Image: BBC Press
By Jon Donnis
Bernardine Evaristo's Mr Loverman has been brought to life in a new adaptation, offering a touching exploration of family, love, and the complexities of living authentically. At its heart is Barrington Jedidiah Walker, better known as Barry, a charismatic, 74-year-old Antiguan living in Hackney. Renowned for his stylish retro suits and larger-than-life personality, Barry has spent decades hiding a deeply personal secret.
For 50 years, Barry's wife Carmel has suspected him of infidelity, convinced that he's been seeing other women. But the truth is more surprising—Barry has been in a long-term, passionate relationship with his best friend Morris. Now, as Barry approaches the final chapter of his life, he faces the difficult decision to reveal his truth, a choice that will force his entire family to confront their own futures.
Mr Loverman is a groundbreaking narrative that delves into the lives of Britain's older Caribbean community. With its vibrant blend of humor and heartbreak, the story constantly shifts between moments of comedy and tragedy, creating an emotional journey that resonates with audiences. Ultimately, it is a life-affirming story about the importance of self-acceptance, love, and staying true to who you really are, no matter the obstacles.
What drew you to the role? Did you read the novel?
The novel was sent to me around the time it was published. I read it and I loved it and I've been keeping an eye out for it ever since. Any actor who saw and read Barry would like to play him as a character. He's everything that would excite an actor – complicated, funny, a good dresser and harsh.
He's also a contradiction - loyal but disloyal, a good and bad husband, a good and bad father, a good and bad man. He loves and hates in equal measure. Every part of him is really interesting to me and would be to any actor. The opportunity to play him was a real no-brainer.
Are there any challenges in playing a character from a novel?
When you're playing a character from a novel you have to take into account that people who have read the book will have their image of who Barry is, what he looks and sounds like. You take all of that on board but then you have to forget it and absolutely put it to the side. The only part of this story I can play is what is written in the script, so that's my main source material and that's the guy I'm trying to bring to life. You have to be mindful of it and be aware of the book but for the most part, you have to put it to one side.
You're also an executive producer on the show. What does that entail?
I think when people hear about actors being executive producers, they think it's kind of a power thing so you get to tell people what to do. I don't really see it as that. I feel much more that it's about being party to conversations that you're not normally party to and offering the perspective of the front-of-camera department and what is relevant for the actors. On Mr Loverman, it was really important to be respectful of the subject matter because there are a lot of intimate situations that the actors were in, so we wanted to make sure that was all being considered and taken on board.
If anything came up and if there was an avenue that we could say 'we should consider this' or 'we should change this' and 'we should be mindful of this', the other cast members knew that they could come to me and I would take it to the other producers. It was just an avenue to ensure we were doing our job in the best way possible, because it's important to do the job but it's also important the way you do the job and the way the ship is sailed, as it were. It offers an opportunity to be a bit more involved in the collaborative process.
What was it like working with Ariyon and Sharon?
Working with Sharon and Ariyon is one of those weird things. Sharon and I have known each other since we were kids and just getting into the business. We used to socialise together, we've got multiple friends in common but we've never worked together. It's been a joy working with Sharon. That relationship between Carmel and Barry is, alongside the relationship with Morris, a crucial part of this story in both the TV series and the book, so getting that right was really important.
To do this with Sharon has been excellent. I don't think Sharon realises how good she is – her presence, voice and gravitas and what she brings with that. Barry and Carmel's relationship is really complicated and it needs actors who are able to understand that. We lucked out with Sharon when she said yes. I actually wish we had more to do with each other in the series but it's been fantastic and she's great.
I didn't know Ariyon as well as I knew Sharon but I was familiar with his work. I've always admired his work and I was really excited to work together. The best part of it was how quickly we trusted each other and I think in the relationship we build between Morris and Barry, trust is vital in the journey that we go on and how we tell the story. Not just a trust of 'you look after me and I'll look after you', but just that ability to feel able to offer up your version of your character and know that it'll be taken on board by the other actor and returned in kind. That was what it was like working with Ariyon. As an actor, I don't like overanalysing things, I like to just get on with it. If the camera doesn't see it, we haven't done it right. Working like that really worked for Ariyon too.
Why is the way Barrington dresses important?
We had lots of conversations about how Barry dresses in the series. There's a way of doing it that might reveal the thing he's trying to hide, that he's showing his sexuality without talking about it. We wanted to move away from that and, in fact, he's actually dressing to the lie and not the truth. The way he dresses portrays him as a bit of ladies' man when he's really not. The other thing is that his clothes were a reflection of him as a successful businessman – he's made money and he's wearing it.
Again, it's the contradiction of Barry's character in the sense that he's hiding but he's hiding in plain view, screaming at people to look at him. We worked with (costume designer) Jodie-Simone Howe and (hair and make-up designer) Nora Robertson to create Barry's look and it was really specific. We tell the story across 50 years and for 40 of those I'm dressed in some really fantastic suits! Part of making Barry was done for me with the hair, make-up and costume.
What do you hope the audience gets from watching this show?
I hope that it takes people into a world that they might think they know, but they might be surprised by how much they don't know – in the sense of this particular love story between these two men but the particulars of these two men being older, west Indian immigrants to the UK. More often than not, when that story is told it's the 'no Blacks, no Irish, no dogs' story.
That's not the story we're telling here. We're telling a love story that exists for people that have survived that and have earned a position and lived a life in this country that doesn't always get depicted. I hope people enjoy that but I also hope they enjoy the grown-up love story. It's a story that doesn't patronise the audience but assumes a sophistication and intelligence that I believe television viewers have now because they're well versed in it.
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