'It's so common but still so uncharted'
Playing Nice shines a light on women's mental health
ITV
- Laura Craik
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How did you come to be cast as Maddie?
I was asked! It was an offer, and it came from James Norton and Kitty Kaletsky from [their production company] Rabbit Track. I knew it was their first TV venture, and I jumped at the chance to work with James. He has great taste in projects, I really admire his work and he’s such a lovely guy.
What was it like filming in Cornwall?
The main four cast members [Algar, Norton, James McArdle and Jessica Brown Findlay], we pretty much moved our lives down there for the autumn and winter, and bonded immediately. There’s a big surfing community, and they really embrace the outdoors. I grew up in the countryside [in Mullingar, Ireland], so for me, it was like a home from home.
Maddie has a career, while Pete’s has taken a back seat. Was it important to represent the stay-at-home dad?
Definitely. It’s role reversal, in the fact that you’ve got a loving, stay-at-home father, who is supported by this woman who runs her own business, but is equally as loving and caring towards their child. For them, it’s normal. Why would it even be a conversation? Fathers who raise their kids while their wife works should be represented [on TV] as well.
Post-natal depression (PND) is another of the themes running through Playing Nice. What research did you do around the subject?
Grace Offori-Attah, who wrote the series, was previously a doctor, and also has a degree in psychiatry, so I could lean on her as a reference. I also spoke to people who had suffered from PND. When you really delve in, you realise how common it is, yet it’s not represented a whole lot on screen. It shouldn’t be so uncharted. Women should feel there’s a platform for stories like that, and a space to be able to have those conversations.
Did you enjoy working with the little boys who play your sons, Theo and David? They put in amazing performances.
[Laughing] Honestly, it was great to finally work with professionals. I was like, “McArdle and Norton — take notes!” It’s always brilliant when you’ve got kids on set. Everyone just melts.
So you managed to have fun, despite the traumatic storyline?
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We did. When the subject matter is heavy, your emotions are so high that all it takes is for someone to make a funny noise and everyone starts laughing. It’s like a valve on a kettle. You can’t sit in the pain all the time — you need to allow it to be released. Jessie, James and James are all such giving actors. When you’re surrounded by people that you really care about and trust, it’s easy to delve into those deep, dark places, then be taken out of them straightaway. We found ourselves hysterically giggling up until the point of action.
Authors
Laura Craik
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