LIFE AFTER DEATH
AS THE RESIDENTS OF POPLAR SAY A FOND FAREWELL TO A GOOD FRIEND, STEPHEN MCGANN TELLS US WHAT COMES NEXT…
We learned long ago to stock up on tissues before watching an episode of Call
The Midwife, and that’s more important than ever this week as the people of Poplar get together for Barbara’s funeral. It’s a tough day for everyone, but the call of duty is never far away to remind them of their greater purpose.
“One of the original Jennifer Worth books was called In The
Midst Of Life,” recalls Stephen Mcgann, who plays Dr Turner. “That old saying, ‘In the midst of life there is death’ – well, what’s interesting about this episode is that in the midst of death, there is also life. There’s a wonderful subversion there, because you start with this funeral, you give people a chance to grieve, but then life comes back in, which it always does with us all, and there’s a reality to that. You don’t have to be gritty or throw another murdered body on a beach to get in touch with what people experience in life.”
Sure enough, following the funeral Dr Turner and Shelagh receive a call informing them that a nearby maternity home is to close, which means that Nonnatus House suddenly has to deal with an abundance of expectant mothers.
“Everybody’s fully occupied and there’s lots to do,” reveals Stephen. “There’s lots of new mothers, and there’s another beautiful storyline with two fantastic actors, David Calder and David Bamber. There’s Nurse Crane’s personal journey as well. It’s about the survivors – how do you process these things?”
Despite tackling issues like dementia, depression, addiction and abortion, Call
The Midwife’s pre-watershed timeslot and period setting often see it labelled as ‘cosy’ – though Stephen thinks people are starting to realise that’s a misdiagnosis.
“There are two types of people in the world – those who tell everyone what Call
The Midwife is, and those who actually watch the programme!” he chuckles.
“It doesn’t hold back, and it’s always been the same. But over the years the penny has dropped and people know now. Our audience
THE SHOW DOESN’T HOLD BACK, IT’S ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME”
have always known, though some of the people who were holdouts have come to realise it too.” Stephen has been with the show since the beginning in 2012, and he’s seen his character go from a widowed single dad to a happily married father of three.
He’s also been very proud to watch Max Macmillan, who plays Dr Turner’s son Timothy, grow up on screen…
“I’ve got a son who’s three or four years older than him,” shares Stephen. “My son would often say to me, ‘Go and give Pretend Son my regards!’. Then Max will say, ‘Will you ask Real Son if you’re always as irritating with him as you are with me?’”