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Quiche of DeathAND THE
THIS CHRISTMAS ON
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4 Introduction
5 About the show...
6 Meet MC Beaton
8 Character profiles
10 Cast interviews
24 Contacts
Contents
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Adam MacDonald, director, Sky 1
Forget turkey and trimmings, this Christmas is all about the quiche on Sky 1.
Based on the bestseller by MC Beaton – who also brought us Hamish Macbeth, the adaptation of which is a favourite of mine – Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death puts a light and witty spin on the crime procedural, making for a fun TV
whodunnit that all the family can enjoy. There is a huge fanbase out there, so hopefully we’ll satisfy people who already love Agatha as well as a whole new audience who may not have heard of the literary leading lady.
At the story’s heart is Ashley Jensen, one of our finest comedy actresses, and she’s brilliant as Agatha, a fierce publicist who swaps life in London for the Cotswolds. Her efforts to fit in are
Introduction the show...
disastrous, no more so than when she’s embroiled in a murder mystery triggered by a sinister savoury snack.
Ashley is surrounded by an equally brilliant ensemble, which includes Hermione Norris, Robert Bathurst, Mathew Horne, Katy Wix and Matt McCooey.
Our contemporary take on Beaton’s novel follows in the fine tradition of last year’s Moonfleet, and before that
Treasure Island, in that we’re leading the charge with bold family drama.
Agatha fits perfectly into my plan for Sky 1, too, which is to champion shows that have a vibrancy, vivacity and a sense of joy about them. I want Agatha to feel as vivid as our American content, while also appealing to viewers who like more bucolic fare.
All that’s left to say is: tuck in.
High-flying PR whizz Agatha Raisin (Ashley Jensen, Extras, Ugly Betty) is taking her foot off the gas. Having spent years toiling away, making a success of herself in London, the fortysomething singleton has hit the refresh button and moved on to pastures new. Specifically the tiny village of Carsely in the Cotswolds, which ticks all the boxes: peaceful, stress-free, easy. Like all the best laid plans, it turns out to be anything but – and all because of a quiche.
Hurricane Agatha blows into town and not everyone is a fan of this whirlwind of high heels, bright lipstick and all-round fabulousness, namely snootier members of the community Jo Cummings-Browne (Hermione Norris, Spooks) and Sheila (Caroline Langrishe, Judge John Deed), who are immediately dismissive. Agatha, admittedly, doesn’t help herself because she’s not very good at adapting. In fact she’s downright terrible.
Bored, lonely and feeling like a fish out of water, Agatha decides to make a more
concerted effort to fit in, taking part in a local quiche contest overseen by the sleazy Andy Cummings-Browne (Robert Bathurst, Downton Abbey) – yup, Jo’s hubby. Agatha enters a shop-bought quiche (hey, at least she’s trying) and is confident she’s got a winner, until, that is, events take a tragic turn when one of the judges kicks the bucket after eating her offering.
So begins a murder mystery unlike any other as Agatha puts her detective hat on to
clear her name – yes, it is merely a coincidence that her arrival is marked by a suspicious death – and unmask the real culprit.
Helping the amateur sleuth is former colleague and best pal Roy (Mathew Horne, Gavin & Stacey) and new allies Gemma (Katy Wix, Not Going Out), a tough single mum, and nice guy police officer DC Bill Wong (Matt McCooey, Skins). Can they get to the (soggy) bottom of the situation?
Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death was commissioned by Cameron Roach, Sky’s Acting Head of Drama and was produced by Mammoth Screen and Free@Last TV. The executive producers are Cameron Roach and Helen Gregory for Sky, Michele Buck and Karen Thrussell for Mammoth Screen, and Barry Ryan and Kathleen Hutchison for Free@Last TV. Matthew Mulot produces, Geoffrey Sax (Blandings) directs and Stewart Harcourt (Treasure Island) writes and executive produces.
bout
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Where did the inspiration for Agatha Raisin come from?Hope Dellon, my editor at St Martin’s Press in New York. She was fond of the Cotswolds and she wanted a mystery that was set there. I have always been fascinated by anti-heroes, the likes of Becky Sharp [from Vanity Fair], I wanted someone you might not like at the beginning but who would win you over by the end.
There are a lot of books in the series. Why do you think the character is so popular and enduring?Apart from being very lucky, I think it’s because a lot of women in particular identify with Agatha’s vulnerable side and her battle with middle age. When I visited Los Angeles, they liked her because she was so non-PC – she smoked, drank and wore fur.
