I think this is the second time I've interviewed in like the last week
and a half to recognize you.
How you doing? Yeah, really good. Thanks.
I mean, I'm sure you'll hear this a lot as time goes on, but I love the show.
It was fantastic.
I mean, it's a great book, so it's just great to see it
come to life and these characters come to life.
So I'm going to begin by asking you both, and I'll start with you
about your experience if reading the book, if it was it
something you had already read just sort of naturally,
or did you sort of go back in
and pick it up for the first time as a result of finding out about this project?
No, I literally read it the day I found out I got the job,
but I also was there with COVID for the day I found out.
So for that week, I was like, I can just sit in my house,
read this book, and I made a page five shows talking about being totally
talking about being a teenager on MSN and talking to your friends and
So I was like, yes, I there I feel like she's looked into my mind
and my memories and tapped into something.
So it was really it was really great reading it, knowing
it was going to be adopted and having already read the first script
because I could quite easily link it and see
see how it's inspired, but also knowing that it wasn't exactly the same project.
So I felt like there was more artistic license.
And then Aliyah what can you tell us about the sort of the
auditioning process for something like this?
Because it's one of those shows where there's so much kind of hype
around the kind of show and who's going to be cast.
And there's a sort of a book that's been so well-received
and has such a big fan base already in place.
Was it quite a long, arduous auditioning process?
So did it go quite quickly and easily?
It was actually really nice,
considering all the things you're saying that might have been involved.
It wasn't that long, and every time
the auditions were happening, they felt kind of swift and like
I knew exactly kind of what we were doing and it went like by just like that, I was
I was doing my final show at Rada
when I did my first audition, and that was via like a tape.
And so by the end of the process, I had like finished.
So it was kind of like I'd go back and I'd be training and doing stuff.
So I was busy, so I didn't have to think about it, which was nice.
So yeah, it was it was really cool.
Do you remember where you both were when you found out you got the parts?
Yeah, I've come
home on my sofa feeling really, really well.
Oh, great.
You called me and she was like, You got the part.
So I felt like the universe was kind of giving and taking at the same time.
I was like, This is a fair deal.
I was
I was outside rather again
on my way into Russell's, and I got the call, and I remember, like,
being on the phone with my agent
and then walking in and, like, starting the rehearsals,
and I was like, oh, my gosh, like, in my head, I was like, This is it.
Yeah, it was cool. It was good.
I wanted to ask you about collaborating with Dolly, because obviously
the character in the book is kind of based on herself.
So did you base
any of your performance on her as a real person, or was it very much
just built around your own interpretation and the character from the page?
Um, a bit of both, really, because I think
playing someone who's based
on someone, obviously I wasn't going to do an imitation of Dolly,
and that's not how it was written.
It's not what she or anyone wanted.
But I think was it to be truthful to that person's experience.
And I mean accidentally hanging out with her, I'd pick up tiny little mannerisms,
which I don't think you'd notice if, you know, if you know Dolly.
But I think it's nice
you know, kind of just having the striking the right balance.
And then I also wanted to play the character that was on the page,
was very aware that it was going to be misinterpreted as well.
So again, it's kind of
just like having all these layers to make the final character.
And one of the things I loved about this was that it's a film that celebrates
like a love for friends.
I mean, so many shows and so many movies have all sort of built around
romantic love.
And this is a kind of love that we maybe don't see explored so much due to
a sense of that
when you've been reading the scripts, both of you,
and that it feels quite unique to have a show that was exploring love
and all the kind of
difficulties and complexities to it, but from a kind of friendship perspective.
And yeah, it was unique in the sense that it was something
that I knew and like you knew is like a person in the world,
but maybe didn't know in the sense of TV like in film.
So that was quite cool to have the experience of reading it,
almost like, Oh my gosh, there's this thing that happens in my life
and there's this thing.
And then thinking about doing that on a set with a bunch of people,
that was quite fun and that was quite cool.
And then just different and like refreshing in its own way.
Yeah,
exactly.
It's like something that we all experience,
but we haven't really seen it played out on on TV.
