Charles Edwards interview
Charles Edwards discusses playing Iain, and what it is like to return to comedy acting after time in Downton Abbey.
Tell us about Iain...
He's a doctor at the local surgery and has a somewhat awkward connection to Matt and Meg because he and Meg had an affair. We don't dwell on the nitty-gritty of the affair too much, but they saw each other for a couple of months at most. It was a short but intense affair. Trying Again starts just as
the liaison has come to a conclusion.
Are there are a lot of unresolved feelings?
Yes there are. Although you might classify him as 'the other man', he's hurting and there's still a connection between him and Meg. The additional stress on them is that they work together and in close quarters. What's rare is that they are still friends and able to communicate with each other so soon after the affair. They're very amicable but still quite flirty. There's unfinished business.
Does Iain try to sabotage Meg and Matt's relationship?
I don't think he does. It's tricky because I don't know if he'd want to have another affair or a proper relationship with Meg. An affair is more exciting in some ways. If Matt and Meg split up of their own accord, Iain would be in there like a shot, but he'd feel bad if he broke them up. He cares about
Meg and doesn't want her to feel pain. He definitely likes being around her and enjoys her company, and if it went further he'd be very pleased. It's very much up in the air. He's like a lingering threat, but in the nicest way possible.
Many viewers will recognise you from Downton Abbey. Has it been refreshing to return to comedy?
It's been very enjoyable. I love both but to be in a series of this calibre has been a real treat. It's a top quality cast and script. It was also great to film in Kendal because I'd never been to The Lakes before. When we weren't filming I'd go on walks and we were relatively lucky with the weather. A lot of Downtown is shot inside.
Did you laugh a lot on set?
An awful lot. That's an important quality for any set. An added bonus was that the producer, Caroline Norris, always had her dog Eric with her. There was lots of cooing over him. There was a fair amount of drinking, especially on fancy dress Friday. One week it was the Wild West, another was French and there were mime artists with stripy T-shirts everywhere. Everyone pulled out the stops for the last Friday and we had people dressed up as bananas while Chris and Jo swapped characters with wigs and all. Everyone stayed in the same hotel in Kendal and it was a great way to get to know each other.
It sounds like it was a pretty hectic filming schedule though.
It was a bit of a whirlwind but the benefit was it forced everyone to concentrate and deliver. There isn't time for faffing around.
I did a show called Holy Flying Circus about Monty Python and it had a similar schedule. It forced people to come up with the goods.
How do you think you'd fare as a doctor? What's your bedside manner like?
I think it's pretty good. I'd like to think I'm a caring and considerate person.
Is laughter the best medicine?
Laughter is the best way to tackle a problem. It's a mistake to take yourself too seriously.
What will Sky Living viewers like most about Trying Again?
The writing is top notch. Simon Blackwell delivers concise wit of the highest quality. He writes a certain type of Englishness, a sort of awkwardness, extraordinarily well. It's not a comedy of manners at all. It's people trying to do their best in life and getting it wrong, as we all do. We trip and fumble around. It's about being human, which Simon captures so beautifully. Trying Again is heart-warming, sad at times and dramatic, but everything is undercut with a lovely vein of beautifully observed comedy from Simon and Tony Roche.