Do you see any of yourself in Agatha?She says a lot of the things I’d like to say. During the days of smoking in restaurants, I had a printer friend up in Scotland who lit up while eating dinner with his wife. The people behind started coughing and waving their hands, so he called the maître d over and said, can you move these people, they’re bothering me, which I would never have the
courage to do. I included that very scene in a book once.
Have there been previous attempts to bring Ms Raisin to the screen?I remember being sent one script where my nice cleaner was married to a Turkish terrorist. As for the vicar’s wife, she was just horrible.
Why were you happy to leave the adaptation in Sky 1’s hands?Sky 1 have developed the adaptation with executive producer Barry Ryan, who works for the production company Free@Last TV, and Mammoth Screen, who do Lewis and Endeavour, and before that they worked on Hornblower. I admire their casting very much indeed and that’s why I decided to leave it in their hands.
Talking of casting, do you think Ashley Jensen has done Agatha justice?She’s a really good find and I’ll tell you why. I wanted a comedy actress and her timing is excellent. It’s actually a very difficult part because she has to be rude and feisty, yet vulnerable and
Meet MC Beaton
likeable at the same time. Ashley pulls it off. She is a very endearing person as well, which comes through, and that’s worth its weight in gold.
How about the rest of the ensemble?Oh, yes, they’re very good. Matt McCooey is delightful as Bill Wong. He is very attractive – I’ve said Hollywood will snap him up.
What made you plump for a plot involving quiche?The plot is actually based on something I did, I regret to say. Way back when, my son’s housemaster was raising money for charity and asked, can we have some of your splendid baking. Well, I wasn’t going to let my son down by saying I can’t bake a thing, so I went to Gloucester Road and bought two spinach quiches. I took them home, wrapped them up and presented them as my own. They sold for 30p a slice [laughs]. No one dropped down dead but that’s where the inspiration came from.
The Quiche of Death feels like a refreshing antidote
to more violent detective dramas. Do you agree?I like traditional detective stories, the Christies, the Sayers, Ngaio Marsh. They call them cosy mysteries, but I prefer the word comfy because cosy sounds rather patronising. I have a friend in Paris who said, you’ve got a terrific literary background, Marion, why don’t you write something, erm, different? He meant better. I replied, maybe this is the very best I can do. I’ve got a frivolous mind and that’s the way it comes out. What I’ve always wanted to do is tell stories that might give someone time off on a bad day. I look on myself more as an entertainer than a writer.
What does the future hold for Agatha?I sell the plots in advance, take them out of the folder two years later and think, oh my god! I’ve just finished an Agatha and Hamish Macbeth is due on 1 January.
Have you got any weird writing quirks?I wake up in the morning, look at the clock and go back to sleep. Then I crawl out of
THE MOST BORROWED UK ADULT AUTHOR IN LIBRARIES**
OVER 15 MILLION BOOKS SOLD WORLDWIDE*
HER BESTSELLERS HAVE BEEN
TRANSLATED INTO 15 LANGUAGES AND
PUBLISHED IN 19 COUNTRIES*
bed, get a black coffee and my fags and go to the computer. I try not to think because there is always something to write about, the weather, smells, what people are wearing, anything evocative. If I only manage to write two pages, that’s two more than I had to do before.
OVER 3 MILLION BOOKS SOLD IN THE UK*
“What I’ve always wanted to do is
tell stories that might give someone
time off on a bad day”
Can you think of an author you particularly admire?That’s difficult, there are so many. John le Carré is one – Our Kind of Traitor is a cracker and I love Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I also think Robert Louis Stevenson is the greatest storyteller of all time.
Lastly, what is your favourite word?Tomorrow. Always put off until tomorrow what you could be doing today.
*Little Brown Book Group **PLR
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Character profiles
Agatha Raisin Ashley JensenFearsome public relations guru Agatha has escaped London for the quiet life in Carsely, a picture-perfect village in the Cotswolds. Sticking out like a sore but immaculately
manicured thumb, she has trouble fitting in. The fortysomething singleton does try, though, baking (okay, buying) a quiche to enter into the local contest. When one of the judges drops down dead after eating a dodgy spinach number, Agatha tries her hand at sleuthing to find the resident responsible.
Roy Silver Mathew HorneAgatha’s ambitious former assistant is a city boy through and through, so he doesn’t understand why she’s swapping the Big Smoke for the countryside. A trusted friend, Roy is on speed-dial when Agatha decides to play detective and find out who baked the killer quiche. He also has a lovely boyfriend from Australia.
