Catherine Tate interview
Catherine Tate is back as everyone's love interest...
Are you pleased to be back at Greybridge once again?
Miss Postern is a lot of fun to play, I love playing such a delusional character. It is lovely to be back as we had such a good time last year making the show.
How would you describe Miss Postern to those that haven't seen Big School before?
If I was using just one word to describe her I would probably say she is delusional! Miss Postern thinks she is a better catch than she is and she certainly thinks she is a better teacher than she actually is. Overall she thinks she is more talented than she actually is, but it really is fun to play the part.
Where do we pick up the story at the beginning of the new series?
There was a date between Mr Church and Miss Postern during the summer holidays but it all went terribly wrong, so at the start of the series we see Mr Church making excuses and trying to claw back. Basically the pair of them made a plan to go for a meal but he went to the wrong Bella Italia... he really pushed out the boat for her didn't he!
In the opening episode of the new series, Miss Postern seems as enthusiastic as ever - arranging a careers day for the children. How do you think she keeps her spirits up when everything around her tends to descend into chaos?
Miss Postern is one of those eternally optimistic and cheerful people who is under the belief that she can make a difference. I guess if you are constantly surrounded by negativity it is almost like a survivor's instinct that you have to be cheerful, so that is what she does.
Miss Postern always tries her best for the kids, despite their obvious ambivalence about having to learn French. Do you think she genuinely likes her job or yearns for something else?
I think she has found her calling. Although I think she is easily flattered and is probably easily led too so could very well have her head turned. Goodness knows what type of job she could end up doing if someone told her something she wanted to hear!
Miss Postern is quite flirty with Mr Church but has never actually admitted that she wants anything more than friendship. Do you think she just flirts with him to get her own way?
I don't think that Miss Postern is a big flirt and to be honest I don't think there is a huge amount of flirting in the new series. I think she is frustrated with Mr Church as she doesn't actually know whether he likes her or not. I think she finds Mr Church a difficult person to find a way into; so I am not so sure she holds out much hope.
Mr Church and Miss Postern are both a couple of oddities and I don't quite know if they would know what to do with each other so I guess it remains to be seen whether anything will happen between them.
Do you think Miss Postern is genuinely unlucky in love? Or perhaps too picky?
I think she could be one of those women that has looked around but has never found the one. I am pretty sure the person she thinks she should be with would be in keeping with her delusional self! But Mr Church might be her last chance saloon as it were. In fact at one point in the new series she does address that and asks him if they have left it too late with the subtext being should the two of them have a baby together, but I can't help but think that wouldn't happen.
Does filming a series like Big School bring back memories of your own schooldays?
I didn't really pay much attention at school in all honesty so I don't think I am a very good poster person, I just got incredibly lucky. I wasn't an extrovert when I was a child either.
My teachers played a big part in my growing up and I do remember having a fantastic teacher called Mrs Thompson. She used to call me 'flibbertigibbet' because I would never sit still, which was sweet. She told me that I absolutely had to go to university, she was really adamant about it. I didn't... but there we go!
And finally, has headmistress Ms Baron finally learnt Miss Postern's name yet?
No, not even close. In fact this time she manages to call me Miss Chakrabarti! I think Ms Baron definitely does it on purpose to assert herself as the alpha female of Greybridge.