Angela Black | Interview with Christopher Aird (Executive Producer)

Tell us about the story.

Angela Black is a thriller, but it is also the story of a very dysfunctional marriage. Angela lives with her husband Olivier, and it looks like they have a lovely life with their two children. But we quickly understand that Olivier is a violent man, and that Angela has been living a difficult life for a long time.

Angela Black is a psychological thriller where you don’t know where you are at any moment. There are two or three moments through the series where the writers pull the rug completely.

What were your first thoughts when reading the scripts?

It is always a joy to read new scripts from Jack and Harry because they’re always surprising. What makes their writing stand out, is that you key into the characters and empathise with them. But then the story is always going to wrong foot you.

Tell us about the contemporary nature of the story?

Angela Black is a contemporary story. Jack and Harry are very good at tapping into important cultural moments. In the wake of #MeToo, a lot was being written and spoken about, about male violence towards women, and that’s at the heart of this story.

What is it like working with Jack and Harry Williams?

Jack and Harry are great to work with. They are two of the most collaborative guys I’ve ever worked with. The way they tell a story is genuinely a mystery. They have each other and they scurry away and create these stories together.

Tell us more about Angela Black’s character.

For all intents and purposes, Angela has the perfect life. She has two beautiful children, a beautiful husband and lives in a beautiful house. But you quickly understand that not all of it is real and some dark things are happening to her. You realise that psychologically, she has had a very difficult time over the past few years.

Tell us about Olivier’s character.

Olivier is a charming, handsome, successful and intelligent man. But he’s not normal psychologically and is a misanthrope. He’s violent and borderline psychotic and will go to great lengths to get what he wants and not care about the consequences.

How did the team research the subject matter?

When we were developing Angela Black, we were conscious of the sensitivities around a story about domestic violence. We spoke to many stakeholders, charities and psychologists to research what it’s like for a woman to be in this kind of relationship.

The drama does reflect that and what you see is that, even though Angela is treated poorly, she has many reasons not to change her life, principally her children. It is important to show how manipulative Olivier is of every single situation, and that he can manipulate her psychologically. There is also a remnant of what their loving relationship might have been at some point, and he plays on it.

What are some of the key themes?

Angela Black is the story of a woman trying to cope with the fact that her husband is psychologically and physically abusive towards her. Everything stems from that. It’s also about motherhood and trying to live in a world where the truth is no longer certain, and you can’t be sure what is true and what is a lie. If someone tells you forcefully enough that you’re wrong, perhaps you start to believe that.

What is the importance of telling the story?

Stories like Angela’s are so important today because women suffer at the hands of men. Whilst there are a lot of men involved in making the show, we have two incredibly talented female producers, a strong female executive and female star. I think that having a good female-led unit making the show, it reflects that. The way the show is made, reflects what the show is about.

Tell us how you came to casting Joanne Froggatt?

We had Joanne Froggatt in mind from quite early on. We had worked with her on Liar and I think that Jo has a wonderful everywoman quality. She is also able to access a depth of emotion that few can. And she is not a pushover, there’s a steely side to Joanne that I think really suits the character, so we were thrilled when Joanne agreed to be Angela.

Tell us about casting Michiel Huisman?

Casting Olivier was slightly more challenging, he’s not a sympathetic character at all and we were really keen that he would have a sense of otherness about him. Jack and Harry were very keen that he wasn’t British, if he was a recognisable character, he would perhaps come with baggage. We all looked at Michiel Huisman in Game of Thrones and other things, but here was a guy that was so incredibly charming, a very handsome guy and very warm in the room. So, it was quite interesting to give him this very different part that requires him to use all those positive things about him to hide his true nature.

How was the experience working with director Craig Viveiros?

Craig is passionate about his work; he is a perfectionist. He used to be a photographer, so the first thing you notice about his work is how stunning it looks. He spends a lot of time finding locations and working with a cinematographer to create this beautiful filmic look. His work is a cut above most telly. He is very interested in the interior life of the characters. Often directors major more on the character work or on the visual, Craig does both.

What is Angela Black’s journey?

Angela’s journey through her story is challenging and very dark at times. People that tune in are going to be rewarded with the kinds of twists and turns that Jack and Harry always put into their work. There is one turn in the middle of Angela Black that I think, if we can pull it off, no one will see it coming.