A quickie with ....
KEELEY HAWES
What appealed to you about The Midwich Cuckoos?
The pedigree of people involved was amazing. I’d worked with the executive producer Ruth Kenley-letts before on The Casual Vacancy, Mrs Wilson and The Tunnel. She has great taste, and I adore and trust her. When she said, “We are doing this thing called The Midwich Cuckoos”, I immediately thought, “If it’s Ruth, it’s going to be great” – and it was. This story felt very new and fresh, and David Farr’s writing is just wonderful.
How would you describe your character?
Dr Susannah Zellaby works with children and is a very gentle, very maternal soul with a particular interest in how the mind works. She has a troubled relationship with her daughter Cassie, and feels a lot of shame and regret about an incident in the past involving her. When we first meet them, Cassie has been struggling with mental health issues and has moved back home with her mother. Susannah is someone who carries a lot of baggage.
Will viewers find The Midwich Cuckoos unsettling?
Yes. If you were sitting down to watch this, I’d hope you’d feel disturbed! It’s very subtle and builds slowly until the danger becomes more apparent.
If you think about the idea – where you wake up pregnant and have no idea how it happened – that’s bound to be troubling.
Do you think TV drama plays a key role in tough times?
Absolutely. The Durrells is a great example of that. I’ve lost count of the number of people who got in touch to say, “The Durrells made me forget about these hard times. When I was watching it, I felt like I was on holiday. I lived vicariously through you and was transported away from this difficult world for an hour. It’s been wonderful.” Drama creates a conversation and a connection, and that is so important. People are bereft without that communal experience. ■
‘This felt very new and fresh’