STARS IN THEIR ICE
POPPY LEE FRIAR AND WILL TUDOR STAR IN THE STORY OF BRITAIN’S BEST-LOVED SKATERS…
Inside TV has got chills, and they’re multiplying – because we’re in an ice rink on the outskirts of Belfast. But nothing warms our spirits like a gripping TV drama, and we’re here to watch the filming of Torvill & Dean, about the early partnership of the champion ice-dancers. We’re joined by Humans star Will Tudor and Ackley Bridge’s Poppy Lee Friar, who play Chris and Jayne, and they’re brimming with excitement.
“When I initially read the script, I really responded to it because I’ve known these names and faces my entire life,” Will tells us. “I think that will be true of most people, so to learn more about them was fascinating. The first thing I watched before the audition was their 1984 Bolero routine, and seeing it is a very emotional experience as the movement is graceful, beautiful and expressive.
“What they did was make it their own,” shares Poppy. “It wasn’t just ice-dancing – it was Torvill and Dean ice-dancing, which is what made it special and made them iconic.”
The drama begins in Nottingham in the 1970s, as young Jayne and Chris take their first tentative steps on the ice – yet it will be some time before coach Janet Strawbridge (Jaime Winstone) decides to pair them together…
“With any working partnership, there are ups and downs, aren’t there?” teases Poppy. “They’ve said themselves, there’s no way that partnership could last this long without love and understanding of each other, and that’s part of our story as well – two people really understanding one another’s lives and how the other ticks.”
“They’re quite different personalities,” adds Will.
“And yet when they come together, they can create amazing things.”
Neither Will nor Poppy had much experience on ice before landing the roles – but they’re making up for lost time now...
“It’s rare that you get to develop a new skill when you do a job,” grins Will. “And this is a skill we’ve both taken to, and love.”
“We’ve gone from nothing to being taught by the absolute best,” agrees Poppy. “We had training with [five-time British national champions] Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland before we started. I’ve enjoyed it a lot!”
WATCHING BOLERO IS A VERY EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE”
WILL