Mood | Interview with Lisa Walters (Producer)

Please could you tell us what Mood is about?

Mood is about a young woman in her 20s, Sasha, played by Nicôle Lecky, who is living at home with her mother, her stepfather and her younger sister. She aspires to become a singer, but she doesn’t quite have the tools to get where she wants to go or the knowledge to succeed. She very much wants to be rich and famous, but doesn’t know what direction to take. She’s just split up with her boyfriend and her parents are tired of her doing not very much with her life and failing to contribute positively to the household and decide to exact a bit of tough love.

Sasha is kicked out of her home finally and subsequently meets a young woman called Carly, played by Lara Peake, who is an influencer living “her best life” with lots of friends, a nice flat and designer clothes. Sasha admires Carly and how she’s living and aspires to get like her. However we soon understand what that means when we discover, that Carly is funding her extravagant lifestyle through sex work.

What made you think the original play, Superhoe, could be adapted into a TV series?

As an avid theatre-goer I went to see the play “Superhoe” at the Royal Court and already knew and was a fan of Nicôle and her writing. I was completely blown away by her performance, not to mention her incredible voice. The story just felt so relevant to the challenges that young people face today. The pressure of social media, of trying to attain the unattainable, fame and fortune when opportunities are so limited. The pressure for young people to be something that they’re not can be overwhelming and this seemed to tell that story in a vibrant and innovative way.

When it came to developing the series, I guess it was about really thinking about what we were trying to say, the conversation points and how to express that through fully formed characters, in a way that was both poignant and entertaining. Mood is about shining a light on the behaviors some individuals exhibit in an attempt to obtain some of the things our society deem valuable. It’s about sparking debate and having a conversation about that rather than judging individuals for the choices they make. It’s exposing exploitation and other challenges for this generation, especially for young women and I think it will be a real eye-opener to those who perhaps aren’t aware.

For me the subject matter and Nicôle’s aptitude for unapologetic authenticity in her writing meant it was a no-brainer for the BBC and Bonafide to turn this into something bigger. They snapped it up quickly and I’m so glad that they did because it’s an epic tale and one I think is really important for our times.

Why is it an important story to tell now?

Young people today are growing up in a very different world. The pressure of social media is immense, it’s about not only keeping up with your peers, but also satisfying huge aspirations for wealth and power. It’s about having those things now, not in so many years, instant gratification and to be in a position to purchase the latest materialistic thing, to flaunt on social platforms.

Some of the struggles and challenges Sasha, our main character, must face I am sure will resonate with a lot of people. She is living at home in her 20s, unable to move out on her own, but also doesn’t know where she wants to go in life. She has raw talent but doesn’t know how to harvest that or who to reach out to, or who even the right contact might be. She just doesn’t have the tools to be able to exist in a harsh, unforgiving society. I think a lot of people will relate to those obstacles, whilst also recognising some of the temptations as well. It’s so easy to wander down the wrong path and lose your way and get in with the wrong crowd in order to acquire those things you think you need. The pressure to be seen with the right people, to wear the right clothes to feel worthy is real and I think a lot of young people empathise with Sasha and hopefully root for her to find a way through and go along a journey with her.

The show has a very unique feel and tone. How much do you think Dawn’s directing contributed to this? How important is that to the overall world you built in Mood?

I think with the show’s musical element it only made sense for us to pursue a director like Dawn who definitely knows how to put music and image together in innovative and emotive ways. Dawn is a legend in the music video world, a consummate creative having showcased some of the best, most glamorous singers of our times. However, with her work on award-winning drama like Adult Material her understanding not just of the sex industry, but her ability to tell darker, more grounded stories meant she was a huge asset in creating the vastly different worlds that Sasha inhabits along her journey in Mood. 

With second block and new director Stroma Cairns – a rising star – her challenge was to see Sasha transformed from the mundanity of east London home life to the money-motivated façade of the influencer party scene. She worked meticulously with Nicôle’s vision to try and capture what that meant for our protagonist. To show audiences the lure of the high life for young women, but also highlighting the dangerous pitfalls while sparking the inevitable discussions to be had about how Sasha finds her way in Mood. 

Can you tell us about the importance of music within this drama?

Sasha aspires to be a singer, so music is integral to the show. However, Mood is a drama first and foremost the music acts to enhance the drama, rather than interrupt it. As opposed to a traditional musical, however, where you might stop to allow for a set piece, we really wanted the music to form part of the narrative.

We start the series with a song and dance which is part of Sasha’s hangover-induced fantasy. Music is used throughout the series in the same vein, to get inside Sasha’s head. All the things that she can’t express to the people around her, her thoughts and innermost feelings are expressed through song. There are two musical sequences per episode, it’s a useful device to really get under the skin of Sasha and to let the audience know what she’s really wanting and feeling. The original songs, have been co-written, and executive produced by Nicôle.

How was it working with and collaborating with Nicôle?

It was fantastic to watch Nicôle at work. She is an amazing and multi-talented creator; she is the real deal and definitely someone we should be looking at as the future for our industry. She is able to write wonderful dialogue and come up with storylines at the drop of a hat and really dig into character and get under their skin. She is ultimately about the detail, everything has been considered in Mood, every character feature, every moment has been thought about and questioned, no stone is left unturned when it comes to staying true to the narrative and Sasha’s emotional journey.

