Timing is everything
Gangland drama A Town Called Malice pays tribute to 1980s culture, writes Siobhan Duck
FOR someone who wasn’t even born in the 1980s, British actress Tahirah Sharif seems right at home sporting big hair (and even bigger shoulder pads) on the set of gangland drama A Town Called Malice.
“I think the ’80s [are] so iconic that we’re influenced by [them], regardless of how old you are or where you’re from,” she explains.
“The culture, the music, the hair, the fashion – I feel like everybody is influenced somehow.”
In the new series, Gene Lord (Jack Rowan) is trying to make a break from his family’s criminal past in London, but his fiancée, Cindy Carter (Sharif), comes with her own baggage. When the couple’s plan to lay low in Spain backfires, the result is murder, mayhem and a lot of nostalgia.
“If they had told me I was making something set in the 1920s, I would really have had to do my research,” Sharif admits.
“But the ’80s isn’t that far away, so it’s still relevant to today.”
The series doesn’t just rely on its loud wardrobe, make-up and soundtrack to convey the period; creator Nick Love and his team of directors use split screens, stylised titles and fade-outs between scenes to ensure the production feels as though it was made at the time. As a result, the music and imagery pay tribute to a visually outré decade of film and TV that has been welcomed by a new generation, including Sharif.
“There was a lot of fantasy stuff from that era that I was into as a kid,” she says, citing The Never-Ending Story, The Terminator and “The Goonies, of course.” Despite being set four decades ago, the series reflects modern storytelling in its diverse cast and strong female characters.
“A lot of the time, historically, the female characters have just been there to bolster the lead man’s storyline as the wife, the girlfriend or the love interest; you don’t really get your own storyline,” Sharif says.
“So when roles like this come along where the females are so sure-footed, so competent, so independent of the male storyline or male character, it’s just wonderful to read.”
Like the many gangland dramas that have come before, the show’s glimpse into the high-stakes world of criminal enterprise adds to its universal appeal, Sharif says, citing The Godfather as a personal favourite.
“I think we as human beings are interested in anything we can relate to, and everyone comes from a family where there are different dynamics between the members,” she points out.
“But when it’s dangerous, it’s more exciting. A lot of the time, it’s something wrong and bad and not something you’ll be involved in, hopefully – but it’s escapism.”
A TOWN CALLED MALICE 8.30PM, WEDNESDAY, FOXTEL AND STREAMING, FOXTEL ON DEMAND