'My on-screen sisters are family'
Eva Birthistle plays Ursula
- Isabelle Aron
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Sisterhood is a big part of Bad Sisters — do you have any siblings?
I have a brother and a sister; we’re close, but we live in different countries. What’s apparent with the Garvey girls, and probably all families, is that you have siblings who you’re closer to, or who you have a more complicated relationship with. The show taps into such dynamics brilliantly.
Do your co-stars feel like siblings now?
One hundred per cent. In many ways we’ve become each other’s family. We’re very supportive of each other. I miss them when I’m not with them – the WhatsApp chat never stops. I speak to them more than my family!
Can you imagine going to such extreme lengths as the Garvey sisters?
I don’t know if I’d cover up a murder for a family member – that might be a step too far! But I think you do anything for family, and for those friends that are like sisters. I’d put my neck on the line for them.
Are you and Ursula alike?
My knee-jerk reaction is to say not at all – I’m much more chilled, calm and rational! But one thing we have in common is knowing those stresses of juggling family, career and life, and how hard it can be. There’s always something that makes the wheels come off!
Does the cast feed into how the show explores various issues?
Reading the script always instigates chat about whatever issue we’re dealing with in the scene. We talk about our own experiences and feed that into the performance. We put a lot of ourselves into it. We’ve talked about controlling men – even if we don’t have first-hand experience. We’ve all had a friend who has, or we’ve had experiences that weren’t positive. If you’re dealing with those topics, you have to do it responsibly and sensitively, so having those discussions is essential.
Where do we find Ursula in series two?
It’s two years on. Ursula has separated from her husband Donal and she’s living with Eva in her old bedroom. She’s in her late 40s, she’s got three kids, she’s back living at home, and she’s covered up a murder – it’s a lot and she’s taking tablets to cope with her anxiety.
What do you relate to in the show?
Grief is something we’ve all encountered – that feeling of not having said things that you wish you had to somebody before you lost them.
Will there be a third series?
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We’re hoping there will be. Myself, Sarah [Greene] and Eve [Hewson] come up with storylines to try and help things along. I’m going to keep our terrible ideas under wraps!
Authors
Isabelle Aron
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