THEPALEHORSE|PRESSPACK

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CONTENTS:

CastandCrew…………………………………………………………………………………………………Page03

SeriesandEpisodeSynopses..…………………………………………………………………………Page04

CharacterDescriptions………...…………………………………………………………………………Page05

CastInterviews

RufusSewell…………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page06

BertieCarvel…………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page08

SeanPertwee……………………………………………………………..…………………………….……Page09

RitaTushingham,SheilaAtimandKathyKieraClarke…………..…………………………Page10

HenryLloyd-Hughes………………………………………………………………………………….……Page12

GeorginaCampbell………………………..……………………………………………………………….Page13

ClaireSkinner……………………………………………………….………………………………………..Page14

EllenRobertson………………………………………………………………………………………………Page15

NotestoEditors………………………………………………………………………………………………Page16

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CASTANDCREWCASTRufusSewell.........................................................................................................MarkEasterbrook

KayaScodelario..................................................................................................HermiaEasterbrook

BertieCarvel......................................................................................................ZachariahOsborne

SeanPertwee..........................................................................................InspectorStanleyLejeune

RitaTushingham.......................................................................................................................Bella

SheilaAtim.....................................................................................................................ThyrzaGrey

KathyKieraClarke...................................................................................................SybilStamfordis

HenryLloyd-Hughes..................................................................................................DavidArdingly

JamesFleet..............................................................................................................OscarVenables

GeorginaCampbell........................................................................................DelphineEasterbrook

MadeleineBowyer.........................................................................................................JessieDavis

ClaireSkinner.......................................................................................................YvonneTuckerton

PoppyGilbert.................................................................................................ThomasinaTuckerton

EllenRobertson.......................................................................................................................Poppy

NickyGoldie..................................................................................................................MrsCoppins

SarahWoodward................................................................................................ClemencyArdingly

ChrisBianchi...........................................................................................................................Rawle

AngelaBain................................................................................................................Barbara(Club)

BenNathan............................................................................................................................Doctor

MartinBuchan..........................................................................................................................Vicar

CREWDamienTimmer&HelenZiegler...................................ExecutiveProducersforMammothScreen

JamesPrichardandBasiAkpabio.........................ExecutiveProducersforAgathaChristieLimited

TommyBulfin.........................................................................................ExecutiveProducerforBBC

SarahPhelps...................................................................................WriterandExecutiveProducer

AdoYoshizakiCassuto........................................................................................................Producer

LeonoraLonsdale.................................................................................................................Director

JeffTessler.......................................................................................................ProductionDesigner

CharlotteMitchell...............................................................................................CostumeDesigner

JillSweeney..............................................................................................Hair&MakeUpDesigner

EveDoherty............................................................................................................AssemblyEditor

