JMA we're here to talk about Game of
Thrones and I know you hadn't actually
heard about it when you first auditioned
how do you say what did you know that
how embarrassing I have spies
everywhere now how did you what was your
first impression of the show then um my
first impression of the show having not
heard anything about it until I got the
the meeting it was just I watched it
back Tob back I watched the whole of
season one just I couldn't I couldn't
wait to get home to to watch the whole
season I think I watched the whole
season in two days and then I was hungry
for more it just was fantastic it just
sort of takes all the boxes doesn't it
it's great yeah yeah and what was it
like when you were the new girl on set
with an established crew on there um it
was great actually because myself and
Patrick who plays um Alfie and my father
um we were both new and it was only
myself Al and Patrick I think and Alfie
and I had met on the plane so I sort of
the the most nerve-wracking I think was
when I went for the readr that was
pretty terrifying because so many people
that I recognized from season 1 I like
just just try and be cool just there's
like there's like all the people that
you know from the show I was trying not
to be a bit of a bit too Star Struck but
yeah it was fine once we got the first
day the read through of it was great I
had a yeah it's a big cast of actors
isn't it yeah the table read was epic
yeah it was a huge room and uh there
cameras everywhere and like all the
official HBO people and then like please
let the words come out right yeah but no
pressure then no exactly no pressure
yeah but no it was it was absolutely
fine and everyone was really welcoming
and lovely it couldn't have been a nicer
experience really from start to finish
now although it's a show that some
people might think oh it's quite a male
domination show lots of male characters
you know it's about war and things like
that there were very strong female
characters on the show aren't there of
which you are one so what does that feel
like I am one yeah actually don't I
don't have that perception that it's
sort of very male dominated I suppose
because I've I'm a girl and I focus on
so because Maisie and Sophie Lena and
Michelle uh gwendaline and myself I'm
sure I'm missing people but like
everyone's really strong female
characters no one's lying down and
taking it poor old Sophie you know she's
taking a bit but sure she'll come good
but yeah it's um it's wonderful to play
such a really feisty strong character
absolutely what kind of things are you
drawing on for that are you a bit of a
feisty character bit of a tough cookie
or you more of a soft Center um that's a
really good question actually I don't
know what I'm I I I suppose
I'm yeah I I it's a really good question
I think in real life I am quite soft but
maybe some people that I know wouldn't
say
that I know what I want basically and I
can't be a bit stubborn and uh quite
headstrong yeah but um yeah I'm very
patient as well so let's balance out
yeah and your character certainly knows
what she wants on the show doesn't she
and she kind of goes to almost any
length doesn't she talking about Ala you
mentioned theon's character before yeah
my my introduction to to him and him to
me yeah the fact that she will go to any
length is quite fantas and they chose to
just set that part of my character up
immediately like this woman will go to
any lengths for what she's worked really
hard for and what she wants and what she
knows she deserves and or what she
thinks she deserves I suppose but um
yeah that was that was quite shocking
when I did the read when I when I got
the script first off and I was like
who's this esgred girl es and Yara
there's two characters but I've got to
read for them both and then only in the
casting room did I find out that oh oh
right so that's my brother oh wow she
really is something isn't she so yeah
it's uh it's just great how do you feel
about her as a character and and what do
you think fans feel about her as a
character in terms of how she appears um
I think I think it's kind of a nice
starting point a nice obviously it's a
nice talking point that I get fondled on
a horse if to put it mildly but I think
people are quite shocked and and yeah
impressed like such a bold statement was
made so so early on and that she's
strong and like I only get really nice
feedback about like how how I'm I'm
portraying it largely I mean I'm sure
there people who would think differently
but yeah it's always been really
positive everyone seems to be behind the
choices that were made for her on my
behalf and and from me for her so yeah
it's kind of like a girl power moment
isn't it with her you know because
obviously theon's been away she's the
one inheriting the power isn't she which
I guess would have been his place he had
been there so what would you like to see
happen in future oh what would I like to
