Graduate headlines BBC drama Prisoners’ Wives
Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:30:00 GMT
Natalie Gavin as Lou, with her young son, in new drama 'Prisoners' Wives'
Drama graduate stars in new TV series that draws millions of viewers
ACTRESS Natalie Gavin is one of the stars of a new prime time BBC 1 drama that is pulling in millions of viewers. And even when not acting she is kept busy with auditions for new parts, meaning regular appointments in London. But she is still eager to find time whenever possible to visit the University of Huddersfield drama department that played a role in getting her career off to a flying start.
Natalie, aged 24, is one of the ‘Prisoners’ Wives’ in the new BBC series. She plays Lou, a high-rise dwelling mum with a young son. Her partner is doing time and in order to make ends meet, Lou dabbles in drug dealing on her decayed council estate. But there is a twist to the story and when Lou visits her partner in jail, the two adults go to great lengths to make sure that their boy does not grasp the situation.
It is Natalie’s highest profile role to date – her character is the main focus of episode four – and she loved the experience of filming the six-part series on location in Sheffield alongside a roster of well-established TV stars. She also relished the new acting challenge of playing the mother of a young child. But she was apprehensive over how viewers would react to her drug-peddling character.
“To be honest, I thought people would dislike her straight away for leaving her son alone in the flat, for example. But viewers do seem to sympathise with her and I really appreciate that. Lou is doing her best, living in a flat with mould on the walls and not much food in the kitchen. She just wants more from life.”
Soon after ‘Prisoners’ Wives’ made its debut – drawing five million viewers – Natalie, who is from Denholme near Bradford, came back to the University of Huddersfield, aiming to meet up with some of her tutors on the drama degree course that she completed when she graduated in 2011. She enjoys returning to the campus and is quick to acknowledge the importance of the training she received in many styles of acting and performance.
In particular she values the focus on “state of flow”, a technique that enables her to maintain the characters she plays AND to cope with the pressures of her highly-competitive line of work. Natalie has landed plum roles but is quick to admit that many auditions have not led to the offer of a part.
Natalie was determined to complete her degree course at Huddersfield, even though her studies were interrupted when she began to land acting roles.
“I started my degree full time and I was half way through the second year when I took two years out for ‘Shameless’ and ‘The Chase’ on TV. Then came back part-time, but half way through my third year I got the part as Andrea Dunbar in ‘The Arbor’. One time we took it on tour to Sweden and I flew back at four in the morning to be back at Uni in time for a presentation!”
Her gritty determination to complete her degree echoes the gritty nature of the hard-pressed Northern working class roles that have become Natalie’s speciality.
“I really like portraying characters rooted in real life,” says Natalie. But she would be keen to try her hand at something more escapist. “And I would love to be thrown into a comedy!”
She enjoys the challenge of moving from character to character, but would consider a long running role.
“I am happy to switch from project to project. But if I was offered a part in a series like ‘Coronation Street’ and if the character felt right and suited me, then I might well go for it.”
Natalie was shy as a child, but something clicked when her drama teacher at Buttershaw Comprehensive – the same school attended by playwright Andrea Dunbar – coaxed her to on to her feet for a ten-minute solo improvisation spot in front of the rest of the class.
“The nerves were overwhelming but I just played on them and the buzz of doing that improvisation and making everybody laugh was incredible. And I have been chasing that buzz ever since!”