And like you said, there's so many examples of romantic relationship
and there is so much romance and friendships,
so it's so nice to see
that other side and see kind of like,
you know, what gets thrown at friendships and how they can go with that
because you do have to put as much work into them as relationships for them
to be sustained and, and
yeah,
but it may maybe it's my age, I'm not sure, but I found the show
kind of weirdly profound and quite sad and nostalgic.
And I think it's
because I read this sentence if I was 12, because I'm I got that right.
Yeah.
So I think I'm the same age because I'm 33 now.
So I'm roughly the same age as this characters are in there.
And I just found it quite sad to kind of go back to that time in my life.
Do you think there is something quite sad about this show in a way
for certain generation? I mean, obviously it's quite funny.
It is quite irreverent at times, but at the same time it does feel
like it's capturing a quite precious moment in our lives
that when you move beyond it, you, you get quite upset to.
So if passed yeah.
I mean there
is a sense that, oh yeah, I don't know.
I mean I can only speak from my experience.
I don't think I found it sad.
I just found it quite like,
yeah, profound to look back on that time
as a period of time that you probably would experience it again and kind of take
stock of it and have a lot of gratitude and appreciation for it.
And yeah, I'm, I'm not the same age,
so I'm, I'm kind of, I'm kind of still there.
So, but not like in terms of the references, like they've kind of
that's kind of come and gone.
But I mean, it's just it's always fun to kind of be in a place
with people whose, who these references mean so much to.
And they hit so hard because the truth is, is so ingrained
in every single thing you do, even if it's literally just dancing
in the club and it just makes it so much more fun.
Yeah.
And also say like a Nokia fateful day. Yeah.
And not that took me back.
But yeah, I think there's a
lot of there was a lot of musical references, style references.
Yeah.
Hark back to such a significant time.
I don't know.
It kind of made me feel like a bit fuzzy because I enjoyed it so much.
I didn't feel like there was such a big difference
between now and then until I saw this, and I was like, Shit, actually, I shouldn't.
That things have changed quite a lot. Yeah.
It was anything you quite liked and were able
to keep or steal from the set.
Now on to kind of,
you know, I didn't take anything that was maybe I was tempted many a time.
A lot of the jewelry, like the rings and the earrings
and things like that were very cool and like cocky.
And that was many a time.
I was like, Oh, they miss it.
But they probably were about six where I was like, Oh, I would love that.
But then I feel a bit weird walking around in a monkey outfit like, yeah,
so you both still, if you I've still got those kind
of core friendship groups that you've had for a long time.
Cause remember, I bumped into, I think my mom,
we walked down the street recently, but not when I was about 15, actually.
And we bumped into someone
yes, we bumped into someone and she sort of said
to me after she saw me because that was the first time
I'd seen up to 20 years and I blew my mind.
I was like, How does that even happen?
How can you go 20
because there's this one point, your life, everything feels like a sort of
lost forever.
You guys still sort deep in your, your core friendship group.
So you got sort of, you know, I'm not sure, you know.
Yeah, she's still, she's still keeping a contact
and that sort of core group from your from your teenagers.
Yeah.
I still speak to like my, some of my friends from high school
we had like a friends and family screening some of the episodes
and I brought some of my mates from high school which was hilarious
watching them watch it because it's just like no filter
like the honest friend responses of just like laughing.
And it was, it was so nice.
It was like that warm and fuzzy feeling that said having them there.
So yeah, yeah, that's so yeah.
I'm really lucky though.
I was friends with a big group of
boys and girls at
School of Moral still in touch, and it's like
I think we're still in touch because we all still get on.
But for the nostalgic, be able to talk about what it was like
when we're at school, otherwise you don't have that connection
and we go to each other's weddings,
seeing babies being born, which is so crazy.
I'm not guys that we leave school like
we're all like that, you know?
Yeah.
I think it's interesting the friends you make
as you become an adult and how they fit in.
Yeah.
I think another thing about this, this show
as you showed, which is how fun it is to live with your friends as well.
Like you guys had so much fun hanging out.
Was it quite easy to replicate that sense of kind of just living among friends?
And you guys,
I guess, was sort of in that sort of space to get together on the shake?
Yeah, I mean, we're real friends, but yeah, right.
We got so lucky.
I know.
We keep saying this old estate, as soon as we got in a room together,
first week of rehearsal it was like, couldn't shut us up.
Yeah,
I just solidified it.
