The Cockfields | Interview with Susannah Fielding (Esther)

How do viewers first meet your character, Esther?

Esther arrives on the ferry to the Isle of Wight with Simon, her fiancé. She’s been to the island a few times before, but this time she’s going there to spend a whole week with Sue and Ray [Sue Johnston and Gregor Fisher], Simon’s Mum and step -dad. Esther does like going to the island, and she’s actually very fond of them, despite how strange and unusual they might be.

What was it like joining the cast for series two?

I watched the first series and really enjoyed it, so I was thrilled to be asked to be a part of it. I’m a huge fan of Sue Johnston and The Royle Family, and Joe [Wilkinson] is great. And Gregor Fisher, I watched him in Rab C. Nesbitt when I was growing up. It was a real honour to be part of such an impressive cast.

The Cockfields observes family dynamics incredibly astutely.

It’s exactly my kind of comedy, in that nothing really happens, but everything happens. It’s about the meaning and the comedy behind the smallest of things, and the way you relate to people in your family in a way that you don’t relate to anybody else in the outside world. And how you can suddenly become a 14 – year -old again when you get home, however old you are. It’s how one family dinner can take up a half-hour show. I think it requires really skilled performers, which we were lucky to have. It’s funny and heart -warming.

Tell us a bit about working with Nigel Havers and Sarah Parish.

When Larry and Melissa come into a scene it kind of explodes. They add a bit of different energy. Melissa certainly knows how to push people’s buttons. We were very lucky to have Sarah and Nigel playing these roles, and Sarah is the definitely the opposite of her character.

Esther comes across as very level-headed. Would you agree?

She is very level-headed. Amongst all the drama and chaos she is always very graceful and warm and compassionate. She’s a very steady presence, which I think you need in the series as well.

Have you had any memorable moments of meeting a partner’s parents?

I do remember meeting a boyfriend’s parents for the first time at a dinner and nearly choking on the food. There’s me choking, and everybody at the table just staring at me. I felt pretty embarrassed by the whole situation.

Do you enjoy doing comedy?

Yes, I love doing comedy. Especially this kind, which feels like a finely tuned piece of music. You have to make sure every look tells a story, because it’s not over-written. It’s not all in the words. A lot of it is sub-text, it’s in a glance between two people, or the tone in which someone says something.

How would you describe The Cockfields?

I think it’s a heart-warming series, and is a real representation of how difficult it can be to be part of a family.