The life of the party
Political drama returns for a second season of strategising and power plays. Deborah Mailman tells how things are looking for her earnest character in this world of backstabbers and betrayers.
RTotal Control
Danielle McGrane
oles like Alex Irving don’t come around very often, and Deborah Mailman knows it.
“I wish I could be a little more like Alex,” Mailman said.
“She’s a bit fearless, whereas I’m too worried about everything. My anxiety levels are through the roof. I’m always second guessing myself, whereas she just goes in and does what she believes is right and I love that about her.”
Mailman is back playing the fearless Alex for season two of
Total Control, a political show of Shakespearean proportions.
In season one, her character was appointed to the Senate, betrayed by the Prime Minister (played by Rachel Griffiths), who she then managed to stage a coup against.
But her fearlessness doesn’t always work in her favour. And in season two, it seems Alex’s bold moves don’t have the effect she expects them to.
“We start the season pretty much directly in the aftermath of the ousting of the Prime Minister, so we see Alex jumping ship to the opposition party,” Mailman said.
“But she quickly learns that nothing’s going to change and she gets quite frustrated and angry because no one really cares in the way that she does and she sees that nothing’s really going to accelerate in the way that she wants it to.”
It’s a tough lesson to learn, that politicians aren’t always in it for the right reasons. So Alex decides to run as an Independent, and tries to win what’s seen as an unwinnable seat.
“It’s a seat that’s been Conservative for over 25 years – and she’s going back to a community that distrusts her,” she said.
“In some respects she knows that she may not win this fight. But I think her resolve to right the injustices is such a powerful drive for her.”
There’s no doubt Alex is up against the political system and public sentiment.
“There’s certainly cracks forming in Alex’s armour and it gets really personal for her,” Mailman said.
“The abuse that is thrown at her from every angle does take its toll and not only on her but on her family as well. You can see the armour crumbling a little bit this season.”
But the fact that Alex keeps going and fighting for what’s right is testament to her belief that what she’s doing is worthwhile.
“We had to really look at what she’s fighting against,” Mailman said.
“She has to be fighting for something and what pushes her to keep that drive within her is being a black female politician.
“That’s already a target on her back and she’s not naïve around any of this, she knows what she’s going into. This time there’s a little bit of uncertainty for Alex in what she’s doing.”
Alex is also unusual in that she’s a politician who’s not out for herself – she does what she does for her community.
“I think that’s the whole point of it,” Mailman said.
“She didn’t grow up in the same ways that other politicians have that have been a part of the establishment for so long. She’s sort of trying to rewrite her own rules a little bit and it’s absolutely about change.”
In saying that, Alex is learning how to play the game a little bit more, realising it’s the only way she can get ahead.
“She becomes a really keen negotiator this season,” she said.
“Being an Independent, she knows she has to get support from other parties at play. So this time around you see her being a little more savvy in her politics, negotiating with the other independents to form a bloc of power within government.
“It’s good that you get to see her political smarts this time around, that she’s not just throwing grenades left, right and centre.”
The ousting of Rachel Griffiths’ prime minister Rachel Anderson, which kicks off this season’s wheeling and dealing, feels quite dramatic but also believable and not that far removed from what’s happened in Australian politics over recent years.
“Well, let’s count how many prime ministers we’ve had in a short amount of time,” Mailman said.
“The public has witnessed parliament blowing itself up over so many years so we’re not writing science fiction here. And I think from the writers’ point of view and the producers, they’re trying to create a sense of authenticity around the world because that was so important to the show. There’s got to be some believability around this world.”
While her character is a bit of a political animal, Mailman doesn’t share her interest in the Canberra bubble.
“I’m pretty basic,” she said.
“I make sure I’m up to date with things and know what’s going on but I certainly don’t have the passion for it in the way Rachel Griffiths does – she’s such a political junkie, she’s amazing and I sort of had to lean on her when it came to the ins and outs of the political world.”
Mailman and Griffiths are two very strong leads, and this show’s real drawcards. Griffiths is also one of the show’s creators and has a clear vision for what she wants the show to represent, according to Mailman.
“Rachel is very much about the female perspective within our show,” Mailman said.
“You see that happening a lot with our dramas, and not just Australian dramas but dramas all over the world, driving a female perspective within the story.
“I love Rachel, she’s just fabulous. I’ve always been a big fan of her work. She’s such a positive influence and inspiration in this whole process for me.”
Now Mailman is waiting to see if the show will get another season, and she’s convinced there’s more of this story to tell.
“Fingers crossed,” she said.
“I feel like there’s enough there to go for a third season. Where we ended it, it’s like ‘Wouldn’t it be great to see how we can go from here?’
“I love this show so much. I love Alex. She’s a fabulous character.”