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SERIES&EPISODESYNOPSESSERIESSYNOPSIS:London1961.MarkEasterbrook(RufusSewell)haseverythingamancoulddreamof-he’srich,successful and popular, with a beautiful new wife (Kaya Scodelario) and perfect home.Butscratch beneath the surface and he’s still grief stricken by the loss of his first wife Delphine(GeorginaCampbell).WhenMark’snameisdiscoveredonapieceofpaperinadeadwoman’sshoeeverythingstartstofallapartforhim.WhydidJessieDavies(MadeleineBowyer)die,andwhyisMark’snameonapieceofpaperinhershoe,andwhoaretheothernamesonthelist?DetectiveInspectorLejeune(SeanPertwee)interviewsMark andmentions that the names Tuckerton and Ardinglywere also on the list.Mark has a connectionwith Thomasina Tuckerton andDavidArdingly, and Thomasina is alsodead…AsMarktriestoworkoutwhyheisonthelistandwhatitmeans,everythingseemstoleadbacktothevillageofMuchDeeping.Hisfirstwife,Delphine,visitedtheareaonthedayofherdeath.MuchDeepingseemstobean idyllicEnglishvillage,but it isalsoaplaceofoldtraditionsandstrange beliefs, a place of witches, curses and spells. Jessie’s employer Zachariah Osborne(Bertie Carvel) tellsMark that witchcraft played a part in Jessie’s death, whichMark angrilyrejects.Butthenheissentamysteriouscorndolly.Asmorepeoplenamedonthelistarefounddead,Markstartstofearforhisownlifeandsanity.Mark is consumed with paranoia, fearful that his life is at risk and that the perpetrator issomeone known to him.Mark feels his owndeath treading onhis heels, breathing downhisneck.Tomakemattersworse,DetectiveInspectorLejeuneseemstobeincreasinglysuspiciousofhimandMarkfeelsevenmorealone.He’sdeterminedtofindarationalexplanationbecausetherehastobeone-thisisthe1960snottheDarkAges.PastandpresentcollideforMarkashisinvestigationsuncoverthetiesbetweenDelphineandthetrioof'witches'(RitaTushingham,SheilaAtimandKathyKieraClarke)atMuchDeeping,puttinghisrelationshipwithsecondwifeHermiaundergreatstrain.Terrified,Markbecomeshell-bentonuncovering thenatureof thewitches’powersand theirwork at The Pale Horse.With each passing day, each disquieting moment, each tormented,terrifying night, Osborne’s beliefs seem less fantastical and more plausible. Mark starts tobelieveinthecraft,inthedarkarts,inthewitches’peculiarskills.Iftheyaretrulyaspowerfulastheyseem,cantheysavehimfromhisnightmares,beforewhoeverwantshimdeadcatchesupwithhim?Howfarwillhegotosavehimself?EPISODICSYNOPSES:EPISODE1Amysteriouslistofnamesisfoundintheshoeofadeadwoman.WhatistheconnectiontothevillageofMuchDeeping?EPISODE2Mark fears his life is at risk, and his growing paranoia begins to haunt his dreams. Can heuncoverthesecretofthewitchesatThePaleHorsebeforeit’stoolate?

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CHARACTERDESCRIPTIONSMARK EASTERBROOK. Suave and sophisticated,Mark has everything a man could dream of:wealth, a beautiful home and an elegant, charmingwife. Yet underneath the beautifully cutsuitsandtheworldclasshaircutsliesadeepandterriblegriefthatthreatenstooverwhelmhim.HERMIA EASTERBROOK.Mark Easterbrook’s secondwife. Cultured, graceful and intelligent, apeerlesshostess,Hermiahascreatedanenviableperfectlife,orthatisshewantseveryonetobelieve.DELPHINE EASTERBROOK. Mark Easterbrook’s first wife who died tragically young. Delphinegrewupwithverylittleandlovechangedeverything,gaveheralifeshedidn’treallyknowhowtolive.Allsheknewforcertain,wasthatshewantedtomakeMarkhappy.INSPECTOR STANLEY LEJEUNE. A proper copper. All gut and shrewdness and bloody-mindednessattentiontodetail.Anoseforawrong‘un.ZACHARIAHOSBORNE.Anervous,owlish,godlyman.HeownsahardwareshoponGoldhawkRoad,andbelievesinthedarkarts.JESSIE DAVIS. Works for Osborne and lives in a dingy bedsit. She dreams of romance andadventure.She’ddoanythingforakindword.THYRZAGREY.OneofthethreewitcheslivingatThePaleHorse.Anandrogynousdandywithanunblinkingregardasifsheexpectstheveryworseofeveryoneandiswaitingforyoutoproveotherwise.SYBIL STAMFORDIS. Lives with Thyrza and Bella at The Pale Horse. Sybil has an un-nervingabilitytoreadpeople’sugliestthoughtsandtheirstrangestdesires.BELLA.Outrageous,andageless,shedelightsinmakingpeopleuneasy.BellacompletesthetrioofwitcheslivingatthePaleHorseinthetinyvillageofMuchDeeping.DAVIDARDINGLY.Mark’sgodson,decadentandutterlybeguiling.Hebelieveslifeshouldbeallpleasureandnoduty,everythinghewantsshouldfallstraightintohishand.CLEMENCY ARDINGLY. David’s aunt and one of Mark’s oldest friend. Kind and unfailinglygeneroustoanyoneandanythinginneed,especiallyabuseddonkeys.THOMASINATUCKERTON.Theheiresstoafortune,Thomasinaisragingandwild,delightinginshockingandembarrassingherfamily,especiallyherstepmother.YVONNE TUCKERTON. Second wife and widow of Thomasina’s father, Yvonne is a rapaciousstreetbrawlerhiddenbehindabrittleJackieKennedyveneer.OSCARVENABLES.Patricianandsolitary,OscarhaslivedinMuchDeepingallhislifeandhasaconnectiontoMarkEasterbrookthatneitherofthemknowabout.Yet.POPPY. David Ardingly’s alluring but appalling girlfriend, a study inlanguorous ennui andbarbedsocialcruelties.

