A FRIEND IN NEED
JENNIFER KIRBY TELLS US HOW VALERIE STEPS UP WHEN A PATIENT’S MOTHER TURNS ON LUCILLE…
Apparently there’s no such thing as a day off for the midwives of Nonnatus House, as this week Valerie comes off a night shift to get her hair done at the salon run by her friend Marjory and Marjory’s mum Mae – only for Marjory to go into labour. Lucille is called to attend the birth and it’s clear from the moment she arrives that Mae is prejudiced against her. Fortunately the birth goes smoothly, but when Marjory becomes seriously ill afterwards, Mae’s racism feeds into her anger and leads her to blame Lucille.
Inside TV caught up with Jennifer Kirby, who plays Valerie, to find out how her character handles being caught in the middle…
How does Val react to this treatment of Lucille?
I don’t think that she’s ever thought before, ‘I need to look at the people around me and question what their views are’, and Lucille’s introduction into her life makes her think more acutely about that. Val’s a character who’s very aware of injustice, so there’s a real turning point for her in this episode – someone she’s grown close to is being directly affected by this, so she realises she needs to make a stand.
Do you think Val and Lucille make natural allies, as the two newest midwives?
I think so – and I think Valerie especially sees in Lucille somebody who has had to deal with a lot in her life, and Valerie has in her own way as well, so they kind of connect over that.
Especially as they are both newcomers – and as an actor as well, it was nice to have somebody new coming on board and to talk about the show with them.
Valerie struggled in the Christmas special with the baby she thought was stillborn – how does that affect her in this series?
It definitely makes her open up and confide in people more, so it has a positive effect in the long run. When you have a knock in confidence like that, I think sometimes it can make you see things a bit differently.
What reaction have you had from viewers since joining the show last year?
It’s been lovely! People say such nice things about the show – how it makes them cry, and how they’re so pleased it’s on, so that’s been the big thing for me, just realising how much it affects people and how important it is. It’s lovely being part of something that’s almost an institution!
Do you feel confident with the birthing scenes now?
We’re really lucky in that we have Terri Coates, who’s the midwife adviser on set and is absolutely brilliant. She’s always very hot on things being factual and accurate, and she’s right there to tell you everything, and show you where your hand needs to be and in what position! I’m not even one-millionth as skilled as an actual midwife, but it’s been really lovely learning about it!