What attracted you to this project?
Jimmy McGovern. I’m a massive, massive fan. I don’t make that a secret to anybody. I watch and love everything he does.
I did The Street about seven years ago and ever since then I’ve always wanted to work with him again.
What did you like about your character, single mum Christina?
I like that she’s a real fighter. Come what may, no matter what’s thrown at her she still fights to protect her kids. I think it represents really, truthfully, what a lot of women and mothers are forced to face these days.
How have you found working with the crew and team on this series?
Being a northern girl, I hate the portrayal of the North as being miserable and gloomy. It’s not that! During filming I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve seen in years, setting behind the cathedral in Liverpool, and it was just breathtakingly beautiful.
The North is a very beautiful place and in Broken each vista almost looks like a painting. Joel Devlin, our director of photography, and Ashley Pearce, the director on my episodes, have done a really fine job.
How did you prepare?
It’s all written so well, and it’s so tight, that for me my preparation was daily concentration and not letting anything else come in so you can just become that character. I also spent all my time that I wasn’t on set with Macy (Shackleton), who plays Lisa, my daughter.
I think that the bond of making a believable mother and daughter can be challenging and we thankfully had an amazing rapport – to the point that I want her to play my daughter in everything else after this. She’s amazing, the casting director did a wonderful job in finding her.
What’s it been like to be back in Liverpool filming?
There are so many things filming in Liverpool right now, which is amazing. I’d not been there for 23 years and I realised that I didn’t get to see any of it. I’m like – Hope Street rocks! The whole city does; with the music scene and the wonderful people.
What is it that attracts you to Jimmy McGovern’s writing?
You don’t want to change anything because it all works. I think that Jimmy understands actors; I think he reads it out as he writes. I read an amazing quote from him yesterday that said:
“My characters don’t cry unless I cry when I’m writing them.” Isn’t that beautiful? No extra words are needed – it’s so straight to the point. I think that’s because Jimmy understands what it is for a mother to have to scrimp and scrape to provide for her kids. So maybe it’s his understanding – but maybe he’s just clever!
Broken, BBC1, Tuesday, 9pm
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