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CASTINTERVIEWS:RufusSewellPlayingMarkEasterbrookCanyoudescribethestoryof‘ThePaleHorse’?The Pale Horse is actually an old village pub where three women who are rumoured to bewitches live. Therearea seriesofdeaths that are inexplicableuntil they seem tobebroughttogetherbya listofnames found inadeadwoman's shoe.Mark’sname ison this listwithaquestionmarkafteritandhedoesn'tknowwhy.Inhispasthelosthisfirstwifeandthathauntshim.Whenshediedheremarriedveryquicklyafterwhichwashiswayofcopingwithgrief.Thatiscertainlyhowsomeofhisfriendsseeit.Thisisthestoryoftrackingdownwhat'sbehindthesemurders,whythey'reconnectedandhowandwhytheyareconnectedtohim.Canyoudescribeyourcharacter?MarkEasterbrookisamanofhistime.Hecomesfromaverycomfortablebackground,isusedtowealthandhasextremelygoodtaste.Heworks inhigh-endantiquesandhashisownverylarge store in a smart part of town. He likes flash motorcars and is a society person and isrelativelywellknown.Hehasacertainconfidenceabouthim,whichcarrieshimquite far.Hegotmarried quickly to a very young and beautifulwoman. To all intents and purposes, he issomeonewhomakeshislifelookgoodfromtheoutside,butontheinsideit’sadifferentstory.Hehasasidetohimthatyouwouldn'tnecessarilyspot.Whatdrewyoutothescript?Ithasaviciousnesstoit;adry,wittynastinesswhichappealedtome.Italsohasasurprisinglydarkturn. Intermsofgenre, it’sa littlebit indistinct.Youmaythinkthat it’sonething,and itmayoritmaynotturnoutlikethat.Iwasreallysurprisedbywhereitwent.I’vealwayslovedwatchingAgathaChristies.I’venevermadeonesoIwasdelightedtohavethescriptsenttome.Whichsceneshaveyoufoundparticularlymemorabletodo?FilmingsceneswithHenryLloyd-Hugheshasbroughtoutsuchadifferentaspectofmycharacterbecausewehaveabitoffuntogether;ourcharactersgooutonthetowntogether.It’saverydifferentfeelwiththosescenesandtheyweregreatfuntodo.Alloftheactorsaresofantastic-Kaya,Georginaandthethreebrilliantwomenplayingthewitches!AndBertieCarvelwasreallywonderful;he’sacompletelydifferentcharactertowhoMarkEasterbrookis.Whichothercharactersdoyoufindespeciallyintriguing?Hermiaisaninterestingcharacterbecauseyoumeetheratacertainstageintheirrelationshipwhereit’sveryacidicbetweenthemandthereisalotoftension.Youcantellthatshe’slonelyand haunted. They’re very separate however there is a desire there, on at least one of theirparts,tomakeitcloser.Kayawaswonderfultoworkwith.Howdoyouthinktheshowwillfeeldifferenttoausualwhodunit?It’s like reading something that’s a cross betweenAn Education,TheWickerManandJacob’sLadder. There’s an element to this story that is really quite surprising. It reminded me of aphraseHitchcockoncemadeaboutoneofhisfilmscripts:‘it’sanice,nastylittlepiece’.WhathasSarahPhelpsbroughttothisadaptation?Sarahhaseekedouttheunderlyingenergy,thetwistsandtheturnsthatthisstorytakesslightlymorethanintheoriginal.PeoplethinktheyknowthischaracterbutIdon’tthinktheywillafterthey’veseenthis.Sarah’sdialogueandscenedescriptionsarefantastic;it’sadeliciousreadforactors.It’ssowellwritten.

