WEBVTT 00:01.534 --> 00:05.405 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - Alan Conway, the author who lives in Abbey Grange, 00:05.405 --> 00:09.909 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% in the modern world, has used everybody around him 00:09.909 --> 00:14.214 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% as inspiration for characters who are often less pleasant. 00:14.214 --> 00:19.219 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So for example, his sister Clare, who has no money, 00:20.620 --> 00:22.222 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and who has worked as his secretary for a time, 00:22.222 --> 00:24.224 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and is a rather sad character, 00:24.224 --> 00:27.027 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% he has turned into Clarissa Pye, 00:27.027 --> 00:29.763 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% who is the sister of one of the main characters 00:29.763 --> 00:32.265 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% who didn't inherit the estate, who has no money, 00:32.265 --> 00:35.101 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% who lives on her own in sort of rancorous jealousy 00:35.101 --> 00:36.636 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% of her older brother. 00:36.636 --> 00:38.204 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And into that example, you can see what he's doing. 00:38.204 --> 00:39.639 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% He's taking a real person 00:39.639 --> 00:42.308 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and spinning a rather unpleasant story out of them. 00:42.308 --> 00:44.711 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - The way that Alan Conway has certainly taken revenge 00:44.711 --> 00:47.514 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% against particular people by being quite cruel about them 00:47.514 --> 00:49.082 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and putting them in his novels. 00:49.082 --> 00:51.518 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% But, I mean actually, what he's done is he's touched, 00:51.518 --> 00:53.787 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% in some cases, the truth about those people. 00:53.787 --> 00:57.690 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So, actually their characters are also amplified 00:57.690 --> 01:02.128 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% to some extent by being in two timeframes. 01:02.128 --> 01:05.799 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - So I play Clare Jenkins and Clarissa PYe, 01:05.799 --> 01:08.735 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and they're both very sad, lonely characters, 01:08.735 --> 01:11.471 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% but whereas Clarissa is sort of no nonsense 01:11.471 --> 01:14.741 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and a school teacher and campaigning to save Dingle Dell, 01:14.741 --> 01:16.242 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% and very forthright. 01:16.242 --> 01:20.113 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Clare is much more retiring and less sure of herself, 01:20.113 --> 01:23.650 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and seems utterly without friends. 01:23.650 --> 01:26.619 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% There's lovely nuances to play as an actor, 01:26.619 --> 01:31.124 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% of having similar situations for both characters, 01:31.124 --> 01:34.994 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% but with the different experiences and life experiences 01:34.994 --> 01:37.363 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% ending up with different characterizations. 01:38.631 --> 01:40.934 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% This is very hard on me. 01:40.934 --> 01:42.802 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% - Oh, you do surprise me. 01:42.802 --> 01:44.137 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% - James Fraser and James Taylor 01:44.137 --> 01:46.439 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% are two very different people. 01:46.439 --> 01:50.443 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% James Fraser is in 1955 and he is the assistant 01:50.443 --> 01:52.879 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% to Atticus Pund, our main detective. 01:52.879 --> 01:56.783 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% James Taylor is in a relationship with Alan Conway, 01:56.783 --> 01:58.618 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% the author of the novels. 01:58.618 --> 01:59.886 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% But, Alan being Alan, 01:59.886 --> 02:02.489 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% who thinks everyone's stupid compared to him, 02:02.489 --> 02:05.792 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% writes James Taylor into the book as James Fraser, 02:05.792 --> 02:09.129 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% who is the slightly dim assistant to Atticus. 02:10.797 --> 02:13.500 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - I've never played two characters in the same thing. 02:13.500 --> 02:15.168 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% With the unique format of the show, 02:15.168 --> 02:17.837 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% it lends itself beautifully to him, to the writer, 02:17.837 --> 02:19.572 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% using the characters from true life 02:19.572 --> 02:21.274 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and then projecting them into his book, 02:21.274 --> 02:22.308 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and then getting the same actors 02:22.308 --> 02:23.143 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% to play those characters. 02:23.143 --> 02:24.844 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% It works really well. 02:24.844 --> 02:27.480 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% I'm struggling to think when I've seen this before. 02:27.480 --> 02:28.982 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% - Without a shadow of a doubt, 02:28.982 --> 02:31.818 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% I think the main reason why I wanted to do Magpie Murders 02:31.818 --> 02:36.256 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% was exactly that concept of playing two characters. 