WHY DAWN FRENCH’S NEW TV DRAMA IS Delicious
SEX SCENES, VINTAGE CARS AND BONDING OVER FRUIT CAKE… DAWN FRENCH AND HER CO-STARS TALK TO NATHALIE WHITTLE ABOUT SKY’S NEW DRAMA, Delicious
WE GO BEHIND THE SCENES
PLAYS THE EX-WIFE, GINA. DAWN, 58, IS MARRIED TO CHARITY CEO MARK BIGNELL, AND LIVES IN CORNWALL. SHE HAS A DAUGHTER, BILLIE, WITH HER FIRST HUSBAND, LENNY HENRY.
I HAVE TO ADMIT, I HAVE NO DESIRE TO BE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA ANY MORE, BUT WHEN [EXECUTIVE PRODUCER] PHILLIPPA [GILES] SENT ME THE SCRIPT FOR Delicious, I WAS SO INTRIGUED THAT I HAD A MOMENT OF WEAKNESS.
I was hooked by all these layers of female friendship, betrayal and forgiveness. But I’d just got home from touring with my one-woman show, so I told her it would have to wait until next year – and she just said, “Well, there’s no reason why we can’t shoot in Cornwall – we need to find somewhere by the sea anyway.” How could I say no to that?
HOW WOULD I DESCRIBE MY CHARACTER, GINA?
She’s a complicated, flawed woman with a huge heart. She’s got a troubled teenage daughter and a troubled relationship with her ex-husband’s new wife – and she’s trying to cope with the everyday muddle of life. Gina’s incredibly fiery and a bit too quick to judge, which gets her into trouble, but one thing I love about her is that she’s a real nurturer – she wants to feed in times of joy and in times of trouble!
I MAKE A DECENT ROAST, BUT I’M NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD AT COOKING AS GINA IS, SO I HAD A LOT TO LEARN FOR THE ROLE.
I spent a lot of time watching our home economist, Lisa [Heathcote] – the way she uses her hands, her relationship with the food and the way she doesn’t measure anything. She’s unafraid of everything and that’s embodied in Gina.
MAYBE I’M BIASED, BUT I’M TOTALLY INSIDE GINA’S CAMP.
I’ve thought a lot about how and why she makes the decisions she does and I see her vulnerabilities. I think sometimes when you present yourself as a strong woman as she does, people can mistake that for entire, utter strength across the board; they assume you have no hurting places, or emotional holes in you whatsoever. Gina has many of them, like we all do. I think that makes her incredibly likeable.
I HAVE SOME PRETTY INTIMATE SCENES WITH IAIN – NOW THEY WERE ENJOYABLE TO FILM!
I’m always a little apprehensive about those kind of scenes because I want them to be real – and suddenly you’re embracing someone you only met a week ago. But what a delight to be given permission to snuggle up with somebody who you like the look of in the first place, legitimately for your work! That’s got to be a perk. There’s one scene in a bathing hut that’s particularly racy.
IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE I’M ONE OF THE OLDEST PEOPLE ON SET, BUT I’M ALSO THE MOST EXCITABLE.
Iain’s very calm and always thinking about the next scene, while Emilia will get into the make-up van at 6am each day and is somehow never grumpy. Then you’ve got me who’s always got so much gossip to catch up on with everyone – and I’m always thinking about what’s for lunch!
I GOT TO KNOW TANYA [REYNOLDS], WHO PLAYS MY DAUGHTER, SO WELL THAT IT SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE SHE’S MY ACTUAL DAUGHTER.
When you’re introduced to someone on day one of filming, it can be difficult to fake that mother-daughter relationship, so before we began I invited her to my house. She’s been back several times since – in fact, she’d be welcome forever!
There’s one scene in a bathing hut that’s particularly racy