Back on case
Rebecca Gibney had no hesitation returning to one of her most iconic characters in a new reboot, writes Lisa Woolford
It’s been 20 years since she last donned them, but Rebecca Gibney confesses it was so lovely to slip back into Jane Halifax’s shoes – especially because they are usually a nice pair of Italian leather heels.
Much nicer than the hiking boots, jeans and singlets of perpetually- on-the-run Lola Buckley in her last TV drama Wanted.
“I’ve been playing Lola for the last couple of years so to actually be able to put on a Hugo Boss coat and really nice shoes was like, ‘Oh this is nice, I forgot about this,’” Gibney says with her infectious laugh.
But much more than just the costuming, Gibney says it was a joy to reunite with the show’s original creator Roger Simpson who developed the forensic psychologist character specifically for Gibney.
The last time she played Jane, she was a consultant with a say over the script.
This time she was even more hands on as an executive producer – involved in the casting, music choices and giving input on all the episodes.
“I’ve loved it – I mean I’m totally exhausted again, but I’ve really, really loved it. When we first talked about bringing her back I went and watched some of the old ones and I was like,
‘Oh my God’. I mean they were great but I was only about 30 when I started playing a forensic psychologist. Really, I’ve probably only just qualified now at my age – well, to be a proper one. So to be given the opportunity to go back and revisit her as an older woman, and with a bit more experience under my belt, has been fantastic.”
It was a typically freezing winter’s day in Melbourne when we first visit the set of Halifax: Retribution.
We’re huddled together on a hotel rooftop in the centre of the CBD, fingers and everything crossed that it won’t pour with rain.
It’s fascinating watching Gibney at play – smiling or laughing with her castmates Anthony LaPaglia and Rick Donald between takes.
But once action is called, the transformation is instantaneous, as she adopts the harder, more serious face of Jane the investigator.
In this telemovie [to be followed by six more episodes], Gibney’s alter ego Jane Halifax hasn’t worked on the frontline for years; bearing the psychological scars of her previous cases.
But when a sniper begins terrorising Melbourne and leaving no trace to their apparently random killings, the taskforce set to stop the murders turns to her in desperation.
Commander Tom Saracen (LaPaglia) comes calling at her new workplace, the University of Melbourne, where she is mentoring a new class of forensic psychiatrists.
She baulks at the offer, content with her celebrated academic career and a long-term relationship with Ben Sailor ( A Place To Call Home’s Craig Hall), and his daughter Zoe ( Neighbours’ Mavournee Hazel).
It’s a stellar ensemble cast, with Gibney relishing the opportunity to reunite with ALP (as LaPaglia is affectionately known) – even if he wouldn’t join in with her singing and dancing antics on social media.
“He such a lovely man,” she says.
“He’s got the biggest heart and he brings such a gravitas to whatever he does. I’m very grateful he came to play again.”
There are plenty of wellknown faces in Retribution including Claudia Karvan, Jacqueline McKenzie and Michala Banas; but also a conscious decision to cast new talent including Ming-Zhu Hii, Mark Coles Smith and Hannah Monson.
It was an intense shoot for Gibney, she explains.
“I had forgotten about revisiting what the actual drama itself was about and the fact that it is depressing and it’s a crime thriller and not very nice things happen to people.”
By comparison, “Wanted was an adventure thriller but it had that undertone of humour about it. And we never took ourselves too seriously, so to go from that now to a very serious drama with very sad and dramatic things happening was quite exhausting from an emotional perspective. Coming home at the end of the day and having to shake it off, which I haven’t had to do for a while.”
Fortunately, husband Richard Bell and son Zac were back and forth from their home base across the ditch in New Zealand.
“I’d come home to a homecooked meal and they were very aware of my schedule and incredibly understanding,” Gibney says.
“They’d take one look at my face and my husband would hand me a glass of wine and say, ‘Sit on the couch, darling and here’s your dinner and why don’t you pop up to bed? You have to get up at 5am’. It was lovely – even if I only sat with them for half an hour – just to have them there.”
HALIFAX: RETRIBUTION 8.45pm, tuesday, august 25, nine