Interview with Chanel Cresswell for This Is England '90

3 September 2015

Your first appearance on screen was in This Is England, when you were 15. How did that come about?

I was still at school, and part of the Nottingham Television Workshop, when Shane Meadows came down to do an audition. Obviously we all knew it was for a proper film and so we didn’t really think we’d get a look in. I got told that he was interested in me, and it kind of all just went from there.

 

So there you are on your first ever shoot. Did you have a sense, at the time, that you were making something that was going to be a huge success?

Yeah, there was such a buzz on set, so you knew something exciting was going on. But because I was only 15, I was kind of ignorant to it all, which was probably a good thing because it didn’t distract me. But there was a definite air about it all, and the more grown up actors definitely had a sense of that. We were just having a laugh on the set.

 

Nearly 10 years and two further series later, This Is England ‘90 is coming up. Was it exciting to get everyone back together again?

Yeah, totally. We’re such a natural group, we all really get on, so to get all the gang back together was amazing. It’s just second nature to us all now.

 

You’re a really close gang on screen, do you think it helps that you have that relationship off screen as well?

Yeah, I think it does, and I think we have Shane to thank for that. He put together a group of people that blended really well and really got on. A lot of the workshops that we did, the improvisational workshops before filming, were a great bonding experience. Shane spent a lot of time getting us to know and trust each other, and I really think that comes across on screen.

 

Kelly comes more into the centre of things in this series. What can you tell us about what’s in store for her?

Obviously she’s gone through the mill a little bit, what with her dad’s death and all that, so she kind of heads towards the drugs scene and dabbles a bit in that. That’s all I can really say at this stage.

 

Did you know before you’d got the script that Kelly was going to feature more prominently in this series?

Yeah, I think Shane gave me a few hints about the path she was going to take. Obviously it’s really exciting. When we did ’86, we had no idea how big it would be, or how far Vicky [McClure] would go [she won a BAFTA for her role]. So to be given an opportunity on such a big show felt massive. You have to raise the bar, it’s quite terrifying.

 

So you felt a degree of pressure this time around?

Yeah, to an extent, because you don’t want to disappoint Shane or the cast or the viewers. But I really trust Shane, and I always felt like I was in really good hands on set. And the support of everybody was great. When I was filming, I sort of became unaware of the pressure. I had a job to do, at the end of the day, so I just tried not to think about it.

 

A lot of the material is very intense, and Kelly and her family have been through an awful lot. Does that take a toll on you?

I definitely think you take a bit with you when you go back to your hotel room at night. It doesn’t completely leave you, because there’s so much adrenaline and emotion going into the scenes. I did a lot of work before I started filming ‘90, in terms of research about certain drug issues and things, and you do take a bit of time to regroup when you’ve been doing stuff like that. It’s difficult to turn off that amount of emotion.

 

How do you get rid of that during filming? Do you let off steam and go for a few drinks with the others…

Yeah, we all go out and have a few drinks. It also helps that I’ve got a really good family, so I’ve got loads of support. I’m very, very lucky in that respect. It only takes a few days to get back to normal. A good holiday always helps. I always go on a really nice, sunny holiday after filming This Is England.

 

Kelly’s look is very distinctive, and very different from your own. How do you feel about that?

I think it’s really interesting. On nights out everybody gets recognised, but nobody will know who I am. I absolutely love that, because I can just stand there and watch the gang get that sort of reaction. I think that’s part of being an actor – you have to use different looks for different parts and you have to embrace that. I love having a different look. I’ve shaved my head a few times for This Is England. It’s part and parcel of being in the show, of being an actor and transforming.

 

Does it help you get into character, changing your look?

Definitely. It’s a nice feeling, looking in the mirror and thinking “Ooh, Kelly’s back!”

 

A lot of your scenes over the years have been with Vicky McClure [who plays Kelly’s sister, Lol]. Have you guys formed a bond as a result of that?

Yeah, me and Vicky took the role of sisters quite seriously when we did ’86. She was very protective of me. It just came naturally to us, really.

 

Have you enjoyed watching her success in recent years?

Absolutely. I feel like a proud sister. You’ve known this girl for such a long time, and then all of a sudden she’s winning a BAFTA, and you’re sat there at home thinking “Go on, Vicky!” I’m so proud of her. She deserves it. I watched her go through that journey in ’86, but she was such a trooper and so professional. I watched in awe. You learn from the best, and I’ve been really lucky to work with her.

 

 

We’re told that this will be the last This Is England. How did it feel at the end of filming?

Everyone burst into tears. It was crazy, like someone had died. It was really awful, but really euphoric as well. Shane will do what he wants to do, at the end of the day. I think he finds it difficult to split from This Is England, because of how much fun we all have, and it could just go on forever. But it was very difficult to say goodbye. It’s really sad looking round that group and thinking it might be the last time we’re all together.

 

How has This Is England changed your life?

It’s definitely put me on the map. In terms of who I’ve worked with, and the confidence it’s given me to trust my own instincts in a scene and using improvisational skills, it’s been amazing. I’ve worked with such talented people on This Is England, I’ve watched them and learned from them. It’s priceless. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world, even if I did have to shave my head and look like a boy for about two years.

 

This Is England ‘90 starts on Channel 4 on Sunday 13th September at 9pm