People will see many things that they can relate to in their lives and relationships...
What does it take to keep a long-term relationship strong? MARION McMULLEN looks at how Sean Bean and Nicola Walker dealt with being a couple in new drama Marriage
SEAN BEAN tackled royal power plays and murder in fantasy epics Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings, but Marriage sees him getting to grips with a long-time relationship.
Nicola Walker, of ITV’s Unforgotten and BBC drama The Split, is the other half of the dream team which sees them play Ian and Emma – a couple who have been together for 30 years.
The four-part BBC drama is written and directed by Bafta winner Stefan Golaszewski who created sitcom Mum as well as Him & Her.
The series begins with two episodes. The first, broadcast tomorrow, introduces viewers to the main protagonists as they return from holiday, each with a new start ahead of them – while Emma’s promotion prospects are looking good, Ian has recently been made redundant and is looking for a fresh start.
Meanwhile, their daughter
Jessica, who they adopted as a baby, brings home her new boyfriend to meet them.
Then, in Monday’s episode, Ian is upset when Emma fails to tell him she’s been invited to attend a conference.
Her father Gerry, played by veteran actor James Bolam, doesn’t help matters by interrupting their anniversary plans, and Jessica’s relationship begins to sour.
So how did Sean and Nicola feel about being ‘married’ to each other?
What has it been like working together?
Sean: It’s been a real pleasure for me working with Nicola and I know everyone says that but it really has. Nicola: It’s been very easy being married to Sean Bean for 27 years on this!
What can you tell us about Marriage?
Sean: Marriage only takes place over 12 days or so. It’s an extract of that time in their lives and you drop in to watch their lives.
However, what is in those days is rich, revealing and you see what a relationship is... what a marriage is.
Their doubts, fears, joy, happiness and heartbreak that go into everyday living.
Nicola: It takes a lot of work to make it look as natural as it does and Stefan makes sure we repeat it all.
The dialogue is connected to simple everyday actions.
There are times we have laughed a lot off camera when I’ve made about 30 sandwiches for one scene and boiled the kettle 28 times but they are simple actions you do every day. It’s all in the detail, it’s very revealing.
Those mundane every day details.
Do you have any memorable moments from set?
Nicola: My most memorable scene applying cream to Sean Bean’s thigh area. It was a beautiful moment and one that I never expected as his character, Ian, had a nasty rash!
It was a tremendous day in my professional career.
Luckily it was in a tasteful position for camera.
How would you describe your character?
Sean: Ian is a man who isn’t very sure of himself and not very confident. He used to be when he had a job and was in a relatively high up position.
He was a moderator at his firm but that’s gone and he’s recently lost his mother. His wife Emma is working and going places.
Then there’s a younger man on the scene [Jamie, played by Henry Lloyd-Hughes] so when you add them all together, he’s quite suspicious.
Ian is a very vulnerable and unsettled man and lots of little things begin to stir up into a big pot of worry.
My most memorable scene was applying cream to Sean Bean’s thigh area. It was a beautiful moment... Nicola Walker
What were rehearsals like?
Nicola: We got to rehearse for a week before we started shooting which is unusual for TV as you don’t get to do that anymore.
It was invaluable and we were in a tent with Stefan to be Covid safe.
We got to go through every single page of each episode so we were already ahead before we started.
We got to ask all the stupid queswas
tions with Stefan instead of doing that on the day in front of all the crew.
What struck you about the script?
Sean: Stefan’s dialogue is very natural and free flowing. It doesn’t seem like that sometimes when you are doing it.
I guess we all jump to conclusions about how we perceive delivery of the lines and sometimes you go for the easiest option but Stefan breaks it up and doesn’t allow it to just become one dimensional thought.
There’s a lot happening in between various sentences and statements we make which is hard to get your head around but makes it very varied and rich.
He also throws in a lot of business – props, opening and shutting bins, getting tissue paper out
at the same time as you are talking which is something you have to get used to.
However it’s very well observed and quite hard work to get your head around even though it’s very naturalistic and free flowing.
There’s so many different layers he has created within his script. Nicola: The best thing for me has been having a writer and director.
I’ve made choices in certain scenes which I thought were the right thing but when you have Stefan there, he will offer you something else.
More than on any other job, I’ve spent more time after a take where Stefan has given me a note, saying how that way or take was much better. That’s what has been really joyful.
There are definitely scenes that I never thought of in a certain way until Stefan explains.
What was it like working with James Bolam?
Nicola: We had James Bolam playing Emma’s father and we spent a week with him which was an absolute pleasure. I felt a bit tearful on his last day.
It was all quite intense and he’s an incredible actor. It put us to shame on a basic level in terms of line learning as he was all over the script.
I loved every second of it and Ian’s relationship with him is brilliantly spiky, like a lot of those inlaw relationships!
Why should people watch Marriage?
Sean: People will be able to see many things that they can relate to in their own lives and their own relationships. There aren’t any big stunts or reveals. It’s just a very simple story, simply told, about people and the complications of daily life.
Nicola: There are revelations and Sean’s character Ian is pushed to certain behaviours by the end.
There are quite volcanic moments for both of them.
I want people to love it as much as we do really.
■ Marriage starts tonight on BBC1 at 9pm