the Viv mindset? Does costume help? “I don’t wear any of the clothes she wears. I don’t wear tight skirts, tops. leather jackets and high heels but actually when you put it on for Deering it’s a complete transformation. I think the process of changing is the adopting of the character. It’s a bodice that becomes armoury!”

Meanwhile at Friday Street there have been strange goings on. “They have a set of loos on the set that are obviously fake loos and they’ve been repeatedly defecated in! They don’t flush, there’s no water in them!” This sounds like a new investigation is needed. Maybe it could be the premise of the next series should it be granted. “We think people have been breaking in. Those loos have been put to ill purposes i’m afraid! The first series it happened because someone made a mistake! This time it has happened more times than it should and seemingly at points where no one should have been in there. I remember someone saying it was in three of them so it’s more than one person unless they’ve got the vast bowel of being able to spread themselves across three loos in one incident!” Are the toilets still a focal point in the show? “It’s for the lighter and more intimate moments. It’s where things can be said that you wouldn’t say in the office. They used to do that in Ally McBeal! There are very significant scenes in the loos.”

What about a fourth run, where do you think the show can go? “Whatever magics itself into being. It’s really worthwhile and saying something about society from an unusual angle. I don’t think there’s any other British telly that takes the same stance because there’s a levity in it and also a joyfulness and energy. That’s quite an unusual cocktail i think. If you go out seeking controversy in broadcasting you end up looking like a bit of a twit. It looks obvious that you’re trying to go for shock value or sentimentalism. I think when controversy strikes it’s often very unexpected because of some context that’s changed. When you have something like #metoo’ or #timesup and something you put out may not be favourable to women is going to read very differently and create a journalistic storm. I would say that we are trying to be truthful to societies current possibilities rather than seek or succeed in having any controversy.”

We leave Joanna to go back to learning her lines which, and I’m going out on a limb here, will be performed to perfection. It’s so good to have Viv Deering back. Television hasn’t been the same without her.

 

 

No Offence Series 3 Interview: Lisa McGrillis

Lisa McGrillis is set to play one of your new favourite No Offence characters. It might be because you’ll love to hate Caroline McCoy or hate to love her. Why? Well, she’s a politician. “I’m a grass roots mayoral candidate, I’m up against a sea of grey when it comes to the other runners. Viv is an old friend of my mum who has passed away so Viv and Caroline have a close relationship of old. It’s quite an interesting dynamic when my character is running for Mayor and she’s with the chief of police and everything that goes with that.”

“She grew up in the same estate as Viv, the Cinderly estate, which is very working class and I think that she’s a voice to a generation. It’s a different community there now. People aren’t mixing, there’s two separate communities. She wants to make a positive change but with the values that she believes in. There’s more to Caroline than meets the eye, she’s got an agenda. She’s a very intelligent woman but people can relate to her. I think the audience will warm to her because she’s the underdog.”

Lisa insists McCoy isn’t based on anyone in particular “But I think Nicola Sturgeon is a great role model for women. She’s young, people can relate to her, she’s not in her sixties and she’s not a man! Caroline is really fresh and new so I did look a little bit at Nicola for reference because she doesn’t necessarily speak like a politician sometimes, she speaks like she could be a friend or a neighbour and that’s why people warm to her I think.”

What does Caroline bring to the show? “I love how headstrong she is. She’s a go-getter who gets what she wants and won’t stop until she gets it. I think that’s a brilliant quality. She really stands her own ground which is fun to play.  When she speaks everybody listens. When she walks into the room everyone stops.”

“The audience see her a lot in front of the camera. She always has her aides around her, cameras are flashing in her face so she’s always got a front on. Even in her make up, she also wears very bold and sharp clothes. There’s a lot of scenes where Caroline is on stage talking to the people, you see a lot of the campaign”. Andy Burnham need needn’t fret just yet though. “It’s made me think how politicians are always on display, having to say the right thing. They have to be so switched on all the time that it must be exhausting.”

Lisa is on a career high, fresh from two series of the smash hit BBC2 sitcom, Mum. “Claire Rushford has just come over to me a said “OMG Lisa, I have just realised that you play Kelly in Mum and I’ve been working with you for four months!” That’s possibly the best compliment ever!”

