THE NEW B RIDG

Two sisters, a love triangle, a mysterious secrets revealed... as the smash hit Regency

Hold on to your bonnets and grab the smelling salts... TV’S raciest period drama Bridgerton is back for a second series. When the first season launched at Christmas 2020 in the darkest depths of lockdown it seemed like the whole world had tuned in, making it Netflix’s then-biggest hit with a staggering 82 million households streaming the series in its first four weeks. Why? Because Bridgerton broke the period drama mould, ramping up the excess with exuberantly colourful outfits, stupendously furnished homes, a zingy soundtrack and lots (and lots!) of sex. No wonder it was dubbed Bonkerton!

Based on the book series by Julia Quinn about aristocratic Regency family the Bridgertons – widowed mother Lady Violet and her eight offspring – the first series focused on the ‘coming out’ season for eldest daughter Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), a striking beauty attempting to find a rich suitor on the ‘marriage mart’ and the tumultuous relationship with the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset (Regé-jean Page), that ensued. Now they’re off living the happily ever after, the spotlight moves onto her elder brother Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey.

‘It was a bit bonkers,’ says Ruth Gemmell, who portrays Lady Violet. ‘I think we always thought it would appeal to an audience who are fans of the books. That’s a huge fan base, but I don’t think anybody was quite prepared for the phenomenon that it became.’

Ruth returns in series two along with the show’s other matriarch Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury, queen of the withering putdown, society fixer and Simon Basset’s mentor. ‘It’s psychedelia on steroids,’ she says. ‘And that’s part of its fabulousness. It’s Ariana Grande in a quartet [Grande was one of several pop stars to have their work performed by string musicians in a classical style on the soundtrack]. It’s people wearing psychedelic mandarin and lime green, but cut correctly for the period. It’s about putting some Bridgerton schwang on to the Regency period – that’s the fun of it.’

The Bridgertons are part of ‘The Ton’, the aristocratic circle at the top of London society whose comings and goings are chronicled by the mysterious gossip Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews) in her society scandal sheet. Also part of The Ton are the Bridgertons’ ostentatious neighbours the Featherlove ingtons, whose daughters Prudence, Philippa and Penelope (Bessie Carter, Harriet Cains and Nicola Coughlan) aren’t having much luck with suitors.

But in a whopping reveal at the end of series one, the acid-tongued Lady Whistledown turned out to be little old Penelope Featherington, a girl who’d been endlessly underestimated because of her looks. If it was a huge shock for the viewers, it surprised Derry Girls star Nicola too.

‘I found out Penelope was Lady Whistledown in an unexpected way,’ she recalls. ‘I was on an online fan forum, trying to absorb as much information about Penelope as quickly as possible once I’d got the role, and when I saw that, I was in such shock I couldn’t believe it.’

So secret was the big reveal that Nicola, 35, recorded the scene where Lady Whistledown was unveiled months after the first season filming had wrapped. ‘They couldn’t decide whether or not to reveal it – then I got a call from Chris Van Dusen, our showrunner, saying, “We feel it makes sense to reveal it because of where we want to take Penelope in season two.”’

By revealing the identity of Lady Whistledown at the climax of the first series, one big ace has already been played. But creator Van Dusen says he still has some cards up his sleeve. ‘This season, Penelope’s story is fascinating,’ he says. ‘We get to see the entire operation – how Lady Whistledown produces her anonymous pamphlet and who she uses.

‘What’s fascinating to me about Penelope’s story is that she’s basically invisible in her everyday life. No one sees her. But when she gets to don her Lady Whistledown superhero cape, she’s not invisible. She’s loud and she’s brash and she’s amazing.’

While some old characters get new stories, an entire new family enters in the form of the Sharmas, Lady Mary (Shelley Conn) and her daughters Kate and Edwina (Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran). ‘We’re bringing in a family that’s been living abroad for a while,’ says executive producer Shonda Rhimes. ‘They’ve been in India, now they’ve come back to London for Edwina’s season.’

Lady Mary is no stranger to the London debutante scene, and her

‘The show is psychedelia on steroids, it’s fabulous’

own marriage once mired her and her family in scandal. Now, on her return to London, she’s forced to endure the scrutiny of The Ton again. While eldest daughter Kate, 26, is technically available on the marriage mart, she thinks she’s too old to find herself a husband. Instead, she puts her energy into finding her younger sister Edwina, 18, a love match. She’s challenged not only by her new life in London, but also by the infuriating yet enticing Anthony Bridgerton, who has his sights set on her sister.

Edwina, meanwhile, may be young, but she knows she wants a true

match. She’s quickly inundated with suitors and grateful to her loyal sister for vetting potential matches. But when Edwina falls for Anthony Bridgerton against Kate’s wishes, their sisterly bond is put to the test.

When the Sharmas arrive in London, they move in with Lady Dan

bury, bringing – much to Lady Danbury’s distress – their dog Newton. Played by a corgi named Austin, he’s Bridgerton’s cuddliest new star. ‘He was very professional,’ says Adjoa Andoh. ‘Much more so than some of his human colleagues. Lady Danbury doesn’t like having a dog in her house, so most of my acting with Austin involved raising a disapproving eyebrow. Then I’d give him a cuddle after the take.’

Other newcomers include Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch), a printer’s assistant and revolutionary, and a fellow called Jack (Rupert Young), who arrives swathed in mystery. The newest member of The Ton, he has a connection to one of its most notable families, but which one? We also get to meet Violet’s late husband and the Bridgerton father, though only in flashback. Edmund (Rupert Evans) was a devoted husband

and an endlessly patient father who took pride in guiding his eldest son Anthony through life.

The second season promises even more of the lavish locations, balls and parties that adorned the first, with filming taking place at Wrotham Park in Potters Bar, the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club (for a day at the races in episode two) and Syon Park Conservatory for Lady Danbury’s ball in episode one. And boy are those balls lavish. Penelope Featherington’s dress for the Diamond Ball was inspired by a sparkly John Galliano dress that Kylie Minogue wore on tour, and for Philippa Featherington’s dress at the same event the costume

team used more than 14,000 crystals in four shades of gold.

Yet while the balls may look glam, Adjoa Andoh says they’re anything but to film. ‘You sit in make-up from 4.30am for three hours, put on a corset and then have mountains of hair glued to your head. Then you’re in that corset for 14 hours, schlepping about in super-restrictive garments that do the opposite of what your body wants to do. Your lungs can’t expand, you can’t breathe out. Oh, and you can’t bend over. So if you want to go for a wee, you need to give yourself a good lead-up time.’

Ruth Gemmell says that eight-hour days eating the same canapes again and again requires you to pace yourself. ‘You have to be careful how much you eat in the first take, because you’re going to have to keep eating the same amount. And the ball scenes can take days. I made that mistake

Lady Danbury with Kate Sharma

Kate and (left) her sister Edwina