Jo Cummings-Browne Hermione NorrisJo is the undoubted queen bee of Carsley and is heavily involved in all village activities. She’s also married to serial philanderer Andy but, well aware of his wandering hands, is happy to smile and keep up appearances. Not the friendliest of folks, Jo is guarded and has no intention of welcoming newcomer Agatha into the fold.
Gemma Simpson Katy WixSingle mum Gemma lives on a council estate on the outskirts of town, but cleans for Carsley’s finest, including Jo. She strikes up a friendship with Agatha and fast becomes a useful source of knowledge as the investigation gets under way – she’s got dirt, quite literally, on everyone. Gemma has had a crush on DC Bill Wong since school.
Andy Cummings -Browne Robert BathurstDon’t be fooled by Andy’s air of respectability because the retired army veteran is a womanising cheat who drops his morals as quickly as his trousers. The very married man has had his way with multiple women in the village, but his actions come back to bite him when he presides over the prestigious quiche competition.
DC Bill Wong Matt McCooeyA dedicated police officer, Bill works alongside the largely clueless DI Wilkes (Jason Barnett) to crack down on crime in Carsley and the surrounding area. It’s hardly a hive of illegal activity, so Bill is rather excited to put his training to good use when the village is rocked by an actual murder. He’s quite taken by Agatha, too, and proves to be a key ally.
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What made you sign on to The Quiche of Death?To me, it had all the elements of a really fun series that I’d like to be a part of and, being a woman in her 40s, parts like Agatha Raisin don’t come along too often.
You don’t look like you’re in your 40s at all…Maybe I should keep quiet about that. It’s a wee bit more difficult because the industry is still very male-oriented but, regardless, it’s lovely to play a woman who relishes wearing high heels and dots about in fancy colours with bright pink lipstick on.
There’s not a dour Christmas jumper in sight for this PR-turned-sleuth.Exactly! There’s a dearth of that stuff on at the moment, which by the way is wonderful and I love it, but things happen at a time for a reason. It’s like when Ugly Betty came along and everybody needed something high camp. It’s like The Quiche of Death, which is colourful and wry. The title is indicative of what type of series it is.
It feels like a whodunnit by way of The Great British Bake Off.Funnily enough, I was listening to a programme that asked why The Great British Bake Off is so successful. People want to be transported to that sort of world and I think Agatha Raisin does that a bit. The characters are slightly
heightened, the plot is crackers and it’s set in the beautiful Technicolor English countryside. It’s got all the aspects that are right for now.
What can you tell us about our heroine Agatha Raisin?She’s a PR woman who retires early to pursue a quieter life, but she’s taking
herself, her attitudes and her values to this tiny little village and nobody’s really dancing to the tune of Agatha Raisin. It ain’t happening, so then she swallows her pride and thinks, what do people do when they do things around here? Okay, we do village fetes, bake quiches and grow giant marrows.
In that case, I’ll bake a quiche and I’ll win the quiche-making competition because I’m not used to not winning.
She doesn’t win, is really annoyed about it and then inadvertently becomes accused of murder. So begins Agatha’s mission to not only clear her name, but find her place in this new world.
Had you heard of MC Beaton’s much-loved novels?I hadn’t, to be honest, but I obviously watched Hamish Macbeth when it was on, which is another MC Beaton adaptation. When I read The Quiche of Death, I thought, right, I’m not reading any more because my head will get scrambled and I’ll forget what I’m doing. The books are real page-turners, though, and hopefully it will have that same quality as a piece of television.
Did you speak to Marion about your take on Agatha?I didn’t because I’m so different to what is written in the book. In fact, I was a wee bit worried that she was going to be visibly disappointed. When she saw me at the read-through I thought she was going to go, that’s not what I wrote! I’m not as old as she in the novel, or dumpy with brown hair, or from Birmingham. I couldn’t be further from any of those things. What Sky has done is bring her into the modern day.
Jensenshley
"The characters are slightly
heightened, the plot is crackers
and it’s set in the beautiful
English countryside"
INTERVIEW
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In what ways has she changed?Book Agatha is obviously very 80s – she wore furs and chain-smoked – while my Agatha eats junk food instead of smoking and attempts to do exercise but kind of doesn’t. She’s got a thick veneer and is very good at putting on a mask – this is the only side of me that you’re going to see, you’re not going to see me after I’ve drunk a bottle of chardonnay watching The X Factor. A lot of things that Agatha says, as Ashley, I’m like, no, you don’t say that, that is not the way you conduct yourself in a room full of strangers that you’re wanting to ingratiate yourself to or fit in or find a friend within.
Have you met many Agatha-esque publicists?I didn’t base her on anyone, but there is one American woman who does come to mind.
Was she fierce and fabulous?I didn’t see the fabulous side too much, just the fierce [laughs].