How different is it playing a politician in a big city from the smaller world that ditzy Kelly inhabits? “Caroline is in a different world to Kelly which is brilliant. It’s so lovely to play such a contrasting character after the success of Mum. It’s very easy to get typecast and this is the first job I’ve had since and it’s very different. Mum was a bit of a game changer, I have to say. It opened doors for me that were definitely shut before. It’s one of those jobs that don’t come along very often but when they do they certainly make a huge impact. We’re doing a third series which I think we start recording in September”.

Lisa actually has a bit of a past with her new show too. “I am a huge fan of No Offence, in fact I auditioned for the first series. I read for both Dinah and Joy. That’s going back about five years. Obviously it didn’t go my way but I then went on to watch it and completely loved it so when the opportunity came up again I was “YES! Get me in!” I probably did go in quite desperate!” Desperation? That’s perfect for playing a politician! Not long now until we cast our votes on Caroline McCoy. Truth be told, with her confidence she probably won’t need them anyway.

 

 

 

 

No Offence Series 3 Interview: Will Mellor

Will Mellor (DC Spike Tanner) doesn’t look his normal self today. As he invites us into his cosy caravan he’s more welcoming than a certian chain of hotels but he doesn’t look much like Will Mellor. “I have to go under cover in this episode and I didn’t know how far it was gonna be until today. I think it looks good, the make up team have done a great job but I could not have a beard. It’s a) itchy and b) food, drinks anything, You end up with hair in it and there’s nothing worse than getting hair in your food! Imagine everytime you eat or drink you’ve got a hair in it. EVERY TIME! Gone are the days you could complain in a restaurant and say there’s hair in your food. I’m not surprised!”

What can we expect from the new series apart from a bit more.. hair? “There’s loads happening and it’s a very powerful opening episode. It’s going to be very powerful and anything can happen. I think when you try and guess this show that’s when it”ll catch you out. That’s what I love about it. I think you’ve got to be like that especially with other shows like Line Of Duty. We’re the kind of show where we never want to be safe or second guessed. There’s still that dark humour that comes through and some great new characters that come into it. We’ve got Nigel Lindsay, Neil Maskell.. we’ve got some great actors that bring something else to it”.

Things are getting very political, what do you make of series three’s direction? “I think we’re right on the money with where the general public are on terrorism. We’re dealing with a little bit of that this series as only No Offence can. It doesn’t pull any punches and it goes where other series are frightened to go. There are some attacks on Muslims and there’s a far right group that take it too far. So we have to deal with that. There’s a lot of political stuff going on and we have to be the moral compass. We’ve seen evidence of that in the press and that’s why we’re white hot with it and I think Paul Abbott likes to be current and we have to be. We don’t ever want to date ourselves. There’s some really heavy subjects but there’s still that comedy undertone, especially Nigel Lindsay’s character Terry Taylor, he’s got a bad odour problem that Spike has to deal with! Terry is not very politically correct. There’s a lot of humour in there. It’s a hard hitting, fast paced series. It’s got everything: Guns, far right groups, terror plots, politics. There might even be a little bit of romance for Spike!”

It sounds very spectacular. “He (Abbott) likes to start it off with a bang. In series two we blew up a chapel. This one won’t disappoint, I guarantee you that. When I read it I was “oooh!” and my wife was ‘what?!” and I said I can’t tell you but Jesus Christ! Even I had to take a break and put it down a minute, The shit hits the fan.”

In the previous two outings the No Offence hashtag on Twitter has abuzz with positivity for the show. What kind of reaction do you expect from Twitter? Given the sensitive subjects do you expect it to kick off? “I hope it does go off. I think we should be like that.  I don’t want to be safe. Safety isn’t where I want to be in my career. The show should never be safe. This show should be anything’s possible, anything can be said. It’s called No Offence. That’s what it means. No offence but that’s what we’re doing. That’s the world out there. We can all believe that everyone’s politically correct and we can all believe that this doesn’t go on but it does. We’re here to show that this does go on and right or wrong we should show it. What we’re making is a drama but it opens a debate.” Are there any references to the bombing at the arena last year? “We don’t name the bombing but Deering gives a speech where she mentions we need more funding and it says we’ve been under attack in Manchester so there is a little mention.”