see happen what do I know is going to
happen what would I like to see um I
would like to see that uh I think I
would like her to get what she wants
going back to the earlier when I said I
was a softy no I'm not actually I think
she really needs to get what she's
worked for because yeah he's been away
for nine years and he's come back in all
these dresses and B balls and I don't
know but I think I think still Yara does
she does what I'm sorry um she does
really connect still with Theon on on a
fundamental level I think she's still
like Balon is given up on him but I
think I really still believe in him and
he could he could just turn but uh maybe
he does maybe he doesn't have to tune in
and find
out now what's it like working with with
Alfie and Patrick you worked to this
well didn't you he was your dad as he
said yeah it was brilliant from from the
get-go I I met as I say earlier on the
plane over to the read through and we
hit it off immediately which is great
and yeah we' had most of our scenes
together I think and then a couple with
Patrick and Patrick is so funny so dry
and funny and just an old Pro he really
like he just oozes of Charisma and he
looks like he's doing nothing and then
you watch it and when broadcast you're
like oh my God there's so much he's
doing so much and yet so little he he
was really wonderful to work with and
very very funny and kind yeah tell me a
little bit about the locations you've
been working with as well you got some
great ones on game Thrones haven't you
yeah some great locations although um in
the casting breakdown initially it said
you know this character goes to like
Iceland and Croatia like oh yeah they're
on my Hit List my she doesn't just
stayed in Belfast which is actually
beautiful we went to went up to the Anum
Coast that's my favorite part um just
along from the Giants Causeway and it
was just spectacular really really
beautiful and they go to absolutely any
length to get the most beautiful
location even if you have to sort of
Trek through grasses along a cliff for
quite a long time in your costume um
just to get on a horse to ride a little
bit up a hill but yeah yeah it was it
was great I just always astounded at the
lengths that we were reached to get the
very best I suppose is really clear and
you said about the costumes though
what's it like wearing those clothes
especially when you are like trekking
along the hillside as it were yeah well
the the clothes are as you can see
they're incredible and they're as good
quality as they look I mean mine costume
was very very lucky they make them for
you and so it was all kind of bespoke so
it fit me very well but there's a
there's kind of a breastplate that I
sometimes wore in episode 8 of season 2
I was sitting in that the long table
like you know to telling Theon you know
what he's done is really not going to
work out for him and uh and this breast
PR was just squeaking and I was trying
to keep really still and still look
really mean and and like discipline him
but try and stay still at the same time
but it was we we fixed it I think it was
some blue tack or some tape or something
anyway it stop squeaking but uh yeah the
costumes are fantastic and that then
when you get that big cloak on and stuff
and they just yeah the attention to
detail the the hand hand workk that's
gone into it yeah it's not called hand
workk is it what's it called any hand
hand sewing I don't know sewing the hand
work or the sewing take the pi all of
the costs are hand studded and yeah and
then someone would have to come maybe
half an hour before we were dued too to
set to tie me in this this lacing that
goes down my thing yeah goes down my
thing
articulate it's fine you you you
demonstrated where it was well then my
um there's some leather trousers and
leather kind of grows when you're sort
of moving around and heating and my
trousers kind of kept falling down which
wasn't really like the Warrior Princess
look I was going for so I had to
underneath my costume have a big pair of
like man braces like hold holding May up
so yeah inside Secrets I love I live it
all behind the scenes stuff so you had a
creaky armor had a creaky armor and uh
and a pair of large braces but um it did
the trick and know one would know I
thought you were going to say earlier
that they oiled you or something no no
no they didn't oil me no I did have a
lot of oil in my hair but not in my
armor no yeah now um we've talked about
costumes and locations I mean in terms
of what you've done so far in terms of
season one and two which you've seen
what have been your favorite moments oh
my favorite
moments let me see I think my it's very
very difficult to choose I think going
to the antrum coast because it was just
such a stunning location um and actually
the first day on set we did we we shot
out of sequence so we shot episode 8
before any of my other scenes and so I
