Susan Wokoma interview
Susan Wokoma introduces us to her brilliant Crazyhead character Raquel...
What is Crazyhead about, how would you describe the series?
Crazyhead is about two young self-made demon hunters, Raquel and Amy, who are two of very few people who can see demons. These demons live in human beings, and are identified only by a little flash across their face which reveals the demon inside. And they're bad, bad news, so Raquel and Amy - on their own merit and on their own terms - are trying to get rid of them.
How would you describe Raquel?
Raquel has been hunting demons since she was about 14. She's been doing this on her own so is a bit of a lone-ranger and socially quite awkward. The problem with being one of the few people who can see demons is that everyone else thinks that there is something wrong with you. So she doesn't know how to hang out with people her own age, she doesn't have any friends. But she's very brave, very kick-ass, very funny - and she's very excited when she meets Amy because she has a partner in crime, but also a potential friend.
What's her relationship like with Amy at the beginning, and how does it evolve?
In the beginning Raquel is so thrilled that she's found someone else who can see demons. Rather than feeling any competition she's excited because it means she can hunt demons with her, or, you know go and hang out watch a film and do normal friend stuff. Amy understandably is reluctant and scared because she's been down a different path, she's had a hard time. She basically thinks Raquel's a bit weird. It's also a really cool test for Raquel, to see if she's going to deny everything she knows for the sake of having a friend, or stand her ground. She surprises herself, I think, about how steadfast she is in her convictions.
Who are the other important people in Raquel's life?
Raquel lives with her brother Tyler who knows absolutely nothing about demons, about the fact she's been hunting them for ages, and in a way - bless him - that's exactly what Raquel has crafted. She wants someone normal who she can come home to and who looks after her. Tyler's the only other person in her life, she is sadly that lonely. That changes during the series. A little somebody crops up - she manages to meet somebody. Again it's something that surprises Raquel. She's very awkward, she's not had that much experience. Fun things do happen but I won't reveal more than that...
How do Raquel and Amy go about hunting the demons?
Raquel is full of knowledge that has all been self-acquired, then occasionally she'll Google something. Demons possess the body and once that body dies they jump ship, they find the nearest body to take over. Which means demons appear in all sorts of guises. It's not just the typical baddie - it's the lovely harmless-looking single mum, or an old lady - you really cannot tell who's a demon or who's not. One bit of advice Raquel imparts to Amy is that you can tell if someone's a demon if their semen's really cold... And that the best way to kill them is to shove a stick or pole up the bum. This may not actually be true, this is what Raquel has taught herself.
And there's someone trying to stop Raquel and Amy in their quest...
We have an arch-nemesis in the show played by Tony Curran, who I'm a huge fan of. Callum's a very sinister character, he poses as my psychiatrist because I'm one of the very few people who can see demons and so he's keeping his eye on me. As I find out about Amy he starts keeping his eye on her too. But there's something he knows about me that I don't know about myself - and that's why he's hanging about. That gets revealed during the series.
Can we expect a lot of action from the series?
Yes, it's really action-packed! Me and Cara [Theobold, who plays Amy] got to do a lot of cool things, fighting and stunts. You don't actually know you enjoy stuff like that until you get to do it. And a lot of parts for women you don't really get to have a fight or run through the woods or throw shit, and we've been given all those things and took to it like ducks to water. It was so fun.
Was there anything really bizarre you had to film?
Oh so much stuff. It was the moments where I'd start a scene and the AD [Assistant Director] would say, "can you go from the, 'just shove a pole up his arse' line?" or just a really funny, weird line and you go, this is such a strange job. Those were the moments where we'd be corpsing - I'm quite a giggler.
Are you a fan of fantasy and sci-fi as a genre?
Yeah, I'm an action fan. Give me Avengers, Marvel, DC Comics. I did watch Buffy a little bit when I was younger but I'm going to admit I was more of a Dawson's Creek girl. It's embarrassing - I was much more preoccupied trying to sound like I was 18 when I was 14. But it's something I've definitely got into getting older. I was a huge fan of Misfits [written by Howard Overman]. When you work with the person who wrote the show you're a fan of you should probably try and be cool - but I don't because I absolutely loved it. I was in an episode of the final series, I just got in just in time. And at the moment I'm obsessed with Stranger Things on Netflix.
What is it that makes Howard's work stand out?
Howard has a real knack - and I don't know how he does it- but he knows how to write in the voice of young people. That's really rare. It's not just the jokes, it's to do with the relationships and the intimate parts of the scripts - where you're dealing with friendships, or fear, or rejection - he just taps into that. And he's so funny.
Do you believe in demons and that there's something other out there?
I tried to believe in ghosts. One of the reasons why I love Stranger Things is that it reminds me of what I was like when I was about nine. Me and my brother bought walkie-talkies and we used to walk around the streets of South East London where we lived going, 'ok, I've just seen an orb, there's a presence that's been here' and grabbing my notebook and writing it down, and the orb wasn't anything except a bit of dust. So I really gave it a go! But no, I believe there are really cool things we don't know are out there - but whether they're straight up demons or ghosts... nah, I don't think so!