Some people look incredibly noble in a wig... others just look really silly
KATHERINE PARKINSON AND WILL SHARPE JOIN FORCES IN DEFENDING THE GUILTY – A NEW COURTROOM COMEDY THAT SHINES A LIGHT ON AN OFTEN MESSY AND FLAWED LEGAL SYSTEM. HEARS MORE
OURTROOM dramas may be a mainstay on TV – but what happens when you add comedy into the mix?
All rise for Defending The Guilty, a new BBC2 sitcom written by Cuckoo’s Kieron Quirke and based on Alex McBride’s book, Defending The Guilty: Truth And Lies In The Criminal Courtroom.
The six-part series follows idealistic young barrister, Will Packham (played by the brilliant Will Sharpe), as he’s shown the ropes by his cynical, worldly-wise pupilmaster Caroline, played by Bafta winner Katherine Parkinson.
Will must not only navigate his way through a criminal justice system seemingly designed to be as confusing as possible, but he’s also required to deal with his fellow pupils, each of them after the same job at the end of their training and more than happy to stab each other in the back to get it.
Can he succeed and hold on to his principles? Or will the system claim another victim?
“It certainly raises questions about the legal system and moral questions,” Will, 32, says of the show.
“(My) character believes he is a good guy and he seems to be a good guy, but the series gradually puts that theory under strain.”
“As Will knows, I really enjoyed playing somebody ostensibly with no redeeming qualities,” chimes Katherine, 41, with a laugh.
“Quite often I have played supposedly quite lovable characters and it turns out it comes quite easily to me to be utterly horrific.
“But I still think you feel sorry for her – and it’s a good contrast with Will’s idealism and youth,” she adds. “Caroline just operates in a very kind of ‘legal’ way.”
So where does the comedy come in?
“Kieron really prioritises the plot,” begins Katherine, who’s well accustomed to the genre, thanks to her role as Jen Barber in The IT Crowd. “But it’s a really clever thing to wrap up a case in half an hour and make it funny and have an ensemble playing.
“He makes that seem quite effortless, but it’s doing a lot, and that’s why I hope people will enjoy it.
“Some comedies lay out their stall, it’s just going to make you laugh, but this is something that’s supposed to be representing a world fairly accurately and hopefully asks questions as well as mainly being funny.”
“What I liked about it was that Tom George, the director, has very good taste,” offers Will, who earned his comedy stripes with such shows as the darkly comic Flowers, which he wrote and starred in.
“He gave us boundaries within which to work and it meant that we could feel quite mischievous, which is a really good atmosphere for comedy.
“So I definitely felt like that was a nice dynamic between us and the show, as a whole, and the shoot,” he adds. “Sometimes it felt like we were just being naughty just by playing the scene.”
As for getting into character, the distinctive court dress certainly helped the London duo.
“I loved the gowns,” reveals Katherine. “I found it very useful because it gave you an immediate status. Running down the stairs with it flowing behind you, it really does give you a sense of misplaced self-importance.”
“I weirdly felt like it’s quite a funny outfit, it’s quite ridiculous in a way,” Will testifies.
“I think I read that originally the theatre of court is designed to, in a superstitious way, intimidate defendants into taking the process seriously, so it was to give status to the procedure,” he recalls.
“I guess even in a relatively small number of weeks you get used to it, it’s just what you wear to work...”
“I mean the wigs are ridiculous and uncomfortable,” Katherine pitches in.
“I just think some people look incredibly noble in a wig, and other people – me – just look really silly.
“What was the reason behind the wig?” she says, turning to her co-star.
“Did somebody say it was because all of them having the same wig somehow put them on an even...? I can’t remember, but it is objectively absurd.”
Costumes aside, the legal