It seems like Spike and his colleagues are more on the beat than at the desk this year. Is that something you enjoy? “I like doing the action stuff, I haven’t done enough of it and this series when I got it I thought “that’s good” until I did it at three o’ clock in the morning in November, pissing down and freezing cold! I got hit a couple of times but that’s part of it. A few aches and pains but mainly it’s rolling around on the freezing cold floor – sober! I wouldn’t mind if i was pissed on new years eve! It was minus something and the ground was frosty and they had to keep wetting it down for continuity because when we first shot it it’d been raining. So being sprayed with water before you go for a take in minus three isn’t good but that’s part of it.” Will is clearly revelling as the only male in a female dominated main cast. “I love it. I wanna be a leading man. That’s where I’m aiming. I’ve always wanted to be an action hero! That’s where my dream has always been.” So, speaking of hashtags, let’s get #MellorForBond trending.

Will’s enthusiasm for the show is infectious. “It’s a different series. We’re on our third and who knows how far it’ll go. The viewing figures were double last time. It’s the biggest export from England into France. That baffles me! After this I’m going to France to do some appearances with my beard on! For as long as this show runs I’ll do it.”

Later in the afternoon we get to see Will in Bond audition mode at the stunning gothic surrroundings of Rochdale town hall. On the way in Lisa McGrillis says hello and goodbye to us as she leaves having finished her scene. We watch with deep interest as Will and a few other cast members film a typically strange No Offence moment. There’s nothing I can tell you about it but I can tell you it will be beautifully lit. Spoilers.

 

 

 

 

No Offence Series 3 Interview: Saira Choudhry

Saira Choudhry sits before us with her lunch on her lap having been whisked away to perform press duties but any vein attempts to actually eat it are soon forgotten. You’d think a performer would be grumpy without grub to fuel their genius but not Saira who is beaming away and talking at a high speed in her broad Manchester accent.

She plays the confident and brassy PC Tegan Thompson and we need to know if she’s still going to be a force. “Yes, she’s still a force! She’s got a lot this series and I’m really happy about it. I’m also really happy I get to work with my daughter. Leah is playing a teenage girl who has a goat! She auditioned about three weeks ago . She’s only done one job before this so it’s a massive thing for her. I feel blessed being able to work in the same scene, Not many actors get that in a lifetime.  We’ve not shot the scene yet but I’m a great lover of animals so it should be fine!” Yes, it’s the goat scene crime drama never knew it needed. Let’s just say, you won’t want to miss it.

Acting is obviously in the family blood. “I’ve got my own drama school called ‘TV Talent’. It’s for kids in Manchester and they come in a do some supporting artist work in one of the episodes. It was great for them to spend a day on set and experience what it’s like. it was great day for everyone. I got so many messages from parents and children saying how brilliant it was to experience it and meet the cast.

What’s in store for Tegan this year? “My relationship with Stuart is still going, that’s always up and down and we have some issues that go on as well. It’s really good stuff we’ve got this time. I think they work because they’re such opposite energies and they don’t work for the same reason. Tegan probably needs to give Stuart a bit of a break! She’s hard on him but I think he likes it! Away from romance, is there fun to be had on the mean streets? “I’ve got some really exciting stuff for episode six which I’m really looking forward to. Tegan gets into a bit of danger. It’s probably one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my career. I’m really excited about it, there’s some really heavy stuff. It’s a life or death situation. The action stuff is what I love most to be honest. The fast cars and chasing criminals around. it’s exciting.”

Saira tells us that she’s filming a stunt soon but we’re assured that it won’t involve jumping over a Goat “Maybe I could suggest that. I’m not holding my breath.” In keeping with this more rigorous series the wardrobe has had an upgrade. “They’ve changed the uniform for the combat stuff. It feels so much better, it feels so much more right for the job. Beat cops are there to run after people and be physical. It felt like the old uniform was very officey.”

What do you like about playing Tegan? ‘Her strength, she’s very good at her job. i like the fact she’s quite feisty. Sometimes she’s says things without thinking. I think Tegan is very ambitious and looks up to Deering because she’s such a force. Tegan sees herself as a younger version, someone who’s going to grow into that.”

No Offence is notorious for being open-minded and brave, do you feel that’s missing from most television? “I think this show offers diversity. I don’t think it pigeonholes anybody or goes into stereotypes. Some programmes still do. We need to be more open-minded and just see people as people and represent that as well. I think this show does. When I first got into acting I got asked to do these roles that were stereotypical Asian girls. I was totally against it because for one I’m mixed race, my mum’s Irish and my dad’s Indian. That in itself was an experience, my whole life was like East Is East! I refuse to do that and I think it’s our responsibility as actors, writers and producers to show the real world how it is.”

