Tamzin Outhwaite adapts to life in a tight corset

With the action in Murdoch Mysteries’ season finale squeezed in tighter than a size 10 gal in a size six corset, fans have been eagerly awaiting the period drama’s return. With the episode Up From Ashes, airing Monday on CBC, it’s here.

When we last saw our heroes, an investigation gone awry found Det. William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), framed for murder, and the lives of his colleagues and wife Julia (Helene Joy), in danger.

The season 11 première picks up after the cliffhanger, with British actress Tamzin Outhwaite guest-starring as Penelope Marsh, who temporarily replaces Insp. Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), to further shake things up.

“It was quite revolutionary at the time to have a female boss, so they do react strangely to the fact that it’s a woman who’s come to take over from Brackenreid. And what she uncovers is quite interesting — stuff isn’t as it seems,” says Outhwaite, who’s also known for playing Melanie Owen on the British soap opera EastEnders from 1998 to 2002.

This season will also feature several historical figures, including physician William Osler and political activist Helen Keller, as well as the return of artist Tom Thomson, U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt and Alexander Graham Bell.

Outhwaite was invited to gueststar on Murdoch Mysteries a few years ago, but scheduling conflicts thwarted her appearance. This time, however, an unlucky accident in some ways proved lucky.

“It was perfect for me because I have a fractured metatarsal,” she says. “I was meant to be in a show in London’s West End, and I had to pull out of it. I suddenly had a whole summer of unemployment. So when this came along, as long as I didn’t have to be in high heels I could make it work.”

Playing a woman in the early 20th century proved to be a bit of a challenge, though.

“I’ve done corset work and period work on stage, but never on TV. So it was very interesting to manoeuvre a day’s filming in a corset with the amount of wonderful catering and food available,” Outhwaite says.

“I’ve decided that it might be a good idea to wear a waist-shaper or Spanx generally, though, (on set). There’s a point where you have to stop eating, because it hurts.”