Agnes O'Casey on risking it all in '60s drama 'Ridley Road'

SBS Australia

6 days ago

When Vivien Epstein (Agnes O'Casey, impressive in her first TV role) runs away from her comfortable middle class life as a hairdresser in Manchester and heads to London, she lands in a hotbed of political tension, caught up in a surge of neo-Nazism, and a resistance movement called the 62 Group. Soon, she'll find herself risking everything: to do what's right, and for the man she loves.
And while the events that unfold in four-part series Ridley Road are set in the 1960s, there's a lot going on here that's incredibly relevant today. "It's so relevant for now, and it's so much more than a 'topical' show – it's so full of heart and humanity, what Sarah's done is beautiful," O'Casey says. She's referring to writer and executive producer Sarah Somelani (familiar to many for her acting role as Miranda in the Bridget Jones movies), who adapted the story from the book of the same name by Jo Bloom. "I think this story is an important one to tell because the dilemma of 1962 is still one that we're grappling with now. Which is, why people are drawn to the far right?," Somelani says. "...One of my guiding principles with the show was how to tell a story about how good people are convinced of bad ideas."
The series has a strong cast portraying those on both sides of the political and social divide, including Rory Kinnear as real-life figure Colin Jordan, the leader of the National Socialist Movement; Tracey-Ann Oberman and Eddie Marsan as Vivien Epstein's aunt and uncle; Tom Varey as her ex-boyfriend Jack; Gabriel Akuwudike as a potential friend and ally in London; and Tamzin Outhwaite as a hairdressing salon owner.
Tamzin Outhwaite as hairdresser Barbara Watson. Credit: Ben Blackall
Just as her character steps into the unknown in her decision to go to London, Ridley Road was a new experience for O'Casey, her first television role (though as The Guardian notes , you'd never guess it). Here she talks about why she felt this was an important story to tell, her nerves and joy at working with people she'd admired for years, and what she kept from Vivien's wardrobe!
Vivien is 23 and living in Manchester, in a loving but overbearing household. She is still unmarried and feels this mounting pressure of her parents' wishes. With an arranged marriage looming, she is aware there is a role she must fill that she knows isn't right for her. She's a hairdresser, which is her pride and passion, but she is not being pushed – she feels like she's stagnating. She sees the life that is laid out in front of her and she veers off that path and into the unknown. She takes a leap of faith and runs away to London. Initially she goes to follow Jack, the boy she loves, but she ends up discovering so much more about her own beliefs, her own determination and her own capability.
Viven (Agnes O'Casey) starts her new life. Credit: Ben Blackall
Did you do any research into Ridley Road? I had no idea about this period in history – I knew about Oswald Mosley [a British politician who led two fascist groups for many decades, beginning in the 1930s] to a lesser extent. This whole period totally blanked me, so it was a huge shock to see the archive footage of swastikas and people 'heil'-ing in such recent history. It's embarrassing to say but when I first read the script, I thought it was fictional. That's one of the many reasons why it is so brilliant Sarah is writing about this now, this period of our history has been forgotten about. There's a really great book called We Fight Fascists by Daniel Sonabend about the 43 Group, who preceded the 62 Group, and it takes you through the war, leading up to the group's formation, who the men were and how it happened. These men fought in the war for Britain and came back to realise that people in their own communities were anti-Semitic. They were normal men and women who took a stand and there is so much to be learnt from them. I think the biggest shock for me was realising how smart and calculated people like Oswald Mosely and Colin Jordan were. Oswald Mosely is on record – he knew that there was going to be an economic depression after the war, so he waited until that happened before he started spreading his anti-Semitic and racist rhetoric because he knew that if people were desperate, they would be more likely to cling onto what he was saying. We see this time and time again.
This is my first job and the idea that my first job would be so perfectly in line with everything I believe in is a dream come true. What drew you to Ridley Road? When it first came up, I thought it was perfect. It's so relevant for now, and it's so much more than a 'topical' show – it's so full of heart and humanity, what Sarah's done is beautiful. This is my first job and the idea that my first job would be so perfectly in line with everything I believe in is a dream come true. I was so drawn to Vivien as a character for so many reasons. She's clever without realising she's clever. She's not particularly eloquent but she is truthful and principled, and you watch her on this journey as she discovers her own ability. She is so brave which is something I can't say for myself – she makes split-second decisions and she's always on the front foot, whereas I would probably mull over things for months! Why is this an important story to tell? I think it's an important story to tell because we have seen so much polarisation among our communities, the echo chambers we inhabit mean people are becoming more and more radically right and drastically less empathetic. It's far too easy to go down rabbit holes of misinformation.
There are brilliant storylines that explore this in Ridley Road , especially Rita Tushingham's storyline, which I love. She plays a character called Nettie who Vivien takes a room with. Nettie has lost both of her sons in the war and has found solace in the wrong places. We see her go on a journey of discovery and it's played so beautifully by Rita. It's also an important story to tell because anti-Semitism is still very much in operation and it is insidious and overlooked.
Rita Tushingham as Nettie. Credit: Ben Blackall
What has been your highlight of the production? There's been so many great days – there was a really good day when Tom and I were filming on a train. It was one of those scenes where we didn't know where the camera was going to go, it was very dynamic and very exciting. My first day working with Rory was pretty spectacular. The sets are just brilliant, and Ben the designer is amazing – you walk on set and everything is just so lived in. Actually, my first week we were filming in a studio where all these rooms had been built, and that was my first time on a film set, and I was walking around like "God, this is fantastic!" There's been a lot of pinch me moments on this - obviously working with Rory [Kinnear], Tracy Ann [Oberman], Eddie [Marsan] and Sam [Spiro] has been spectacular.
I was so nervous – I couldn't believe that for my first job I would be working with people I've looked up to my whole life. I really idolised Sam throughout drama school – I'd just graduated there, and I always talk about Sam and I'd watch her on livestreams and things, and when I heard she was going to play my mum in this I just couldn't believe it! Tracy also really took me under her wing. This project is so close to both our hearts, and she really looked out for me – she went the extra mile to FaceTime me after filming when there was something in an upcoming scene I needed to talk through with her, and just generally building me up. It felt like a lot of pressure at first and I couldn't have done it without her. All of the actors I worked with were so generous, it felt like such an undertaking to step headfirst into a lead straight out of training but as soon as we did the read through, I knew I was part of a brilliant ensemble and wouldn't be doing it alone. How has it been working with such an incredible cast?
Obviously, I was so nervous – I couldn't believe that for my first job I would be working with people I've looked up to my whole life. When I was waiting for the job to start, I kept thinking "I can't believe I'm going to actually meet these people!" The read through was maybe the best day of my life. They are so kind, and they work in such an incredible way. It's the perfect first job to watch pros do what they're doing.
London life sees Vivien undergo a transformation. Credit: Ben Blackall In regards to Vivien's look: Did you have any say in the costume and make-up? Yes, I did! [Costume designer] Claire Anderson and Sam Marshall [Hair and make-up designer] are brilliant. We actually started speaking quite early on, as soon as I got the part and I really deferred to them, because they know so much more about this period... Vivien gets a makeover pretty early on... When she goes to London, she looks around, and then starts getting braver and braver with her choices. Sam has mapped out the makeup that Vivien starts making baby steps into the woman she wants to be. First winged eyeliner – then bolder lipstick – then a beehive. I loved discovering that journey because it's so realistic. I think we've all gone through that at some point or another. She takes up her clothes… she really comes into herself in London. I've got this little suede coat that's freezing to wear, but it looks great! This is an edited version of material supplied by Red Production Company.
Ridley Road is streaming at SBS On Demand.