Saira is taking a different route to her own child. “I was at college when I had Leah and I took a couple of years out and then I went back to uni because I thought it was never going to stop me doing what I was going to do. I went back to uni and did a course on TV and radio and then realised I wanted to be in front of the camera so I left there and went to a place called ‘Manchester School Of Acting’ for six months and got an audition for Hollyoaks which was my first job and I was there for three years! I can still say it’s a great training ground.”

She went on to form her drama school when leaving Hollyoaks. “I was twenty five but playing fifteen year olds! I used to get a load of teenagers following me round the supermarket asking “how did u get in telly?!” I thought there’s a demand for this, people want to know. I hired the local leisure centre and was absolutely inundated. I started to really enjoy it so opened one up on the other side of Manchester and there’s now six. Whenever I’m not filming I will be there to teach but our drama school is all about creating confidence. It’s not all about acting, it’s about them believing in themselves. If you wanna be a scientist go do that, if you wanna be a teacher go do that. Have the belief to be able to it.

Shooting locally certainly brings an air of nostalgia as Saira is one of the only main cast members who doesn’t need to put on an accent. “This is a brilliant job for me as I only live ten minutes from here. I get to work for five months and go home to my life which I think is important. Location filming to me is quite special as it’s in Manchester. It might be where I’ve been to college, where I first went for a drink or near a friends house. I remember shooting on a market in series two and I went to that market when i was eight with my Nana, I never thought at eight id be shooting here. It felt special.”

Is a return to the cobbled streets of Corrie on the cards? “The first time I went in everyone was “you look like Tina”. People say it on the street but I don’t think people have looked at me in No Offence and thought that. It’s a compliment, you can’t complain about looking like Michelle Keegan! I’m flattered. I would do Coronation Street again. I had one of the most amazing experiences when there. The cast made me feel so welcome.”

Is police work something you could see yourself doing? “The police do an amazing job and risk their lives everyday and we don’t really think about that. I’m not that brave. On set a lot of our supporting artists are either still in the police or ex police and they tell us everything we need to know. They tell us how to use the hand cuffs and how to swipe the baton! They do it a lot better than me though. I remember when I first put the uniform on in series 1 i felt like G.I. Jane but now when I put it on it’s like putting on Tegan’s skin. It just feels right.” We leave Saira to have a second attempt at lunch before putting Tegan’s skin back on and surprisingly, it too looks a little like Michelle Keegan.

 

No Offence Series 3 Interview: Claire Rushbrook

Viv Deering has almost had as many bosses at Friday Street than Chelsea have had managers. Following in the footsteps of a Superintendant played by Colin Salmon and a DCI played by Sarah Solemani is acclaimed actress Claire Rushbrook in the role of Marylin Merchent. If you don’t know the name you’ll definitely recognise the face because she’s appeared in lots of fantastic television from My Mad Fat Diary to Linda Green and let’s not forget Spice World The Movie. What can we expect from this new form of authority in the show? “She follows the rules, she plays by the book. She’s pragmatic and proud to have to got where she’s got by doing so. At the same time she has a warmth and humanity about her. Shes professional and cool. She’s got no time for rule bending or anything that isn’t legit or straight up but it becomes interesting because demands are made of her as the series progresses so you see her loosening her black and white moral standards.”

How does Merchant, as a newcomer, deal with the dramatic events of the opening episode? “She deals with it in a cool, calm way, I’ve concentrated on keeping her compassionate . She’s got where she’s got by being cool, calm and level headed. She’s an outsider in that sort of respect. There is a lot at stake this series.” There sounds like there is more action this year, does Marylin get involved in any of it? “She remains upstairs so no stunts! I’ve got quite high heels so it might be a challenge!” So are we to take it that it’s not a job you would do for real? “Categorically not! It’s hardcore isn’t it. I have such respect for any one who does it.”

How does Viv react to Merchant? “Deering, whose track record isn’t quite as conventional has a slightly guarded response to this new boss coming in but they quickly find a common ground and mutual respect. It’s a cool but ultimately decent welcome from Deering”

What was it like to enter a well known show? “It’s intimidating because I’ve watched the show and I love the show and have long admired the brilliant cast and obviously Paul Abbot who I worked with a long time ago and have the upmost respect for. It was a big deal for me, the stakes are high and I knew playing a higher status character in terms of her rank takes a certain amount of confidence before going on set. Luckily though they were all absolutely charming and warm and welcoming so it’s a pleasure to have been invited to be a part of it.”

