THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN, TO DATE, THE MOST REWARDING AND FULFILLING PROJECT I THINK I’VE EVER WORKED ON.

I always think back to my little childhood self and—I had this saying: ‘Making the unimaginable imaginable’. As long as I get to do that, I’ll be on board.

BB And you got that with ‘A Town Called Malice’?

TS For sure.

BB How did it feel to get to back to the eighties?

TS This one actually ended up being quite personal to me because it was set in South London which is where my mum was living at around the same time the show is set. So it was amazing to be able to approach my mum and aunty, and look at these photo albums of Brixton, or South London, and experience a more physical connection to that era than I have before. Molly, our stunning costume designer, actually used some of those photos of my mum that were taken at around the same time ‘Malice’ is set. And a lot of the head scarves that my character wears in the show are my mum’s actual head scarves which is a really nice touch.

BB With that, did you feel a pressure to represent the past properly and understand in a different way than it may have been presented before?

TS In the eighties, my mum had just moved to Brixton. She was here for the Riots and the major incidents surrounding it. Other members of my family were too. Though ‘Malice’ may not be the kind of show that delves into those issues, I felt that there did still have to be some element of awareness of the culture and politics of that time. My character, Cindy, she’s a black woman in South London at this period, things are obviously going to be difficult for her outside of the plot of the show.

I had these conversations with our creator, Nick Love, about establishing that awareness whilst not hitting people over the head with it. Nick was very receptive and we’ve spoken for hours about finding that balance in a way that speaks true to the ‘Malice’ style and the ‘Malice’ way. We’ve been able to include a few lines in keeping with the character, which acknowledge that extra level of hardship that black women faced in areas of

South London at that time.

Cindy is quite defensive anyway when we meet her, which has stemmed from her past as you’ll find out. But, beneath that, there is that extra layer of hardness that she’s learned from the treatment she’s received by circumstance of her context.

BB So how was it working from sort of going from London to then going to bright sunny Costa del Sol?

TS Oh it was incredible! We filmed the London block in, like, January and then we were over there in February. It may not have been boiling but it was so refreshing to be out of the cold. There’s something about being on a set somewhere that’s warmer, and brighter, that just feels so wonderful. As a cast and crew we all got on extremely well so to be able to socialise in that environment was definitely awesome.

I’d have some moments though, when I’d be really enjoying myself personally, when I’d end up reflecting on my character. Cindy is in Costa Del Sol for such a different reason, there’s so much