How does this role compare to other parts you’ve played?I don’t often get to play the people who have the loudest voice in the room, so that’s been nice. To play a character like Agatha, you have to like her. She can’t be vile all the time. It’s like when Ricky
[Gervais] did The Office. You can’t maintain an unlikeable character like David Brent for too long. That’s why in the American version with Steve Carell they had to make him nicer.
Did you get on with the rest of the cast?They were absolutely lovely. I got on with Hermione like a house on fire, and got on with Mat tremendously. I don’t remember not
knowing any of them. Matt McCooey is so sweet and adorable, too.
Had you crossed paths with any of them before?Not one of them, although June Watson and I kept saying, what have we worked together on? We think we did
a play reading together many moons ago. It was a just a lovely bunch of people.
In The Quiche of Death, Agatha makes the big move from London to the Cotswolds. Which do you prefer?The quiet countryside life. I used to be Mrs Hustle and Bustle but, after coming back from America and bumping into London, I went, oh, too much choice, too many
people rushing around. I live in Bath now.
When was the last time you felt like a fish out of water?When I first went to LA. I always felt like the grubbiest one in the room, grubby in what was going on inside my head, what I looked like, my fingers, my clothes, my lack of a five-year plan, my penchant for eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. During the pilot season, you’d get sent five scenes to learn for the next day, or you’d have to be a lawyer so you’d dress up in some vague outfit that pertains to what you’re doing. My friend Derek Riddell, who played my husband in Ugly Betty, went for a Dracula-type part and there were literally people there in capes and teeth. The studio execs don’t necessarily have a great deal of imagination, but the lengths people go to…
It’s like a parody of what you expect the audition process to be like.I know what you mean. Like for me, it would be a line-up
of short, blonde, funny women, or an eclectic group of little funny people, like a Jewish funny one, a Scottish funny one, a black funny one and another couple of blonde funny ones.
Why should people tuck into The Quiche of Death this Christmas?It’s good clean fun and something that everyone can sit down and watch. Plus, with the cold, dark wintery nights drawing in, you’ll be able to escape to the gorgeous English countryside.
Are you a Christmas fan, and where will you be celebrating?I love Christmas and now I’ve got a little boy I’m seeing it all again through a child’s eyes. We’ve got a coal fire at the moment, so it’s all, let’s get some coal on the ground and get my husband to put his footprints in it. It’s just lovely seeing the wonder in his wee face. One of my best memories as a child was feeling the lumpy stocking at the bottom of the bed because Santa had been. That’s a special moment.
Jensenshley
"It’s good clean fun and
something that everyone can sit
down and watch"
INTERVIEW
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Why did you want to be a part of The Quiche of Death?I thought it was a great script and I always take jobs on the merit of the script. It’s funny, different and interesting, a refreshing pastiche of the whodunnit genre.
How would you describe your character Jo?She’s a snob who will do anything to keep up appearances. She’s at the centre of village life and it’s that whole ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ thing but in the worst possible way. Underneath it all, Jo is a conniving and quite nasty individual.
She’s married to a sleazy so-and-so who regularly cheats on her. Can you understand why Jo stands by him?Because she’s so unbelievably shallow. Jo turns a blind eye to her cheating husband because the trade-off and kudos she gets from being his wife is, in her mind, worthwhile. There is a false sense of status in being married to Andy
and she provably feels even more elevated by the fact other women in the village desire him.
What is Jo’s relationship with Agatha like? Oh, she doesn’t like Agatha at all! Jo is cliquey and doesn’t like the idea of someone new coming in and rocking the boat – unless, of course, she’s the one to invite them.
The show gets very interesting when a revenge-filled quiche is served. Have your friends ever shared any juicy revenge stories or, indeed, have you ever done anything vengeful?No, no, it’s not in my nature, darling. You hear awful things in the news every day about what people are capable of but, fortunately, my friends tend to be quite forgiving.
Agatha escapes the city for the countryside. Have you got a preference?I couldn’t live without London or nature – both are absolutely crucial to my mental health!
How did you get on with the rest of the cast, including your former Cold Feet co-star Robert Bathurst?I’ve played opposite Robert countless times and it’s always a pleasure. The rest of the cast were lovely, too, a really nice bunch of people. We spent a lot of time hanging around because there were loads of long group shots. I liked Ashley hugely. She’s fantastic and I have a lot of respect for her. Caroline Langrishe and I went to the same school, too, so we laughed our way through the long days reminiscing.