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What’sitbeenliketobetransportedbackto1961?England in this period is new tome - it feels like a differentworld. It’s an exciting period toexplorewithgreatsuits!It’sinterestingformebecauseIcomefromaverydifferentbackgroundtoMarkand I really enjoyed slipping into that. I often findmyselfplaying characters like thiswhenthetruthissoverydifferent.WhatisitlikebeingdirectedbyLeoLonsdale?Thishasbeenagreatexperienceandquiteintenseinawaybecausewehadtostartwithreallybigscenes.Ilikethatbecauseifyoustartwithanincrediblyimportantsceneonyourfirstday,daytwoiseasierthanusualbecauseyou’realreadyreallyblooded.IlikedworkingwithLeothedirectorverymuch;Icouldreallytrusther.She’sreallyyoungandreallytalented.WhyshouldpeopletuneintoThePaleHorse?Itappearstodoeverythingitsaysonthetinbutlookcloseranditisbreakingthemould.It’ssetinhip Londonof theearly1960swhich Idon’t thinkaudiencesever reallyassociatewith thisgenreorAgathaChristie so it’s be familiar yet strange.What I’ve always loved aboutAgathaChristieisthemisfitsshewrites;shecreatesthesewonderful,centralcharacterswhoarebothoddandsowonderful.

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BertieCarvelPlayingZachariahOsborneCanyoudescribethestoryof‘ThePaleHorse’?Alistofnamesisfoundinadeadwoman’sshoeandonebyone,thepeopleonthelistturnupdead. It’s ultimately about class anxiety and the lengths people will go to take each other’smoney.Canyoudescribeyourcharacter?Osborneisdescribedasanowlishlittlemanwithwire-rimspectacleswhorunsahardwareshopon theGoldhawk Road. He’s drawn into the drama because his name is found on the list inJessieDavis’shoe.Sheworkedforhim.Howdoyouthinktheshowwillfeeldifferenttoausualwhodunit?Thisstorybothdefinesthegenrebutoftensubvertsit,whichisreallycoolWhatdoyouthinkSarahPhelpshasbroughttotheadaptation?It’sgreattotaketheriskof invitingotherartiststorespondtosomethingthatyou’veenjoyedand loved. Themain reason Iwanted to takeon thispartwasbecause I liked the script. Youreally need a great script because that’s the document that binds everybody’s imaginationstogether.Beforeweall startdifferingandmakingwonderful,creativecompromise, therewassomethingthateverybodyreadandwantedtorecreate.Howhasitbeentobetransportedbackto1961?The first thing ourwonderful costume designer said tomewhenwewere talking about thecharacter was the concept of ‘backdating’. In other words, his clothes would not have beenboughtin1961,whichisright.Hisclotheswererealvintageandprobablymadeinthelate50sand have been kept in a costume store and had wearers and lives before they becamecostumes.They’redocumentsoftime.Youputthesethingsonandyouknowthatthey’reolderthanyouare.Whataspectsoflifeinthe1960sdoesthescriptexplore?Thereiscertainlyasenseof instability inthewaytheworldisturning,whichfeelsfamiliarforus. There are some significant conflicts around the corner and thememory of a big one justthere.Itfeelslikeatimeofanxiety.

