BACK BEHIND BARS
The stars of Wentworth spill on the future of the series
K ate Atkinson, the actress who plays tenacious Governor Vera Bennett in prison-set TV series, Wentworth, says it best. After Foxtel confirmed on Dec. 5 that the series has been renewed for 20 more episodes, Atkinson tells WHO, “It just seemed criminal not to give us another two seasons together.” With Season 7 of Wentworth already filmed, and set to hit screens next year, the extra 20 episodes will now see the series on air until 2021.
From its first episode, Wentworth –a reimagined version of long-running Aussie soap Prisoner – established the blueprint the unflinching series would follow. Then governor Meg Jackson (Catherine Mcclements) was found lying in a pool of her own blood. By season’s end, Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack) had killed “Top Dog” Jacs Holt (Kris Mcquade), stabbing her in the neck with a pen. Brutal, brilliant television. “At the beginning, people wondered whether we were too edgy or too hard, or whether Wentworth would be too soapy – too much like Prisoner,” Bernard Curry, who plays Jake Stewart says. “But this show has proven to be truly groundbreaking. It’s a series that pushes the envelope.”
Season 6 introduced fresh blood – three exceptional actresses joined the cast in Susie Porter as Marie Winter, Leah Purcell as Rita Connors and Rarriwuy Hick as Ruby Mitchell.
“We’ve always been a pretty happy family,” Atkinson says. “Over the seasons, we’ve lost cast members, and we’ve gained them, and this cast right now is the best ensemble of actors we’ve ever had.”
In Season 6, Vera dealt with finding out she was pregnant to Jake, the very man she despised. Next year, we find out whether Vera will have the baby – and what kind of mother she will be. “It’s Vera we’re talking about, so anything could happen,” Atkinson says coyly. Bruised and battered, Vera has emerged as a real fighter. “She lives in a world where selfpreservation often takes over from heroism,” Atkinson says of Vera. “But I think she represents that part of humanity that just keeps trying. She refuses to give up.” A fighter in a more literal sense is Hick’s character, Ruby. This year, Ruby punched an inmate into a bloody pulp. “Ruby has some rage,” Hick laughs. “But she’s cheeky and a fun-loving kind of a girl that a lot of the other inmates enjoy being around.” The young actress likens showing up for the first time on set to “the first day of high school. I was so nervous,” she admits. With the show getting an extra 20 episodes, the inevitable question is: what then? Will the series come to an end, bowing out on its own terms, much like Breaking Bad did?
Maybe. “I think the writers have always had a huge end to the series up their sleeve,” Atkinson says. “I don’t know what their big guns are.” If past form is any indication, the ending, when it comes, will be explosive.
“It’s a series that pushes the envelope” —Bernard Curry