Ashley spoke about how acting roles can dry up when women reach a certain age. What’s your take on it?You hear it all the time in the press but, I have to say, in my own experience I have been very blessed and have always worked. That parts I’ve played seem to get more interesting actually but, who knows, talk to me in a year. It’s certainly a different trajectory compared to men, though things have got much better for women especially
in terms of writing. I just did a Kay Mellor drama and she’s a fantastic ambassador for women.
Is there a type of role you’re still hungry to play, or a medium you want to work more in?Not really. I like to stay open, see what comes in and where life takes me. Who knows what will land in my in-tray? I quite like that.
How about an actor, actress or writer you’d like to work with?I would have loved to have work with Arthur Miller but he died.
That might be tricky to arrange…It would have to be posthumous, in heaven maybe, if I make it to heaven that is!
Given your extensive CV, can you single out an individual you’ve learned the most from?I never stop learning from the people I work with because everyone brings their own approach and spirit. It’s why my job is never
Hermione NorrisINTERVIEW
dull. If pushed, I suppose I admire actors who have been around for years, who still show up and are consistently good. They’re grafters, they work hard and still love what they do.
Have you got a favourite book?I’ve read some beautiful books and I’m always buying them for my husband who’s a mad reader. It’s really difficult to single out an absolute favourite book, but I love James and the Giant Peach.
Why should people tuck into The Quiche of Death this Christmas?Quite simply, it’s funny, heart-warming and utterly charming.
Are you a fan of Christmas, and where will you be celebrating this year?I’m a huge fan of Christmas, in fact, it’s my favourite time of year. I might go away this year, I’m still trying to decide.
Can you remember your best, worst or weirdest gift? The best present will always be anything my children have made me.
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Robert BathurstWhy did you want to be a part of the series?Well, I’ve worked with [producer] Matthew Mulot and [director] Geoffrey Sax before on Blandings, and they asked me [laughs]. It was nice to work with Sky again as well.
What sets the show apart from other TV whodunnits?I think it has an interesting balance – it’s a murder mystery with a light heart but also an interesting portrayal of a fish out of water. Agatha represents that ignorance metropolitan sophisticates have of rural life. Each side completely misunderstands the other and that’s portrayed very well.
Adaptations can be tough to pull off. How happy do you think MC Beaton will be with this spin on her popular book?I hope she feels we’ve done Agatha Raisin justice. It’s very difficult for an author to let go of their work because, of course, they have it firmly in their imaginations as to what everything is, what it looks like and how it should be.
Your character Andy isn’t the most likeable guy. Has he got any redeeming qualities?I think he’s totally likeable! I mean, all the women like him so much they want to sleep with him. I think Andy fancies himself more than anybody else fancies him, but, nonetheless, he would say he was a social success and he doesn’t appear to have the shame gene anywhere in his soul.
That must be quite a liberating, if morally askew, way to live.Oh, totally. It would be wonderful to live entirely for your own comfort and not to have to worry about the consequences of your actions.
Andy does fall foul of a karmic quiche, though. Do you feel he got his just deserts?Without a doubt, he’s a candidate for the chop.
How much fun is it to play a complete slimeball?I’ve done my fair share of slimeballs over the years.
I play shits a lot and it’s quite nice to find that chink of humanity – or at least try to. What’s more difficult is playing nice people and making them dramatically interesting. I enjoy that challenge as well.
What was it like working with the rest of the cast?There were some old chums in there and a few new ones. In fact, I’m just about to work with Jamie Glover [who plays James] on a play. I met some nice youngies, too. That’s part of the pleasure and charm, to meet people of all ages. When I was starting out, I learnt a lot from the oldies, although I doubt they’re learning much from me.
Was it especially nice to catch up with Hermione Norris, your Cold Feet co-star?Yes, it’s the fourth thing I’ve done with her, three TV shows and a play.
Looking back over your career, is there an actor or actress you feel you’ve
learned the most from?My early crush, as it were, was Michael Gambon. I was 13 years old and remember thinking, my gosh, he’s good, I’d like to do something approaching what he does.
What’s the best piece of acting advice you’ve been given?In my early days, Michael Bryant, the legendary National Theatre actor, gave me a bawling out about my posture and diction. Robust advice, but fair, and I’ve carried it with me ever since. He was absolutely right to do so and I was very grateful to him. I did a show with somebody, we were doing a scene and, despite being only five feet away from him, the only reason I knew it was my cue was that his lips stopped moving. He needed somebody to bawl him out but people don’t anymore because you get taken to tribunal.