How was it working with Joanna Scanlan?  “She’s fantastic. I’ve long admired her work. We enjoy the fact that often we’re on the same casting lists. There’s been parts that both of us have been up for that one of us has got so it’s been a real pleasure to acknowledge that in a lot of ways we’re similar actresses and part of similar pieces. I have deep respect for her having watched her in previous series and acting with her on set. She makes it seem effortless but it’s such a skill to juggle the humour and the charisma. Having played supporting roles in a lot of dramas I really respect these guys that are relentlessly in every scene of every day and going home to analyse for tomorrow. I know it’s not working down a mine but it takes serious dedication. She’s fearless and bold and it takes bravery to give a performance like that because it’s quite intimidating stepping over the line of playing it safe. She goes that extra mile. She does all that and manages to maintain real warmth on set. It’s a happy place.” It shows too, Claire’s smile fills the room.

Has Merchant any secrets you’d like to divulge? “Well, I’ve got lots of secrets that I’ve made up in my mind about her! But what you see is what you get. It’s been enjoyable to play the understanding that Deering and Merchant come to share and the respect deepens. She can see that Deering’s brilliance is often the result of her going off piste and we see her softening a little in terms of recognising the merit of that. Does Merchant’s character strike any similarities to Viv? “I’d say there are beautiful similarities” she offers with a cheeky grin.

This is not Claire’s first first time filming in Manchester either: “I did Paul’s series Linda Green with Liza Tarbuck a long time ago and Stepford Wives was another drama. I did Touching Evil way back and I’ve seen him over the years but so glad to be back in his gang. Paul and the other writers are genuises, the comedy is so subtle. Some of the lines I’ve been given do make me smile but its a seductive trap to fall down to start hamming it up. Heaven forfend any of us start playing it for laughs because then you’re sunk!”

No Offence is a show dominated by charismatic, interesting multi-layerd women but what does Claire think of roles for women in television? “It’s getting better for sure, I’ve enjoyed watching so many female led stuff recently but there’s a long way to go. In No Offence we’re everywhere! That wasn’t the factor though, the draw was Paul asked me to do it and that was the thrill. His scripts are always fantastic. I don’t tend to read scripts with that political head on. I didn’t audition for it which is very flattering but in other ways quite hairy too. He talked to me very much with the understanding that he thought I could do it and that’s what I’m trying to do!”

“Paul writes so economically and with such personality. It’s so rich that the whole experience is on the hoof, the team are forever working on it. the joy is not knowing where your character goes and it not mattering because there’s a lot to get stuck into. Some episodes I’m in just a couple of scenes but there’s plenty to be playing with. I laugh my head off and then I’m horrified!”

Claire says her goodbyes, the beaming smile is gone and then we suddenly remember we’re sat in a portable canteen on the car park of a sports centre. Oh well. Knowing No Offence, we probably won’t see it much on screen but at least some of her lines will make us laugh!

 

 

 

No Offence Series 3 Interview: Elaine Cassidy

When Luke, our hallowed leader of Custard based television messaged me way back in January asking if I’d be able to travel to Manchester shortly and do something for the website I tentatively replied with a lame “not sure, it’s quite short notice and far away.” When he came back with the words “No Offence Series 3 press day” I literally peppered my private bits with breath spray and in a menacing Viv tone uttered “I’ll sort it. Count me in sugar tits.” I might not have said sugar tits.

For those not familiar with No offence, I suggest quickly catching up on All4 but how to sum it up up a paragraph? It’s a fact paced, dramatic, funny, inappropriate, sweary crime drama led by the magnificent Detective Inspector Viv Deering. A woman who would happily waltz into Gene Hunt’s kingdom and play Queen of the jungle. Written by the celebrated Paul Abbott (Shameless, Clocking Off) the dialogue is an electric mix of dark humour, unique insults and even, would you believe, some stuff about policing. In amongst all the madness there is no desire to shy away from serious subject matters either. The first series focused on the murders of women with Down’s Syndrome and the second had nods towards child trafficking. For the forthcoming series the show is not only about to get political but very current as it focuses on a far right group.