02:36.256 --> 02:38.158 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% It sounds like such an eccentric thing 02:38.158 --> 02:39.492 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% for an actor to come out with, 02:39.492 --> 02:42.629 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% but I couldn't remember anything that I'd seen 02:42.629 --> 02:47.634 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% where a project asks one actor to bring to life two roles, 02:49.068 --> 02:52.172 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% across such a huge ensemble that we have in Magpie Murders. 02:52.172 --> 02:54.240 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% And, I think to play around with that, 02:54.240 --> 02:56.442 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% to bring those two characters to life, 02:56.442 --> 02:58.244 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% how similar the two characters are, 02:58.244 --> 02:59.679 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% how different they are, 02:59.679 --> 03:01.915 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% that just lends itself to great comedy, 03:01.915 --> 03:04.551 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% certainly with the characters that I'm playing, you know, 03:04.551 --> 03:07.387 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% because Detective Inspector Locke, 03:07.387 --> 03:08.655 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% who's the modern day cop, 03:08.655 --> 03:10.924 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% he's like a bear of a sore head, 03:10.924 --> 03:12.392 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% he's very alpha male. 03:12.392 --> 03:15.562 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - [Narrator] But, Alan Conway has turned him into Chubb. 03:15.562 --> 03:17.630 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Obviously there's a play on words there, 03:17.630 --> 03:21.401 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and Chubb is your typical le Strade or Japp, you know, 03:21.401 --> 03:22.902 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% the sort of bumbling village cop 03:22.902 --> 03:24.370 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% who never gets anything right. 03:24.370 --> 03:27.240 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% It's the same actor, two very different roles, 03:27.240 --> 03:29.275 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and yet very much connected. 03:30.843 --> 03:32.312 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% - [Director] Mark. 03:32.312 --> 03:33.913 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - Transitioning between the two characters can be difficult, 03:33.913 --> 03:35.949 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% but hair and makeup and costume 03:35.949 --> 03:38.284 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% does a lot of that work for me. 03:38.284 --> 03:40.386 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% I mean, when I put the 50s suit on, 03:40.386 --> 03:42.755 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and immediately the collar's up and the tie's tight, 03:42.755 --> 03:45.291 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% it affects your posture and pulls your shoulders back, 03:45.291 --> 03:49.462 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and you sort of grow, and then your hair's slicked back, 03:49.462 --> 03:51.664 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and every single hair is in place. 03:51.664 --> 03:53.600 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% So, immediately that adds to your character 03:53.600 --> 03:56.803 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% as someone who's more together and constrained, 03:56.803 --> 03:58.805 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and sort of, straight laced. 03:58.805 --> 04:00.373 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Whereas, in James Taylor, 04:00.373 --> 04:02.442 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% all the clothes are quite free flowing, 04:02.442 --> 04:05.945 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% his hair's all over the place and just a bit of a mess. 04:05.945 --> 04:08.248 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And again, that instantly gives you a character 04:08.248 --> 04:11.618 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% because it's someone who's quite laid back 04:11.618 --> 04:14.254 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and quite sloppy in their way of being. 04:14.254 --> 04:16.923 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - And, even things like the echoing of the costumes 04:16.923 --> 04:20.927 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% in color and texture, and there's feathers everywhere. 04:20.927 --> 04:23.763 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% The costumes are just so beautiful. 04:23.763 --> 04:25.798 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - With different accents, with different clothes, 04:25.798 --> 04:28.801 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% I mean, it's great fun to be able to just explore versions 04:28.801 --> 04:29.769 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% of the same person. 04:30.937 --> 04:32.205 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - It's just such a lovely project. 04:32.205 --> 04:33.840 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% You know, nobody had to think very long 04:33.840 --> 04:36.776 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% before they agreed to take part in it. 04:36.776 --> 04:39.012 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% - Apart from nothing else, you know, a challenge, 04:39.012 --> 04:40.580 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% but also really good fun. 04:40.580 --> 04:43.616 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% - It's great. It feels like a very close knit 04:43.616 --> 04:46.252 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% supportive company of actors. 04:46.252 --> 04:48.488 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% It's been a wondrous time. 04:48.488 --> 04:51.257 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% (dramatic music)