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SeanPertweePlayingInspectorStanleyLejeuneCanyoudescribethestoryof‘ThePaleHorse’?ThePaleHorseisamulti-facetedyarnsetagainstthebackdropofthebeatgeneration,theshiftin cultures we had in this country from the 1950s to modernity. It follows the protagonist,playedbythebrilliantRufusSewell,ashetriestouncoverthisseriesofmurders.Thereisalistof nameswhich is found in a dead lady’s shoe. They die for various reasons and he tries todiscoverwhyashisnameisonthislisttoo.Canyoudescribeyourcharacter?Detective Inspector Stanley Lejeune is an old school gumshoe copper. Theword gumshoe isderived fromanEnglishexpressionaboutdetectiveswhoused towearcrepegumshoes.He’soldschoolsohereliesheavilyonhissense.There’salotofsensorydescriptioninthescriptashetalksaboutscentandsmellandthegut-instinctshehasaroundcertainpeople.Whathashelpedyougetintocharacter?I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in several Agatha Christie productions. The Brits docostumedramassobrilliantlythatitrequiresverylittletofeelofthatperiod.WhenIwasakid,myfather’sgardenerwasthearchetypal,blue-collar,backboneofoursociety;everythingthatIadmireaboutstrengthanddoggedness.HewasverymuchintheforefrontofmymindwhenIplayed this character: this quiet, steely, flintymanwho is also incredibly tough. Through histoughexterior, there is a certain senseofhumanity, but a real senseof justice.He is a goodman.HowhasitbeentoworkwithRufus?WorkingwithRufusSewellisactuallyvaguelyirritatingbecauseI’veknownhimformanyyearsandtheolderhegets,themorehandsomehegets.He’sgotcheekbonesyoucanopenletterswith. The reason why I find Mark Easterbrook so interesting is because he has a doggeddetermination.Hehasasecretofhisowntoo.Howwilltheshowfeeldifferenttoausualwhodunit?It’s dark,multi-faceted and it leans towards the supernatural. There’s theold school and thenew school and Mark Easterbrook cruises through the middle of it. You get to experienceEnglandatitsgreatestchange:thebirthofthebeatgenerationofthe1960s.Whatdrewyoutothescript?I’vealwayswantedtoworkwithSarahPhelpsandI’vebeenanadmirerofherworkformanyyears.She’sanabsolutegeniusandherstyle isextraordinary.Sheencapsulates theperiodsowell.Whatwasitliketobetransportedbackto1961?It’s been incredible. I definitely remember that period and that type of person through myfather,through living inLondonandthepeoplethatheknew.Seeingall thestandbycarsandpropsfromtheperiodtransportedmerightintothattime.WhatdoyouloveaboutAgathaChristie?What’snottoloveaboutAgathaChristie?WhenIfirstgotthescriptIreaditaloudtomywifeand shebeggedmenot to stop; I shouldhavebeen learningmy lines. Iwas inMarple’s ‘TheMoving Finger’, two Poirots and now this production.More people see these than anythingelse.EveryonelovesChristie.

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RitaTushingham(RT),SheilaAtim(SA)andKathyKieraClarke(KKC)PlayingTheWitches:Bella,ThyrzaGreyandSybilStamfordisrespectively.CanyoudescribethestoryofThePaleHorse?KKC:Thereareaseriesofdeaths,whichmayormaynotbemurdersandwhichmayormaynothaveaperpetratororperpetrators.RT: Intermsofthethreewitches,wearethewebthatdrawsallthecharacters inthroughoutthestory.Sarahhasdeliberately steered clearof stereotypicalwitches.Whatdoyou loveabout yourcharacters?RT:Mycharacterisastrongwoman,she’slivedalot,sheobservespeopleandsheenjoysbeingwiththeotherwitches.Nothingsurprisesher.KKC: There’s a timeless quality to these three women. I asked Sarah (Phelps) how long thewomenhadlivedtogetherfor.Shesaid,‘adecadeor500years’.SA:There’sanassurednesstothewayinwhichtheymoveandobservepeople,whichisquiteforensic.Theycanseeverydeepintopeople.We’veallfoundourlittlecornersthatweoccupyandwemoveasatriobutneitherareweamonolitheither.KKC:Wehaveourdifferentgiftsandstrengthsbutweoperateasoneunitinourself-sufficientworld.Whathelpedyougetintocharacter?RT:Thescript,thecostumeandworkingwiththesetwowonderfulwomenreallydiditforme.Thelocationsweregreattoo.HowwasitworkingwithRufus?Howdoyourcharacterscollide?RT:WorkingwithRufuswasgreatandbroughtinanotherelementtoourworld.KKC:Weexistverymuch inourownworldbutRufus’scharactercomescrashing intothat.Ascharacterswe’re intriguedbyandcuriousof theoutsideworld.Thesepeoplecometous,wedon’tinvitethem.Howdothewitchesimpactonthecommunity?SA:Thewitchesareverymuchat thecentreof this community soweexert thisgravitationalpulloneveryoneelsetowardsus.Weareconstantlysurveyingeveryoneandeverything;that’soneofourgifts.Wehavetobeabletosenseeverythingatthesametime.Rita:Westandbackandobserve.Howdoyouthinktheshowwillfeeldifferenttoausualwhodunit?RT: This is really different from the other Christie’s I’ve read before. I’ve been in an AgathaChristie called The SittafordMystery,which I enjoyedbut ThePaleHorsehas a real senseofintrigueandthejigsawpiecesfittingtogether.Thisoneisalmostlikeaone-off.Whatdrewyoutothescript?SA:Charactersthathavesomethinginexplicableaboutthemalwaysintrigueme.Witcheswerenaturally a good start. I was also really drawn to the idea that these threewitches are verydifferent. Youalways thinkof the classicwitches inMacbethandpeoplearealways trying tofindways to reinvent that concept.When I read the scripts, therewasalreadyquitea strongsteerthatSarahputinthereintermsoftryingtoblowthatconceptopen.RT:Itwouldbeeasytoplaythemexactlyaspeopleimaginethembutthewitchesareactuallyaccepted in the villagewherewe live. Peopledon’t knowwhat’s happeningbehindour frontdoorbuttheyareintrigued.

