Trigger Point | Interview with Adrian Lester (Joel Nutkins)

What did you find exciting about Trigger Point when you first read the script?

Mainly that I’d never seen anything like it in a drama series on television. I also really wanted to work with Vicky, plus Jed and I have been circling around each other for a while – whenever a role came up in one of his shows that I would be applicable for I wasn’t available to film, but the stars aligned on Trigger Point.

I really enjoyed acting out all the technical requirements needed to look like a member of a bomb disposal unit. We had a couple of sessions with a real expo, where they talked us through loop circuits, trigger points, charge and the detonator. Learning what all these terms meant was fascinating.

Had you met Vicky before?

No, we hadn’t crossed paths in any way at all really, but we knew of each other’s work We first met when we were going in for some expo training and advice. Vicky’s just brilliant – no airs or graces. She is a complete professional, who gets the job done. She’s a good person to work alongside and a great team leader. She’s got her eye on every detail, every change in the script has technical and character ramifications for further episodes. She kept the logic clean across all of it making sure she did the best job possible. There were sections of the script where we had the room to improvise which is always much better than sticking rigidly to dialogue, especially when things become fast paced and she was up for it, she was great.

How would you describe Nut and Lana’s relationship?

Nut wants to do things properly, to follow the rules. To be safe and do things by the book. Lana can be a little bit of a maverick – there is a slight tension. You get the sense that he’s a little bit older, he has been doing the job for longer, he goes by the book, whereas she’s impulsive.

I really enjoyed creating the relationship with Vicky. We wanted to make it clear how well Nut and Lana get on, so we listened to music together, cracked jokes and shared silly dances, just making up stuff to help the piece along. We were learning little moves and handshakes, some of which transferred onto the screen. Nutkins has a sort of gallows humour about him, so we laughed a lot and had a giggle. That energy had to be there to create something really believable as we gave life to their relationship.

He is dealing with a difficult situation in his personal life, isn’t he?

Yes, he’s got a complex home situation. He and his wife are estranged, but they’re starting to make their relationship work, and he has a daughter too. Inside this warm, jokey character there is someone who is sad, who has got complicated personal problems to deal with -there’s a lot more going on there, and you just get a little glimpse of that.

How challenging was it to get into the mindset of an expo, someone who walks towards danger?

We talked to the real bomb disposal guys on set and you realise that this life is just a job to them. Most of the time they’re called out it is to deal with false alarms, like suspect packages and bags that have been left somewhere. It’s rare that you’ll get an actual device. They see themselves as consummate professionals who have a job to do. Thank God there’s a large group of our society who take pride in the fact that they go out to work every day to make sure that people feel better and are safer, that’s the expos but it also includes police and paramedics.

Never in a million years could I be an expo. It’s exciting, but you spend all your time waiting and when you get a call it’s very tense, you’re slowly checking wires and scanners. I’m not good at waiting, I’d go a bit crazy, but it’s a fantastic job they do. And because I’ve never seen their roles depicted on TV it was a fascinating experience to find out about them and play one. I have so much respect for what they do, I take my hat off to them. But not my helmet, cos that would be dangerous.

What was it like wearing the protective bomb suit?

Nightmare! We were shooting in the middle of a heatwave to begin with. We were chugging water and sticking on the vests, the backpack and the helmet. The hair and make-up artists were supposed to add sweat to us, but every time they checked they’d say we were fine as we were. I felt sorry for the costume team as continuity was tough to keep track of. Helmets, gloves, vests, visors, ear-pieces, backpacks all going on and coming off at various stages as we moved from one scene to the next. And of course we shot the whole thing out of order.

Did you like the idea of playing an action hero – it seems like an unusual role for you?

I see what you mean. I got cast as the suave, smooth-talking Michael Stone in the BBC drama Hustle, and once your persona gets cemented in the audience’s minds as a certain kind of character, it’s hard for them to fully accept you doing anything else, which is weird. So a lot of my work has been circling that kind of role. I have trained for years in Martial Arts and whenever I get the chance I indoor climb and cycle through London. When Trigger Point came up I was happy to jump on board because it’s a very different character. Both Vicky and I speak in our own accents and there isn’t a shirt or tie in site.

Did you enjoy filming in London?

Yes, it’s rare to get the chance to shoot in London now. All of episode one was shot on an estate in North London. Lots of the residents who live there were paid by the company to help and take part in the scenes. It’s a huge amount of disruption for them but they were very good about it.

What do you hope the audience will most enjoy about Trigger Point?

I don’t think viewers will be disappointed – the whole team has been desperate to take care of a strong developing storyline, not insulting the audience’s intelligence, drip feeding them information as much as they can. Lana and Nutkins are kept on their toes throughout the story. There are lots of twists and turns, giving the audience the idea that the characters are dealing with a threat that is cleverer than them, which always makes for a good thriller.