BOYS BEHAVING BADLY
Cork’s teenage criminals JOCK AND CONOR return for more fun, friendship and felony – and this time there’s a baby on board…
‘The lads aren’t going to change their mischievous
ways’
CHRIS WALLEY
HAVING A BABY traditionally changes people’s lives. But it’s business as usual when teen tearaways Jock and Conor return this week with a new six-part series of The Young Offenders on BBC3 Online (episodes will also air weekly from Friday 24 July on BBC1 HD at 9.30pm).
When we last saw them, Jock and girlfriend Siobhan had become parents to baby Star, while Conor and Siobhan’s sister Linda had consummated their relationship in a car. But it seems nothing will stop the best pals with the bad haircuts from getting into trouble…
Still expelled from school, Jock and Conor’s spare time is devoted to their secret double life as masked bicycle thieves. And in the opening episode, they decide to take Star on a heist with
local loon Billy Murphy. But can they stay one step ahead of local police officer Sergeant Healy?
And can Conor’s mum, Mairéad – who’s also Jock’s
guardian – keep them on her
idea of the straight and narrow?
‘The lads aren’t going to change their mischievous ways. They are still getting up to trouble, but now there’s a baby coming along with them,’ says Chris Walley, who plays Jock. ‘They could leave Star at home but that wouldn’t be any fun.’
NEW ARRIVAL
The actors admit it took them a while to adapt to filming scenes with a baby, and they had to put their improvisational skills to good use filming with the two baby sisters who took turns to play Star.
‘When I first heard about the baby, I wondered if it was the right way to go,’ admits Walley, 25. ‘But our writer, Peter Foott, is a genius and the scenes work so well.
‘I think everyone enjoyed the days more when the babies were there on set. They definitely made us up our
game. There are so
many moments where
they’d sneeze or start
laughing, so you had to be
on your toes and react to it.’
Elsewhere in the new series, expect more bike chases across Cork, ridiculous situations – yes, the boys do lose Star and there are nappy changes – and a healthy dollop of physical comedy, including a cross-county pursuit by Sergeant Healy.
‘I like to improvise some of the physical comedy and do it off the cuff, so I get into trouble with the director by hopping over fences when they don’t expect it,’ says
Alex Murphy, 22, who plays Conor.
‘I’m quite good at falling – it’s something I take a lot of pride in! Whenever I can, I’ll be sure to fall because I love it. I don’t think there’s anything funnier than seeing someone fall over. Sometimes the producers worry I’m going to hurt myself, but I’ve got rubber bones!’
The Young Offenders, which began as a film in 2016 before coming to BBC3 as a series in 2018, certainly has star pulling power. Series one’s Christmas special saw
Misfits actor Robert Sheehan play an obnoxious version of himself, while series two boasted a cameo from one of Cork’s most famous people, former Manchester United footballer Roy Keane.
This time round, Father Ted star Pauline Mclynn makes a guest appearance as a therapist.
‘I can’t wait for people to see that episode,’ reveals Murphy. ‘Pauline’s a bottle rocket. She was just go, go, go during filming.’
STRAINED RELATIONS
The new series also catches up with Mairéad’s relationship with Sergeant Healy. In the last series, she gave him the big heave-ho after he didn’t take her side in a neighbourhood altercation, and as the seriesopens, the mismatched couple remain at loggerheads.
‘Let’s just say that in this series I got injuries from fake-punching
Dominic Machale, who plays
Sergeant Healy,’ laughs Hilary Rose, who plays Mairéad, and who is married to series creator Peter Foott.
‘Peter says Mairéad anchors
the comedy of the show. Her relationship with the lads gives it an emotional punch in the guts. I love our emotional scenes, especially when we improvise. It’s easy to do with Chris and Alex because I love them. We allow each other to be in the moment and go with the flow.’