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KKC: There’s themystery ofwhether they practice the ‘dark arts’ orwhether they justmakecuresforpeoplewithinthevillageoutofherbsandmorepracticalmethods.WhatdoyouthinkSarahPhelpshasbroughttothisadaptation?SA:Thereisafreshnesstoitbecauseitdoesn’tnecessarilyfollowastructurethatyouwouldbeexpectingfromamurder-mystery.Itpresentsitselfasadramaandathriller inawaythatwillkeep theviewerson their toes. I certainly feltonmy toeswhen Iwas reading it asa script. Ididn’tfeellikeIcouldseewhereitwasleading.She’sdefinitelybeeninnovativewithit.Howhasitbeentobetransportedbackto1961?SA:It’shardforourcharactersbecausewe’reanachronisticinaway.We’renotreallytiedtoatime,eveninthewaywedressandlive.Ifwedopractisewhateverwe’repractising,thatstuffwould’veexistedwaybefore the1960s. It is interesting forus toobserve thosewhoareverymuch living in the 1960s as thewitches who are not.We’ve always been here andwemayalwaysbehereforanotherhowevermanyyears.KKA:For threewomen tobeunmarriedand living ina small village inahouse together isnoreflectionofthetimeactually.SA:Thethreeofusareverydifferentaswell,sotohavethreewomenwholooklikethislivinginahousebythemselvesinthe1960sprobablywasn’taregularthing.

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HenryLloyd-HughesPlayingDavidArdinglyCanyoudescribethestoryof‘ThePaleHorse’?ThePaleHorseisamystery,hiddenwithinanenigma,hiddenwithinaparanoidnightmare.Wesee the story through themind’s eye of the central character, Mark Easterbrook, played byRufusSewell.Itisadetective/mysterystorytracinghimtryingtotrackdownthesignificanceofalistthathe’sappearedonthatmayormaynothavesomeominoussignificance.Canyoudescribeyourcharacter?YoucouldcallDavidaplayboy.Heisenamouredwithlivingadecadentlifestyle,livingfastandloose.HeseesMarkasafatherfigure.Inthescript,Markishisgodfatherbutinmanyways, IthinkofhimmoreasanaughtyuncletoDavid;someonethathecangooutonthetownwith,sharewarstoriesandpossiblygetuptonogoodwith,likeaco-conspirator.What’sitbeenliketoworkwithRufus?ThroughDavid’seyes,Icanseewhyhelooksuptohimasafatherfigure.RufuslookslikeJamesBond;he’schiselled,he’sgotthesuitandhe’sgotthecar.Whichothercharactersdoyoufindparticularlyintriguing?KayaisplayingthecharacterofHermiawhoissuchaninteresting,exoticcharacter.SheremindsmeofthisfastidiousStepfordWifeseethingwithrageunderneath.Howdoyouthinktheshowwillfeeldifferenttoausualwhodunit?Thisisastoryaboutparanoiaandaboutthewaythatyourmindcanplaytricksonyouwiththepowerofsuggestion.Inmyopinion,weseethestorythroughMark’seyes.Whatdrewyoutothescript?It’sverywittyandmacabre.Ittellsalovestoryabouttheperiodbutisn’thandcuffedtoit.Sarahhas made her characters feel like real living, breathing, three-dimensional people. A lot ofcharactersinthispiecehavepublicandprivatepersonas.That’sreallyinterestingbecauseinallthesedifferentscenes,she’speelingofftheveneerofwhatpeoplesaytotheworldandwhattheirexistenceislikeinprivate.Whatdoyouthinkshe’stryingtosayaboutthe1960s?Sarahuses thetimeperiodasaprismtoshowsomethingquitecontemporary. IgenuinelydofeelasenseofcomfortwhenIgointoacostumefittingandtherearesuitsandtiesonarack.GivenIdon’thaveaproperjobinwhichIhavetowearauniform,I’malwaysreassuredwhenthereisone.WhyshouldpeopletuneinforThePaleHorse?It’s theamazingworldofAgathaChristiebutnot inawaythatyouwillhavenecessarilyseenbefore.It’sdisturbing,clinical,coldandscary.WhatdoyouloveaboutAgathaChristie?Theendlessdepthofherabilitytoconjureupintricatecharactersandstoriesisunparalleled.Iwouldhappilybestuckonadesertislandwithherbackcatalogueandgetthroughthemonebyone;it’ssucharichbodyofwork.