Why should people tuck into The Quiche of Death this Christmas?The cliché of Christmas is the rural idyll, albeit under a blanket of snow. This rural
idyll is a lovely Cotswold village without the blanket of snow. The Quiche of Death is an extension of the beautiful England we like to know is outside the window during those cold winter nights.
Is there a book you’d like to see turned into a film or TV show?An Evil Cradling by Brian Keenan has been a perennial favourite of mine.
What’s next?I’m doing my own production in January called Love, Loss and Chianti at the Minerva Theatre in Chichester, which is already selling out.
“It’s a murder
mystery with a
light heart but
also an interesting
portrayal of a fish
out of water”
INTERVIEW
1918
What grabbed you about the script for The Quiche of Death?It’s a nice, light-hearted piece, which sets it apart from your regular whodunnits. The script was really tight and it had a great story, but it was the humour and the relationship between my character Roy and Agatha that drew me in.
Did you enjoy working so closely with Ashley Jensen, who plays Agatha?That was another big reason for me for doing it. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a lot of talented women and I wanted to work with Ashley. We got on really well and she’s become a good friend. Hopefully that transfers on screen.
Were you aware of MC Beaton’s bestsellers before you signed on?I was aware of them from the Radio 4 adaptation but, because this all happened so quickly, I decided not to research the books and just concentrate on the script. There were a number of tonal changes from the source material anyway, particularly
in terms of the relationship between Roy and Agatha, which we wanted to make warm and comedic. Roy is Agatha’s only real long-standing friend and we wanted to bring that to the fore.
Did you cross paths with Marion?The first time I met her was during the read-through, which by the way was the biggest I think I’ve ever been to. I did keep an eye on Marion, though, and she seemed quite pleased. She was chuckling away.
So how would you describe your character Roy?Roy is outgoing, vivacious and ambitious, a London PR boy who also has a very nice Australian boyfriend. He used to be Agatha’s personal assistant and is resistant to her move to the Cotswolds, partly because he’s an urbanite and doesn’t understand why anyone would want to move to the country. As the story unfolds, though, he warms to the countryside lifestyle. In a nutshell, he’s Agatha’s right-hand man both in life
and work. She confides in him the most of all the characters in the story and he understands that he’s her shoulder to cry on.
City or country life – which do you prefer?Funnily enough, I’ve just started thinking about moving out. I’ve been in London a long time now but was brought up in the countryside. I spent a lot of my youth in Nottingham in the city centre, though. There is a lot of stuff going on in London at the moment, a lot of construction, and, whenever I’ve got any down time, I try to get away.
You must have encountered some colourful PRs over the course of your career. Do you recognise the Agatha ‘type’?Yes, I’ve met a lot of people who work in PR because of the work I’ve done. It’s a fickle industry and you have to have a thick skin and a strong, didactic mind, so I very much recognise that character in the various publicists I’ve met.
You’ve already talked about
working alongside Ashley, but how about the rest of the cast?They were absolutely fabulous. Despite it being a very big cast, a close bond was formed early on in the shoot. There were so many people I was looking forward to working with, like Katy Wix, who I’m a big fan of. I’ve known Jamie Glover from my theatre work, and I’ve worked with Jason Barnett before on Bad Education. He’s a great friend. It was nice to hook up with Robert Bathurst as well. We all had a lot of fun.
Looking back over your career, can you single out an actor or actress you’ve learned the most from?I guess it ties in with what I was saying about Ashley. I’ve worked with a lot of prominent female performers, from Ruth Jones and Catherine Tate to Kylie Minogue and Alison Steadman, and I’m inspired by the qualities these women have. I think it’s difficult for actresses to really make a name for themselves because it’s still a male-led industry, particularly on the
Mathew Horneperforming side. I respect their work ethic and ambition. That’s why Agatha Raisin is such a fabulous show for Sky. At the heart of it is a funny, strong-minded female lead and there aren’t enough of those.
What’s the best acting advice you’ve been given?It’s less about the actual technical craft of things and more about recognising your position. There will always be people who do better than you and there will always be people who don’t do as well as you. You’ve just got to keep your head down, work hard and stay grounded. I can’t remember who told me that, but I’ve held on to it.
Is there a book you’d like to see turned into a TV show?I would love to see Iain Banks’ The Wasp Factory, which is about a young boy who is basically a serial killer, made into a film or a short serial. It’s not an out-and-out comedy, but there are some incredibly dark and funny moments in it, and I think it’s a wonderful story.
INTERVIEW
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Why did you want a slice of The Quiche of Death? When I first told people about the show, I kept calling it The Death of Quiche, which is a totally different concept altogether. It’s a fun romp in that very British tradition, a slightly camp whodunnit that feels nostalgic. I kept picturing Ashley Jensen as Agatha Raisin, too, and that really sold it to me.
