Stephen – Interview with Sharlene Whyte – Doreen Lawrence

Q: What do you remember hearing about the murder of Stephen Lawrence?

“I had just left school in 1993 to go to college when Stephen was murdered. It was a huge story at the time. We were all teenagers at a similar age to Stephen and his friend, Duwayne. I remember hearing about it vividly, that a young man had been murdered at a bus stop. It was just so awful.”

Q: What were your thoughts when you heard a drama was being produced?

“I was approached about the role around Christmas 2020 and I was able to read the scripts and watch documentaries about Doreen to prepare for my audition. I had just played a powerful and determined mum fighting for the rights of her child in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe film ‘Education’. This felt like I was getting to play another brilliantly strong mum, but it did also feel like a massive responsibility.

“I did a lot of research. I watched a number of Doreen’s interviews and listened to her, just to get her voice and her intonation. I read her biography, And Still I Rise, which had a lot of background information about how she grew up in Jamaica and then her move to the UK. That was really useful. It’s quite a universal story of a West Indian coming over here. Many people have had very similar stories, but to hear it in such great detail was very useful for me.”

Q: How would you describe the journey Doreen Lawrence has been on?

“Doreen is a woman of great strength and determination. Someone who fights for justice for her son. It reflects who she was as a child, I guess. You don’t really see the strong inner determination on her face. It doesn’t play out outwardly, it’s all going on inside.

“That this happened to her is shocking and horrendous for any parent. Doreen Lawrence really is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

“Having lost her son, there were many people and institutions trying to prevent her from seeking justice. Doreen displayed a single-minded determination. She was greatly disrespected as a woman and as a parent who had her child taken away. I feel she has this inner determination which says, ‘I want justice for my son, no matter the cost.’

“Playing Doreen is a gift of a role for an actor because you are able to be lost within her story. It’s no longer about you, the actor. It’s about telling what happened to her with detail and accuracy. For that reason it was very easy to forget the cameras were there because you were there to fulfil this story.”

Q: How would you describe Clive Driscoll as both a man and a police officer?

“I have not met Clive, but I’ve heard a lot about him. He is a real character and was the model police officer who we all base the idea of policemen on. He has respect for his job and respect for the public. I think that was the basis of his approach to policing. It’s all about respect and seeking truth and justice. That’s how you would expect all police officers to be.

“When Doreen first met Clive she probably thought he wasn’t capable of leading a new investigation. Clive is deeply serious with a very strong moral compass, much like Doreen and I think that’s why they eventually developed such a strong connection.

“Of course, Doreen didn’t trust him at first. She had met quite a few police officers by then who had let her down. So why should she trust him? But there were certain actions and steps that Clive Driscoll took that nobody else had taken. All common sense actions because he respected his job and wanted to do the right thing.

“Eventually over time he gained Doreen’s trust. There was a turning point where the walls started to come down and she let his light in. I feel like they have such a warm connection. They are both Londoners and they care about where they have grown up. And they both have an idea of a Britain they want to live in. I loved their relationship.”

Q: What was it like filming at some of the real life locations?

“We filmed the Old Bailey court scenes at another location. Those scenes were heartbreaking. Imagining what it would have been like for Doreen to see two of the killers of her child in the dock. She also makes a speech outside the court at the end of the trial. That was very powerful.”

Q: What does it mean to you to have played the role of Doreen Lawrence?

“I am very proud to be a part of this production and to be a small part of the legacy of Stephen Lawrence, part of Doreen’s story. A bright, beautiful message that can be projected into the future for future generations of young black men and women. And, hopefully, there will be an end to discrimination and racism against people based on the colour of their skin. So it is a proud moment for me to be a part of this drama.

“There is a younger audience who don’t really know too much about this story. Along with a generation who were around at the time of the murder in 1993 and who now have kids of Stephen’s age.”