was that's quite a big scene as well so
I was rather nervous and rather like
overwhelmed and um yeah that was one of
my favorite days I suppose it's so just
so clear what a what a what a big
operation it was I and it was yeah was
quite taken back she has a lot to deal
with doesn't Shear in the show how do
you think you'd make out in her
situation cuz it's a bit of a tough
world isn't it it is a very tough world
I think I'd be all right you know I
think i' be all right I think um yeah
it's very clear what has to be done just
go about it get what I want do what you
have to do yeah maybe yeah I think I do
all right when he said try how do you
get under her skin as a character as
well um
a lot of it comes from the writing it's
it's all there for you to to know what
she is and how she is and and also the
books I I refer to the books quite a lot
and
Wikipedia and the answer to all
questions the answer to all questions
Wikipedia and I had some friends who
were big fans of the books and they took
me through it and talked to me about her
and stuff and yeah I suppose there must
be some element of of those
characteristics in me yeah so I I I
found it all right actually it was she
was easy to access in in some ways
because it's so well written yeah and
speaking of the books have you kept up
to dat are you ahead where are you with
them well I read the first book and then
I read all the relevant bits for my
character sorry um but I plan to read
the books I promise but um yeah it was
just a bit much I I think I got the job
a month before I went out to Belfast and
so so of started speed reading the first
book and then I did all the Wikipedia
and just relevant chapters and stuff so
yeah
I'm I'm nowhere near up to date but I
understand from many people they're like
oh you never know what's going to happen
to your character and give you that kind
of um so I don't know I just met someone
in reception actually and she was like
yeah we'll have to have a talk later cuz
she goes through some stuff so yeah my
uh my nudity claws might need to be
changed
joking so yeah speaking of things that
might happen on the show now I know
there's been some quite spectacular
deaths and unexpected deaths for people
haven't there I mean it really go
now if you had to get Chop on the show
how would you like to go oh I think
she'd go by axe wouldn't she some sort
of Axe disaster yeah where uh yeah I
think something epic with an axe it's a
big fight against um a man that' be nice
like she's really trying to prove
herself and maybe maybe it goes wrong
and I know you're working on other stuff
at the moment as well tell us a little
bit about that um I just finished a run
in the West End uh of a play called one
man two Governors um I finished that
last week and then I'm now doing my
stand-up show again in a couple of weeks
time at the Leicester Square Theater um
so yeah I'm doing that on the 7th and
8th of February uh and yeah I guess I'm
going up for a few meetings and bits and
Bobs what can you expect in terms of
your standard what kind of style are you
who do you compare yourself to oh Lord
um well I don't know who I compare
myself to because I do character she's
called Chastity Butterworth and so she's
like a sort of strange and conqueror
Victorian lady so I don't know if i'
compare to anybody really but um yeah
she's just kind of an odd a little an
odd character who sort of decided she
might take up some standup and it's
worked out quite well actually so far so
I haven't done my show for a long time
so is it something you've done in the
past have you have you done a l stand up
before I've done lots of standup before
um and I and I prepared this show that
I'm going to do again um I prepared it
for Edinburgh two years ago but then I
Got Game of Thrones I could go and then
I was in the play last year so I was I
thought maybe I just dust it off and at
least try again cuz I love doing it I
really do there ComEd is it's very dear
to me so yeah I have done it before and
I'm hoping to continue then what were we
looking for in terms of costume and
things for that are you in a Victorian
suit tour and my mom made me a skirt uh
and my best friend let me a blouse and
uh yeah there just a little skirt and
blousers combination and she's just
terribly twe looking yeah cool excellent
well so you can see you on which dates
was that again uh the 7th and 8th of
February God this is Shameless the
Leicester Square Theater is called
Chastity Butterworth in the Spanish
hamster fantastic there is no Spanish
hamster in it I'm sorry just seemed like
a funny title I like the title so um
hamster fans hamster fans and and
Chastity fans that sounds wrong um and
on that bombshell that bombshell it's
gone really well it's been L to Sweet to
J lots of luck with that and and we look
forward to obviously season three of
Game of Thrones too thank you very much
really nice to talk to
you e