A new series of Grantchester
With Grantchester back on the box this new year, we speak to one of its stars Kacey Ainsworth, left, about being part of the nation’s favourite crime-busting clerical drama
Hold onto your dog collars... Grantchester is back and this time, it’s all change. As regular fans will know, last year’s series about the super-sleuthing vicar in Fifties Grantchester grabbed us all by the heartstrings when we bid a fond farewell to James Norton as Reverend Sidney Chambers.
But now it’s new leather-clad Reverend Will Davenport (played by Tom Brittney), who arrived at the end of the last series, solving Grantchester’s crimes, ably assisted by Sidney’s old mate, DI Geordie Keating (played by Robson Green).
Kacey Ainsworth, who plays Geordie’s wife Cathy, says: “Tom has settled into the role effortlessly. He’s done brilliantly. It was quite a nice, slow introduction, the writers didn’t push him straight in and expect people to accept him,” she says.
The whole cast – and in particular his close crime-fighting partner Robson – have also supported him all the way.
“Robson is always welcoming to everyone. They were able to find a bond really early on.”
It’s all change for Kacey too. Her character is taking on an even more prominent role in the storyline.
Cathy’s marriage to DI Keating was previously on the rocks after he had an affair. They’re back together, but it’s not all plain sailing. Having taken a job
in a department store in the last
‘I think it’s great that the show deals with the ordinary, everyday things in life’
series, Geordie’s still not keen on his wife going out to work at a time most women were more often found tending to the home. “Cathy’s found something she’s clearly passionate about and wants to get more involved in,” says Kacey. “I think Geordie understands how much she loves it, however it still jars with him in terms of how
a traditional family was thought of at that time.”
This series there’s also added stress for the couple when Cathy’s mum comes to help out. “You initially think it’s going to be OK but it ends up not being OK at all,” Kacey laughs.
The difficulty of juggling a job you love and family is something Kacey herself knows all too well, having left her role as Little Mo in EastEnders to focus on her children following her son’s diagnosis with autism.
After a seven-year break from acting she says joining Grantchester was a great way back into regular acting work and she’s loved being a part of the series.
“I think you can sometimes watch period dramas and it’s all about what it looks like, with lots of upper-class-ness but not really dealing with things that people can still relate to today. That’s what Grantchester does really well,” Kacey says. “I think it’s great that they deal with the ordinary, everyday things in life.”
As for what it’s like to film the show, Kacey reveals it’s a privilege to work so closely with her on-screen husband Robson Green. “He never walks in and asks what scene we’re doing. I’ve worked for years with people who do that, and they still do a good job, but because he’s on it, everyone else is,” she says.
And this makes for a supportive and friendly atmosphere for the whole the cast. “Everyone is looking towards the same goal and wants to do their best because they see everyone else doing their best,” says Kacey.
■ Grantchester is on Fridays at 9pm, ITV. Catch up on the first episode now on the ITV Hub