COUNTRY PURSUIT
MARK BENTON TELLS US HOW HE HAD A HAND IN RECRUITING THE MYSTERY DRAMA’S LATEST GUEST STAR…
Ever since it burst on to our screens two years ago, we’ve had our suspicions that being on Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators is a bit of a dream job for an actor. Look at it this way: the scripts are fun; the mysteries are compelling; you get to film in the beautiful Warwickshire countryside; and you get to work with Mark Benton and Jo Joyner, both of whom we know to be a hoot.
Turns out, we were right on the money, because when Inside TV gets on the blower to talk to Mark about series three, he reveals that he’s already had some well-known pals asking to be in it…
“The first episode features Vic Reeves, who’s a good friend of mine and who loves the show,” says Mark. “He sort of mentioned to me, ‘Oh, I’d love to be in it’, so he’s there and he does a brilliant performance. He plays an old arch-enemy of mine who comes back, and Frank thinks he’s the murderer and would do anything to catch him! It’s a great episode, set in a big, old-style bingo hall. I was really tempted to stop and have a game afterwards – well, some of the crew did!”
SEEING STARS
Vic’s not the only famous face we can expect to see popping up in a guest role in the latest 10-episode run, either, as Mark confirms there are more stars set to make an appearance.
“We’ve got Don Gilet and Tamzin Outhwaite,” shares the actor. “It always shocks us how many great guests we get into the series. I think we do our best to keep the quality of the show to a certain standard, so hopefully that’s what attracts them.”
While Mark is indeed keen to make sure the show is as good as it can possibly be, he also readily admits that he and Jo Joyner, who plays his crime-solving partner Luella Shakespeare, do have a tendency to get the giggles when they’re filming.
“We’re both terrible chucklers, and I’m always trying to make Jo laugh!” confesses the star. “I succeed quite a lot, actually! But I think as long as we’re having fun, then that bleeds into the show, and I think that’s what people really latch on to.”
BEAUTY SPOT
And if one of the highlights for you in the show is seeing the stunning landscapes of Stratford-upon-avon and its surroundings, you’re definitely in for a treat this time around. Just spare a thought for Mark and Jo and the other cast members, though, doing their best not to look too chilly…
“We tend to start filming in September and finish in December,” Mark points out. “Our coats and jumpers get gradually thicker through the show! But we do get to go to places we’d
IT ALWAYS SHOCKS US HOW MANY GREAT GUESTS WE GET ON BOARD”
never dream of, like beautiful old country houses – one of them had a lake in the garden, it was stunning. There are some amazing locations, most of which we both want to buy, but obviously can’t! The flipside is that sometimes we end up in an old carpet warehouse or a car park – so it’s swings and roundabouts!”