It’s beautiful and Linda has never felt so seen, and so much part of a community before, but the harmony is about to be broken… I hope so, because I’m not saying that all of these people are angels underneath, and this guy certainly isn’t, but he’s alone and doesn’t have any friends. That’s something that I really noticed. Everything that I do, my characters have always got close friends and it’s a comfort actually, because when you film it’s reflected in your day’s work – you play games between takes and get to know people. I felt like a bit of an island on this job. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, I loved working with Bridget and Al Campbell the director, and the cast and crew was super nice and the location was beautiful. It’s unusual for me to feel isolated as a character, but that just helped give me a greater understanding of this guy’s issues. I hope the themes of the show resonate with people and I hope they finish the series with hope in their hearts and fire in their bellies. That they feel inspired to make changes in their own lives and I hope there is a household chore revolution! He’s your man out of time. To use a relatively modern frame, he’s untouched by the metropolitan elite. There are millions of people like that in the country. A lot of people, especially of a certain age, are set in their ways. You can’t be judgemental – well too judgemental – about people like Tony, who’s trying to grasp this kernel of change that’s happening around him. At heart, he’s quite decent. He thinks women should be protected. He’s not an overt misogynist, it comes from a misguided notion of old-fashioned chivalry, which is patronising but not dangerous. There is an awkward sexuality about him, which I’m afraid most males are afflicted with. He’s challenged by Linda when she turns up. It does make him reassess. He’s a fictional character, but he represents the potential for change.

I hope they absolutely pee themselves laughing, as I have done when I've been reading the scenes, and I hope they really enjoy it. But I really do hope that they, as I feel I have through doing the series, celebrate the idea of being female. And that goes for men as well as women, I hope the show becomes a celebration of women. I'm excited for people to see it. There’s something so refreshing and new about it and some bits that are really moving. Linda (Christie) has an existential crisis at age 50 after being informed she has started the menopause. She finds her old Triumph motorcycle and goes on a pilgrimage around her old haunts in Gloucestershire's Forest of Dean. [1] Cast [ edit ] When you’d had a chance to absorb the whole story of The Change, how did you feel about Bridget’s vision for the show?Harriett pondered the question as though it had never occurred to her. “Make things for those who have need of them, I suppose.” There's a really funny line towards the beginning when Linda says that she's staying for three months and they say, ‘Oh, you're just passing through then are you?’. They make it clear that they think three months is just popping in. They’ve got a very particular understanding of their land and the ecosystem of the forest. If something works in accordance with that then they’re OK with it. With Linda, she grows on them, and that’s because she’s very instrumental in trying to save the forest. They don’t dislike Linda at the beginning, they just can’t be bothered with her. They’ll still serve her eels and mash and carry on with their lives. It’s inherent in Bridget’s journey and the journey that Linda, her character, has taken. If we lose our connection with the land we were born from and on, well the consequences of that are pretty huge to say the least, and we are of course now living in the midst of them – we have lost touch with the natural balance of things, and our part in that balance. At the heart of the story, it’s asking us to return, to remember, to reconnect with beings other than human. Every other plant and animal works within the natural balance of things, whereas we’ve been moving further and further away from that innate knowledge and wisdom. Thankfully, there are still indigenous cultures with that knowledge that haven’t been wiped out. Unless we realise that and take heed of that wisdom, then I think we know that we are in for a very rough ride, I mean it already feels heart-breaking what we are doing to our ecosystems, to each other, and to our beloved animals. We’re at a tipping point right now and a lot rests on it. Also personally, I don’t think we can experience a true joy of being, without reclaiming our innate human identity as not separate from all of nature.

I'm big fan of Bridget and it's about time that she was given the recognition she’s getting. I was pleased to be part of it. When Bridget sent me the part of Tony, I thought he was such a good character, because he’s so un-right on. Bridget’s the poster girl for a particular brand of comedy but she’d written a character who was so not that. What I love about Bridget’s writing is that it’s not judgemental. The character is a pain in the arse and could’ve been intimidating, except the way she presents it is she’s the tough guy and I’m all front. She sees a kernel of compassion in the guy that’s masked by his macho bravado. Also, it gives me the opportunity to be totally politically incorrect, which is always a lot of fun! It was such a strong character; I knew I could contribute. I’m actually quite wary of doing other people’s stuff. If I haven't been involved in the creating of it, I never know if I can bring anything to it. Whereas with this, we had an affinity straightaway. The Verderer is made an honorary ‘Eel Child’ to recognise everything he’s done to save the forest. He comes down from his makeshift camp in the tree to take part, and Pig Man agrees holds the fort while he’s gone. Speaking about the Eel Festival, like you said, it is funny, but it is quite poignant too. During the festival, characters discuss puberty and menopause and repeat the line ‘May all your transitions be joyful’. Did that resonate with you?I love when you have a little filming village set up. When you stop for lunch there’s all sort of high-jinks and silliness. You’re allowed to wander around and go ‘Ooh what’s this?’ and there’s invariably someone there to tell you about the history ‘This is a cave that was made from… etc’. Bridget was across everything. I kept saying that to her: ‘You did this you clever girl It’s powerful stuff. On a female level, it’s pride-making. I’m so proud of her. Maybe I have morphed into her older sister! When you got a chance to read the full scripts, what were your first impressions of Tony’s storyline and Bridget’s vision for the whole series? Filming starts in the Forest of Dean for Bridget Christie's new Channel 4 comedy series". Gloucestershirelive.co.uk. 27 July 2022.