Nicôle is a remarkable singer and has a brilliant sense of musicality. She was the showrunner in every sense and the star of the show. She featured in almost every scene, wrote the songs, the scripts and part of the challenge was keeping her energy up for a 14 week shoot and not buckling under the pressure.

I’ve worked with a lot of writers, and everyone talks about looking for those screenwriters with “a voice” a sense of authorship and that’s definitely the case for Nicôle. Her sense of innovation as well as authenticity for this world and these characters really jumps off the page, she knows these people, she draws from her own life experiences and you can tell. She also has a wonderful sense of humour, there’s a lot of fun even though there’s a lot of serious issues in Mood to tackle, like mental health, sexual violence, but it’s not dark or bleak. There is a lot of joy, laughter and fun alongside the tougher moments and I think that’s all true to life. We all experience tough times but often it’s intercut with humour and levity.

Mood is a very British show. How will it resonate with an international audience?

There are things about Mood which are intrinsically British and about London culture specifically, that a British audience will acknowledge and love, but at the same time the themes it explores are very much universal. Social media is part of all of our lives, it’s a worldwide phenomenon. Additionally, there are those rights of passage that bring us all together; we all know what it’s like to be a teenager, or in our twenties and not really know what we want out of life or how to get there if we do know.

Mood is also about the dynamics of family. A mother/ daughter relationship, we understand what it means to have a tricky relationship with parents. It’s about the evolving relationships Sasha has with her friends, losing touch with people because you’ve been wrapped up in a relationship for a long time and then breaking up with someone that you felt that you were going to be with forever. Heartbreak is definitely a universal language. These are all themes viewers will know and appreciate I feel, they’re all universal ideas but I also think audiences will be interested in the British perspective, so it’s an insight into Sasha’s world and a chance to explore the world that Nicôle grew up in, which is really exciting.  It’s also a chance to educate, to show the world what we’re all about, how some of us live- to invite the world in and take them along that journey with us. 

Can you tell us about the difficult relationship between Sasha and her mother, Laura?

Sasha lives with her mother, Laura, played by Jessica Hynes, her stepfather, Kevin (Paul Kaye) and her sister, Megan (Mia Jenkins). Laura had Sasha when she was quite young and her father’s not around anymore, neither is Megan’s, so Kevin has come into a ready-made family, and he is very different to Laura and what she’s used to. We get the sense that Laura was a bit of an ‘It’ girl in her earlier years, used to enjoy going out and that she wanted more out of life (much like Sasha). But after a couple of failed relationships, Laura became quite jaded and actually, probably wasn’t the best parent to Sasha a lot of the time, so there’s a bit of resentment there and quite a bit of tension simmering beneath the surface when we meet Sasha.

Sasha doesn’t really see eye to eye with her stepfather, Kevin, either. He is quite straight and proper, and Sasha feels like she’s been running the household and looking after her mum and Megan and someone new is now stepping in, trying to tell her what to do. Also, Sasha is mixed race she’s the only “brown” person in her family and this is difficult at times. She’s visibly different from them therefore and the odd one out in a lot of ways, not just because of her ethnicity and her background but also because of her attitude towards life and she just doesn’t feel like she fits anymore and so the tension builds and builds, until it eventually comes to a head.

Sasha does want to get back to a place where she experienced good times with her mum. There is that longing for a mother figure and to be a doting daughter again, a good daughter and have a bond with mum . Her lashing out is just the hurt she feels at the situation and the fact that her mum is not able to express her love in a productive way, it just doesn’t come easy to Laura. So, it’s a constant push and pull between mother and daughter and Laura definitely feels the pressure to keep up with appearances as well. She feels guilt that she’s not been the best mother to Sasha but can’t really express that to her, can’t apologise. She also wants to get it right in love this time. She’s with a new partner and he’s sticking around and feels stable. Kevin is secure and Laura feels like that’s what’s needed in her life now, whereas Sasha isn’t any of those things (stable or secure) and ultimately Laura has to make the choice between Sasha and the rest of her family.

How important is ethnicity in Mood and for Sasha’s story?

It’s definitely not front and centre of this story but it’s always there. In Sasha’s experiences, not only with her own family but going to live with Carly and in the world that she inhabits, there is always a question about her identity she’s having to face. Her identify is what Sasha struggles with consistently on her journey, who she is, who she’s aspiring to be and obviously her mixed-race heritage is a part of that. So, there are definitely moments which feel very authentic, when she’s forced to confront that part of her, her blackness and sometimes it’s better received than others. She sometimes has to conceal it and there’s other times where it is celebrated, which it could be argued, speaks to a mixed-race experience. Racism, anti-blackness and colourism naturally form part of the conversation and these aren’t subject matters that we shy away from by any means, but it’s also not at the forefront of the story.

Why should people watch Mood?

People should watch Mood because it’s an absolute rollercoaster of a ride from beginning to end, you’ve got memorable characters and dramatic performances, to amuse, entertain, wow and move you to tears. If you like edgy family drama, if you like good character stories and if you want to learn something about the challenging world we live in today, it’s a very contemporary piece for the age of social media. It talks about the plight of young people but also, through excellently crafted music and song it’s celebrates a vibrant and innovative British youth culture as well. It’s a London story, an ode to London and everything that is wonderful about it, but it also tackles some serious issues and anybody that’s going through any of those issues would feel comforted that other people are not only experiencing these things too, but coming out the other side to face a more hopeful future.