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GeorginaCampbellPlayingDelphineEasterbrookCanyoudescribeyourcharacterandherjourneyinthedrama?My character ismarried toMark – she’s onof hiswives! The story beginswith herworryingbecauseshe’sjustmarriedMarkandshe’snotsurethatshefitsintohisworldandhislifestyle.Shegoestoseethesethreewitchestoaskthemhowthingswillworkoutforherandifshewillmakehimhappy.He’sfromadifferentworldtoherandsoshe’skeentoseeifthey’llbehappyasacoupletogether.Whatothercharactersdoyoufindparticularlyintriguinginthisstory?Thewitchesarethemost intriguing.All thewaythrough,you’rewonderingwhotheyareandwhat they’redoing. Theactresseswhoareplaying thewitchesareall verydifferentandveryinteresting.Howdoyouthinktheshowwillfeeldifferenttoausualwhodunit?There’sanelementoffantasyandtheparanormalwithinit.There’sthequestionofwhothesethree women are and whether or not they are actually witches. Are they performing darkmagic?That’ssomethingdifferent;itelevatesitintoadifferentkindofstory.Whatdrewyoutothescript?Iwasdrawntothefactthatit’sanAgathaChristieofcourseandsheissuchahouseholdname,especiallyintheUK.Ithoughtitwasreallywellwrittenandveryinteresting.Iwasgrippedfromthebeginningtotheend.Howdoesitfeeltobetransportedbackto1961?When I think of Agatha Christie, I don’t necessarily think of the 1960s; it feels a lot moremodernandcurrentwhichisenjoyable.It’sinterestingtoseethosestoriesdoneinadifferentlight.WhydoyouthinkpeopleshouldtuneintoThePaleHorse?It’sadifferentstorythatwehaven’treallyseentoldbeforeinthisway.WhatdoyouloveaboutAgathaChristie?Therehavebeensomanyadaptations,somanyfilmsandtelevisionshows–it’squintessentiallyBritish.

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ClaireSkinnerPlayingYvonneTuckertonCanyoudescribeyourcharacter?Mycharacterandherjourneyareverymuchabouthowshegetstohaveallthefinerthingsinlife.Whatothercharactersdoyoufindparticularlyintriguinginthisstory?I find the characterofHermiaparticularly intriguingbecause she’s verybuttonedup.Yougetglimpses intowhat’s really going on underneath that buttoned up exterior. I find her a veryfunnyandappealingkindofcharacter.WhatdoyouthinkSarahPhelpshasbroughttothisadaptation?Sarahhasbroughtareallyinteresting,darkhumourtothisadaptationandit’sgotalotofspeedandbite.Itisabitmorerobustthanyoumightnormallyseeandit’sactuallyveryfunnyinsomerespects.Didyouenjoybeingtransportedbackto1961?I got towear someextraordinary costumes.Yvonnewasnotnaturallyborn into the situationandtheclassthatshefindsherself;shehasarrivedthere,orrathermarriedthere.There’squitealotofroomformanoeuvreinthe1960ssothere’salotofscopeandrangeforthecostumes.Whataspectoflifeinthe1960sdoesthescriptexplore?There’s quite an emphasis on having and not having, the rich and the poor and thecircumstancespeoplearelivingin.WhatdidLeoLonsdaleaddasadirector?Itwaswonderful. She’s very fresh and innovative in theway she approaches things. It’s alsolovelytobedirectedbyawoman.WhatdoyouloveaboutAgathaChristie?Ialwayslovehowdarkherstoriesare.Thesweetnessontopofthedarknessiswhateverybodyfindsquitefascinating.

