Interview with Robyn Malcolm and Richard Roxburgh – Angela Garton and Mike Garton

What attracted you to the project?

Robyn Malcolm: They sent me the scripts and I just thought it was a really great story. It's a tight little thriller with a small group of actors and, essentially, one main location, so it felt a bit like a play. I loved that.

I also remember someone saying to me, "You're not the obvious choice for this role." The minute you hear that, you think, Oh, good. I loved the idea that they wanted to take me somewhere different. Maybe it's because I often play characters who are a bit grubbier, with dirt on their faces and not much make-up, I don't know!

But that really appealed to me, and Angela herself was a fascinating character.Ultimately, though, it was the strength of the story that drew me in.

Richard Roxburgh: The script arrived and, like Robyn, I thought it was a really tight piece of writing. As I was reading it, I found myself constantly trying to piece everything together, which is exactly what a good thriller should do.

The relationships were really interesting, and the challenge of playing a former rocker with rapidly advancing MS was something I'd never tackled before. I also loved the idea of working with this cast. I'd worked with Robyn before on Rake in very different circumstances, so that was another real attraction.

What is the series about?

Robyn Malcolm: I think the show is primarily about privilege, and the lack of it. Even though we don't really use the word "class" in Australia, I think it is about class and the damage that inequality can cause.

Within that, it's about revenge, retribution and a reckoning that one character is seeking, before that journey is ultimately overtaken by love. In many ways, it's a tragedy.

Richard Roxburgh: The story follows a young man who comes from Scotland and illegitimately takes on the role of carer for Mike Garton, who is living with advanced MS, and his wife Angela.

What he knows, but Angela doesn't, is that she has played a significant role in his past. From there, the thriller unfolds as you realise this young Scottish carer has arrived with an ulterior motive.

What was it like working with director Stevie Cruz-Martin?

Richard Roxburgh: Stevie has been an absolutely fabulous director. She's incredibly focused on performance, while also having a fantastic visual eye. I couldn't speak more highly of her.

She's one of the few directors I've worked with who's genuinely not intimidated by actors or the process of exploring a scene. She really wants to get in there with you, and she's constantly looking for ways to make a performance feel alive. We might do eight takes and none of them would be the same.

You can tell she's got a very clever brain because she's always thinking about how scenes fit together, but at the same time she'll offer these wonderfully lateral ideas that completely change your perspective. She'll throw in something unexpected that you'd never have arrived at yourself, and that's quite unusual.

Robyn Malcolm: She was constantly dropping in little ideas that would unlock something new in a scene. It kept everything feeling fresh and alive.

One thing I really noticed was how performance-led the set was. On some productions you spend a lot of time waiting for lighting changes or camera set-ups, but this always felt very simple. From the moment we walked onto set, it was about the actors and the performances.

And she's just a lovely person to work with. She creates such a calm, supportive atmosphere, which makes a huge difference.