Had you flicked through any of MC Beaton’s books before the project came your way?No, I don’t think I’m the demographic they’re aimed at, but MC Beaton came to the set and was at the read-through. She’s nearly 80 and an utterly amazing women. Did you know she’s written about 25 of these things?
Did you ask her for any tips on how to play your character Gemma?No, I was just aware she was there, sitting by the monitor on a fishing chair. It’s quite scary when you have the writer present, you feel like you need to do a good job.
Are you a quiche fan, by the way?Yes and no. I actually gave up wheat a year and a half ago, so quiche is off the menu. It reminds me of my childhood, though. On Sunday nights, my mum didn’t really cook so we’d have lots of things like that, cut up bits of quiche, cheese and crackers in front of the TV watching Howard’s Way. I think I’d rather have a frittata nowadays.
How would you sum up Gemma?She’s a tough but likeable single mum who lives on the estate on the outskirts of the village. She’s quite separate from the middle-class residents. I like the fact she’s an outsider, it makes her neutral, plus because she cleans their houses she, quite literally has all the dirt. There aren’t many female role models in Carsley so when Agatha turns up in the village Gemma finds her refreshing. They tease each other and end up being almost sisterly.
What about her relationship with Bill?She’s liked Bill since school
and sort of pines for him in the background, giving him longing looks.
As you mentioned earlier, Gemma has to clean houses for some not very nice people. Can you remember your most challenging job?Oh, there have been a few! The worst one was probably working in a bank. I did two weeks’ training and I thought it was like being a student again. Then they asked me to go onto the call centre floor. I kept saying, I don’t understand what I have to do, I’m really crap with numbers, I’m rubbish at admin, but they thought I was joking, you’ll be fine, it’s just nerves. People would call up and all I could do was a change of address, I couldn’t work out anything else. I used to get so flustered I would just hang up. People would come over and say, Katy, have you got a problem with your phone, our customers keep getting cut off. I’d go, hmmm, that’s weird. It was horrific.
Moving on to better times, what was it like working with the rest of the cast?
Brilliant, for several reasons. I mean Ashley is great, such a pro. She’s marvellous, so talented and focused. What was really lovely for me, though, was working with – I hope this doesn’t sound rude – the older actors. It felt like I had parents there and I loved hearing their stories about the acting world in the 70s, Richard Burton and all that. This is more of a drama but, in comedy, I’m used to working with big personalities and egos whereas everyone here worked as an ensemble, which was nice.
A lot of female voices are coming through in comedy at the moment on both sides of the Atlantic. What are your thoughts on that?It’s great, although it’s funny, I was doing a job with Bobby Ball and he was telling me about the days of Variety, about the likes of Marie Lloyd. You forget that there were women doing comedy, it might not have been on television but there was live entertainment and the music halls. I do know what you mean, though. I remember watching French
Katy Wixand Saunders as a child and thinking, OK, there is an opportunity for me to do this. Women don’t have to play the slightly ditzy girlfriend and, yes, they can be the funny one.
Why should people tuck into The Quiche of Death this Christmas?I think it is perfect viewing for all generations. It has a cracking storyline and injects some much-needed joy during the post-Christmas perineum. Sorry, that sounds rude, but it’s the bit between Christmas and New Year [laughs]. You know, Christmas is over, you’ve given up on being nice to each other so why not sit down and nurse your hangover with something that’s fun and entertaining.
Are you a fan of Christmas, and where will you be celebrating?Oh God, I’m not actually, but I’ll go back to Wales with my family. I used to love Christmas as a child, but as you get older it just becomes another thing to get done, which I know sounds awful and joyless.
Can you remember your best/worst/weirdest Christmas present?When I was little, I must have been six or something, I kept saying that I wanted a baby elephant Jesus. It’s a joke in our house and no one knows what I was talking about.
If you could turn a book into a film or TV show, what would it be?At the moment I’m reading a book by an American author called Saul Bellow. He’s dead now, but it’s incredible and I’m enchanted. I am trying to write a book myself and it’s insanity, total insanity. I don’t know if it will ever get finished.
INTERVIEW
"It’s a fun romp
in that very
British tradition,
a slightly camp
whodunnit that
feels nostalgic"
2322
What attracted you to The Quiche of Death?The humour and lightness, which is evident from the title. I’m a big fan of crime fiction and I’ve read quite a lot of Scandinavian stuff, you know, Jo Nesbo and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. They’re depressing and brutal, but I like them. The Quiche of Death, on the other hand, was comedic and so easy to read and that’s what drew me in. I also grew up in a village not too dissimilar to Carsley so it was very recognisable, the village fete, amateur dramatics and all that.
