Jack Farthing interview
Newcomer Jack Farthing talks about taking on the role of Freddie, Clarence's second son.
Hi Jack. Please describe your character in Blandings to us...
Freddie is Lord Emsworth's youngest son. He is a well-meaning, charming young man who hasn't been blessed with a great deal of common sense. He spends his time falling in love with girls, boozing and gambling away money that he doesn't have. He has to keep coming back to Blandings. He'd much rather be in London living the life of a bright young thing, but he constantly runs out of money and has to return home.
What attracted you to Blandings?
While far from a PG Wodehouse expert, I knew that his literature is among the most celebrated in the English language. I was really aware that it's so well loved and hasn't been done that much on TV before. It was just a really exciting thing to be involved with.
Tell us more about what makes Wodehouse so special.
His books are goldmines of detail. There is so much in them. He is also the master of sentence construction. He has such a precise wit. There is no fluff in his writing. He is so satisfyingly funny.
He creates these amazing, wonderfully bumbling characters who live in a parallel universe that is almost entirely trouble-free. They are full of joy and optimism. He conjures up a world where your main worry in life is whether or not your pig is eating enough. There is nothing too traumatic in his universe. There are certainly no financial crises!
Have you found it working with this amazing cast?
It's been an extraordinary experience. To find myself on set with Timothy Spall, Jennifer Saunders, Mark Williams and David Walliams is a dream. They have all been so welcoming, warm, kind and generous to me. I've learned so much from working with them. I saw the levels of preparation and concentration that they have. It was really eye-opening. It's easy to forget how exciting it is to play a scene with someone who has such experience and ability. People always say that working with wonderful people makes you up your game, and that has certainly happened here. It's been a wonderful feeling.
Would you like to make another series of Blandings?
Absolutely, and there would definitely be mileage in a second series. The adaptor Guy Andrews is a magician. He has plucked out the most extraordinary stuff from Wodehouse's books. He can go on doing that as long as he wants. There is still a treasure trove of material to draw on.