So it just felt so natural and easy and we're
also my statement as a living in the same block of apartment.
So we were living actually together, but we'd
hang out and all he would teach us the dance routine.
No spare time.
We go out to dinner, so it didn't feel we felt like we were living in the world.
It didn't separate, really.
It gave a sensation.
So I don't know if you guys sort of met properly before the shoot.
Was it a no no that literally that first day
I was talking about, we had it was like the first time in the room.
We'd all met each other at that time.
And it was like 5 seconds later we were like dancing
in front of each other and we were doing all these things
and we had to do, like, improvise together.
So it was just like you either go back or like you're left
behind, and every single one of them went there.
And it was just such a joy because it was like in that moment, like,
OK, this is going to be fun.
This is going to be cool. Yeah.
I was like, I met that and the chemistry I actually remember
did a chemistry with Molly was I think I was the only one who did it.
Yeah. Anyone know?
But I just knew you'd have chemistry, just like you could just
they could just tell exactly what you're, what's
yeah.
We got really, really lucky.
And that's the thing
I think you just said as soon as we got in the room and had to be quite
silly in front of each other, none of us were hurt.
That barrier just dropped.
And I think we really respect the fact we were all just
really up for it and wanted to be there.
Now, I think I've interviewed both David too, before as well.
I actually once I interviewed, I'd interviewed Bell as a patient
a few years ago,
and then I saw her in Glastonbury, Jane, Craig, David and very drunk in October.
Oh, and she just let me know who that is.
So that's my bus and there was a Craig David as well.
Yeah, I think I just thought I was just interrupting our journey
like seven days or something, but I know that's how it puts it.
I mean, obviously, you know, this show is, is fun, so celebrate stage,
but how important is it to have a show like this?
It really speaks to a female demographic as well and really highlights,
you know, stories like this.
I think I remember my wife and she sort of read this book.
I remember at the time there was a sense of finally among readers of like,
I feel like I'm actually reading my experiences or back to me
how important is it now to have a show like this
and to present it to the world and share it with the audience members
for not
just that, but explanation of what you said it was like
for your wife, that feeling of like finally, I think
just seeing experiences that relate to you and like something a friendship group
you've grown up with all like a romantic experience that you had.
Seeing that on screen in such a grounded
and kind of truthful and like normal way is exciting.
Like representation
in any form kind of brings excitement to its audiences, I think.
And that's my experience of it.
So I think in that sense, it's just exactly what people want, like a chance
to see a bit of them or their lives or their friends lives on screen.
That's cool.
Yeah, yeah.
There's something so pure about it as well.
Like you just said earlier, like
there were all the shows that kind of really dramatize it.
And there are big moments of drama in the show,
but then there's also the really simple, quiet moments, and that's
what really does in the book as well of just being understood and being connected.
And I think it also helps open up the conversation of people
in the friendship groups.
Like they felt like they could have done that before.
Maybe they all watched the show.
They can talk about a topic
in the show that was in the book.
So I think it just kind of
broadens the space for like
more conversations, feeling, feeling understood and connected to each other.
Yeah.
So I'm coming towards the end of my time.
I was going to ask if you guys had plans for the opening
launch night, if you got to sort of what shape
you got, any sort of friends or family come around to to see it?
I think we might be all together, actually.
You might be. Yeah.
Those you'll see you'll see a pick if it happens
so we'll see.
But I've also seen it quite a few times now.
I'm like, yeah, I'm too self indulgent to watch again, but it's nice.
So I also just enjoy it as a show.
I wouldn't go, yeah, anyone else's work wouldn't get sick.
Maybe a scene or two.
You might ask Mum and Dad to divert their eyes yeah.
I've got nothing to say.
They seem so nice because I've asked people before
during lock down about where the plans were to watch things
and stuff and everyone just has to watch it by themselves.
It's great that you can kind of
share this all together and actually be able to go and watch it and stuff.
But anyway, no, it is wonderful and I'm really looking forward
to seeing it again with my wife who's really interested to see it.
But thank you so much for speaking to me both today
and good luck with the release of it and I'm sure we'll catch up again soon.
Thanks. Maybe Glastonbury again.
Yeah, it's going to make my day look the perfect shot of the day.
Thank you.
Thank.