Had you read any of MC Beaton’s novels before you signed on?I read The Quiche of Death when I was auditioning to get a better understanding of my character Bill, then, just before I found out I’d got the part, I read the second book, The Vicious Vet. Apparently Marion’s series is the most borrowed in British libraries, which is a huge stat.
Did you get a chance to meet Marion when she stopped by the set?
I met her a couple of times. She’s great and we had a good old chat.
Did you pick her brains about Bill? Was she precious about anything at all?No, not to me. The series writer toId me informally over a couple of pints that Marion was most worried about the casting of Bill because he’s a bit heroic in that he helps Agatha with her crime solving and is the voice of the law.
Was she happy with you?I believe so. She asked my agent to send a picture after we met at the read-through. I sent her one and she tweeted me, which was nice.
How would you describe your character, Bill?He’s nice and friendly, an all-round good bloke. Having said that, he takes his job as a policeman seriously. When he started out as a trainee, he was very good and by the book, but, given where he’s based, he perhaps realised that much of his training wasn’t necessary and that most of his days would be spent twiddling his thumbs at his desk.
Until, that is, a questionable quiche stirs up trouble.Exactly, yes. An actual crime, a murder, snaps him back into action. It’s what he’s been waiting for.
What is Bill’s relationship with Agatha like? He takes quite a fancy to her… There is a hint of a crush, yes. I don’t think that’s particularly in the books, well, not the ones I’ve read, and it’s certainly added something. He is just blown away by this glamorous, mysterious and quite obnoxious blonde lady who has swept into the village. She’s like nothing he’s ever experienced before. Bill is on a dating site in the Cotswolds but it’s slim pickings. Funnily enough, he’s more of a player in the books: oh, I had a date with the farmer’s daughter the other week, and then there was the liaison with thingy behind the church. He gets a lot of action
Is anything going on between Bill and Gemma?They went to school together and there’s a scene where they both admit that
they fancied each other. Gemma still does and I think Bill had a moment of going, I did fancy you at school, but then it’s quickly replaced by, we’re not at school anymore, things have changed.
How did you get on with the rest of the cast? This was my first proper TV job where I had more than a few lines, so I was obviously excited but also a bit nervous about meeting these established talents. Genuinely, they were all really nice, especially Ashley, who’s ace, because I spent a lot of time with her. I’d like to think that we got on and that I’ve made some good friends there. My favourite bit of the whole job was sitting around listening to their stories about past jobs and people they know.
Who in the acting world do you particularly admire?I do a bit of writing and I’ve got a little production company so I’d love to emulate the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost/Edgar Wright combo – they are all mates, they all write their own stuff and they act in their own stuff. In
Matt McCooeyAmerica it would be Seth Rogan, Jonah Hill and James Franco for similar reasons.
Given that The Quiche of Death is based on a much-loved novel, what’s your favourite book?My favourite is a series of kids’ books called Red Wall. There are about 20 of them and they’re about a group of mice, otters, rabbits and hares who set off on all these different quests, fighting and solving riddles. I was absolutely captivated, had a gap of being a teenager, getting drunk and not reading, then rediscovered them about three or four years ago.
Why should people tuck into The Quiche of Death this Christmas?It’s a murder mystery that you can enjoy, chat about and giggle at. Given that it’s set in the beautiful sunny Cotswolds, it might warm everyone up on a cold Christmas night, too.
Where will you be spending Christmas this year?I think we are going to have it at home. It’s my daughter’s
first Christmas, so it will just be myself, my wife and the baby, who I will, of course, be dressing up as something stupid with the help, maybe, of an elf onesie.
Can you remember the best/worst/weirdest Christmas present you have ever received?It was Christmas Eve and my dad was in the garden banging fence posts and putting up all this wire fencing. We said, what are you doing, but he kept schtum. Then, on Christmas morning, we heard the rattling of a bucket, looked out the window and saw my dad leading this gigantic ginger pig down the garden path straight into the pen. He came in and said, happy Christmas, meet Sarah.
INTERVIEW
"It’s a murder
mystery that
you can enjoy,
chat about and
giggle at"
ContactsRachel Osborne
[email protected] 7032 6481
020 7032 1486
DVD requests:Emily Trant
[email protected] 7032 1505
Image requests:Stills Department
[email protected] 7032 4202
Contacts Niamh McCarrick
Communications Manager00353 86 3809191
James ElmsCommunications Executive
00353 86 [email protected]