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EllenRobertsonPlayingPoppyCanyoudescribethestoryofThePaleHorse?Alistofnamesturnsupinashoeandeveryoneonthatlistseemstobedeadordying.It’salsogot this incredible paranormal element to the storywhereby threewomenwho are fortune-tellers live in a pub in the middle of nowhere and you have to work out whether there’ssomethingmoretothemthanmeetstheeye.Youhaveaparticularlydeliciouscharacter.Hasshebeenfuntoplay?She’sanastypieceofwork!Thewholeshowisbasedonsocialnicetiesandthewayinwhichacertainkindofstrataofsocietyseekstopresentthemselves.Mycharacterisgreatbecauseshecutsthroughallofthat.Whathashelpedyougetintocharacter?Thecostumesandthemakeupwerehugelyhelpful.Ididn’treallyfeellikeIwasthecharacteratall until I had the false lashes and the almost Twiggy-like makeup. The costumes were justincredibleonthisshow.Whichothercharactersdoyoufindparticularlyintriguing?FromMark’spointofview,wegetthiscreepingsenseofdread.Everyonehassomethingrottenaboutthemandthethree‘witches’bringthatout.Thisstoryposesthequestionofwhetheryoucantrustyourneighboursandfriendstobegood,upstandingcitizens.WhyshouldpeopletuneinforThePaleHorse?The writing is exquisite and the worlds the designer created look beautiful too. TheperformanceswillbebrilliantandthewritingisjustunparalleledbothfromAgathaChristieandSarahPhelps.They’retwooutstandingwriters.

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NOTESTOEDITORSABOUTMAMMOTHSCREENMammoth Screen is oneof theUK’s leadingproduction companies. Current and forthcomingshows include THE PALE HORSE, NOUGHTS + CROSSES, WORLD ON FIRE series 2 and THESERPENTforBBC1,ENDEAVOURseries7,MCDONALD&DODDSandTHESINGAPOREGRIPforITV.MammothScreenisanITVStudiosCompany.ABOUTAGATHACHRISTIELIMITEDAgatha Christie Limited (ACL) has been managing the literary and media rights to AgathaChristie'sworksaroundtheworldsince1955,workingwiththebesttalents infilm,television,publishing,stageandondigitalplatformstoensurethatChristie’sworkcontinuestoreachnewaudiences in innovative ways and to the highest standard. The company is managed byChristie’sgreatgrandsonJamesPrichard.ACL’slatesttelevisionprojectsincludethecriticallyacclaimedBBCOneadaptationsofTheABCMurders (John Malkovich, Rupert Grint), Ordeal by Innocence (Bill Nighy, Anna Chancellor,MatthewGoode),AndThenThereWereNone(AidanTurner,CharlesDance,SamNeill)andTheWitness for the Prosecution (Toby Jones, Andrea Riseborough, Kim Cattrall), all producedalongsideMammothScreenwithscreenplaysfromSarahPhelps(GreatExpectations,TheCasualVacancy).October 2020 will see the release of 20thCentury Fox’s feature film adaptation of AgathaChristie’sacclaimedmysteryDeathontheNile.Thefilmisdirectedbyfive-timeAcademyAwardnomineeKennethBranagh,whoalsostarsasPoirot.Branaghhelmsanall-starcastthatincludesGal Gadot, Armie Hammer, EmmaMackey, Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Russel Brand, AliFazal,DawnFrench,RoseLeslie,SophieOkonedo,JenniferSaundersandLetitiaWright.Thefilmfollows the box office hitMurder on the Orient Express, released in November 2017, whichgrossedover$350millionintheglobalboxoffice.Internationally,ACLworkscloselywithleadingscreenproductioncompaniestodeliverterritory-specificadaptations.NotableproductionsincludethepopularFrenchseriesLesPetitsMeurtresd’Agatha Christie produced by Escazal, and Japanese adaptations ofMurder on the OrientExpressfromFujiTV(winneroftheTokyoGrandPrixdramaaward)andAndThenThereWereNone fromTV Asahi. Further projects are in development in Europe, the US, Asia and LatinAmerica.