Man In An Orange Shirt - Interview with Joanna Vanderham


Bestselling British novelist Patrick Gale tells two love stories set 60 years apart

What made you want to be a part of Man In An Orange Shirt?
The writing: I wanted to play Flora and tell this intimate, desperately painful love story. The subtext in Patrick's script meant we knew he trusted us to convey his intentions without having to say much at all - what a glorious challenge as an actor! Also the chance to work with Michael Samuels the director; I loved Any Human Heart.

Describe Flora to us. Where do we meet her at the start of the story?
Flora, to me, was so full of life, she was brimming with hope after the war. But sadly her light is dimmed by living a lie and living without love. The beauty of the piece is in the subtext, the things unsaid. She is a woman who has to develop such a thick skin to get by in life, it makes one ask, is fitting into society really what life is about? I think most people can relate to being in love with the wrong person.

Did you do any research ahead of filming?
I did quite a lot of research into attitudes towards homosexual men at the time, it's an interesting but disheartening period of our social history, mainly fuelled by ignorance and shame. Flora is also pregnant in a few of the scenes and so I did a lot of research into what contractions feel like (as well as watching an episode of One Born Every Minute...!)

What was it like working with Oliver? You have some pretty intense scenes together.
I think Oli is a fantastic actor and he brought so much detail and sensitivity to the role. We got on really well and the trust we had in each other meant that the scenes that had the potential to be awkward (the sex scene in which my character loses her virginity, for example...!) were only as awkward as they needed to be for the story!

We found that because the characters rarely said aloud how they felt - again the glorious subtext in the writing - that we would go home feeling like we had more to give or say or do, but we would reassure each other and carry on the next day. It was a short shoot but we both said we felt like we carried the characters around for weeks afterwards, they were hard to leave behind. So I was grateful to have Oli to share that with. Filming is a unique experience in that way, as only the people involved really understand.

Who do you feel Man in an Orange Shirt would appeal to?
Everyone - it's a love story. A complicated, beautifully written, engaging, through-the-ages story about complicated love.

Complete the sentence: Man In An Orange Shirt is…
The best thing you'll see on TV in 2017.

July 20, 2017 7:34am ET by BBC One  

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