By the way, it’s cold up north isn’t it? To be fair it’s bloody cold everywhere. This set visit falling as it does between the ‘Beast From The East’ and its surprising sequel ‘Beast From The East 2: We’re Taking The Piss Now’. So, an overcast winter’s day in a far flung corner of Rochdale at a temporary unit base might not be the most glamorous location but its a perfectly apt one because it felt so very No Offence. Luckily, most of the main cast are in attendance today and the first arrival is the marvellous Elaine Cassidy who plays DC Dinah Kowalska.

This morning Elaine is dressed in a flowery dress which we’re assured is not a major tonal shift in her character’s development and is indeed her own garb. Thank goodness for that, we don’t want Dinah to be summery and cheerful! She is someone who on screen cuts an intense figure, always dressed in black and deeply ambitious about the job she loves. In the fifteen episodes so far she has certainly got herself into a few scrapes but her good heart is always what puts her there.

In keeping with previous series openers, the third installment begins with big shocks. Run over by the bus? Bomb explosion in a crematorium? That’s nothing compared what’s in store this time round. “It’s a personal journey for everybody in Friday Street, as always the job means so much to all of them. They always want to get a result” Elaine explains “Dennis Caddy is the head of a far right group called Albion and they know he’s involved at the beginning of the series. It’s about trying to take down Albion but in doing that they find out it’s not as straight forward as they initially thought. No case ever is. There are other people who are in the limelight in Manchester, who have influential jobs and it starts to get quite.. incestous as to who is in whose pockets. There’s a politician (played by Lisa Mcgrillis) who, when I was reading it I found quite an attractive character because she’s really ambitious and she’s come from nowt and its through her hard work and her tenacity that she wants to climb the ladder. She wants to get to the top and that is be the Mayor of Manchester”.

What does series three offer for Dinah? “Dinah’s personal journey has comparisons to series one. This case is kind of similar to year one because there is a personal connection to wanting to get a result, not just caring about the job and being married to it. There’s more at stake, there’s an emotional drive to what keeps her going.  You really see Friday Street pull together as a team as they always do. They get tighter when things get tougher”.

No Offence as a show hits fast and moves faster, the story lines operate with a blink and you miss it policy. The new run offers new blood for fans to fall for. “There’s a few new characters who I think will be really entertaining  for the audience and that’s fun from Dinah’s point of view, to see whether she likes them. Dinah hates the establishment which is an oxymoron. Viv’s probably the only boss she’ll accept so she’s really protective of Viv. It’ll take her longer to thaw out because there’s a new DCI that comes in” (Marilyn Merchant played by Claire Rushbrook).

Is Dinah still getting herself into terrible situations and thriving on impulse like she used to? “I don’t think she’s got it that wrong this year, like in year two with Norah Attah where the whole thing was recorded and..” Elaine pulls a concerned face, “..the chasing someone under a bus! There’s not really been the time for her to cock up as the stakes are too high”.

Elaine won’t just find her name in the credits once this time round because she’s also an associate producer for this third series. “If I have a question about a scene or a suggestion for little changes, if I think that it’s right for Dinah because a writer won’t know her as well as I do. For instance, she never calls Viv ma’am which she should do but she never did that in year one so whenever they write in “ma’am” I always just cross it out and go “LOOK!” Viv is like the mum but they’re also best friends but there’s also the respect that she is the boss. Ma’am could be anyone so she saves that for DCI Merchant who she doesn’t like! Then there’s Nigel Lindsay (Victoria, Safe) who plays Terry Taylor but everyone calls him Terry-dactyl and Dinah doesn’t like him. There’s loads of people she doesn’t like! I think she doesn’t like new people either. She’s protective of Viv.

Does the dynamic change at all between Dinah and her boss? “They’ve always been close so there’s no animosity. They always know when to challenge each other but a lot of the time they’re on the same wavelength. When it comes policing they do go off the book whereas Joy (Alexandra Roach) always does it by the book so they are more maverick in that way.”

This afternoon Elaine is shooting a scene in Rochdale town hall but is it easy to adjust from her natural lilting Irish tones to Mancunian? “If I’m doing a full day filming I always try to get a little bit of a sleep in because that’s always the first thing to go, its sort of like exercise as you’re using your mouth in a completely different way so it’s like doing a yoga with my mouth. By the end of the day you start slurring your words”. Elaine leaves to change into clothes more fitting with the season and perfect her northern brogue for her afternoon of filming. Gone will be the bright dress and on will come that famous leather jacket so at least she will be warmer. Did I mention it’s cold up north?