Mark Dexter
is a RADA trained actor whose credits include Ripper Street, Father Brown and
The Bletchley Circle, one of my favourite new TV crime dramas in 2012. In it, Mark plays Timothy Gray, husband to Susan
Gray (played by Anna Maxwell Martin) who spent her war years as a code cracker at Bletchley Park and must now
return to civilian life as a housewife. Welcome to Crawl Space, Mark!
Q.
One of the things I love about The Bletchley Circle, apart from its evocative
production values, was the credibility of the characters. Timothy doesn’t have
whiff of posthumous political correctness to him. He believes in himself as
Susan’s provider and protector, and sees no reason why his wife shouldn’t be
content with her role as mother and wife. You could say the way he rewards her
curiosity and intellect – by saving the crossword puzzles in the paper for her
to finish – is patronising, but only if you try and force twenty-first-century hindsight onto the beautifully structured script. How did it feel
playing a post-war husband? Did you find yourself wanting to display a more
modern, nuanced understanding of Susan’s frustration?
I was told by a
casting director the other day that male actors are usually far more concerned
about ‘appearing sympathetic’ than their female counterparts, who are often
more inclined to go the opposite way and
find as many flaws in their characters as possible. Although I was shocked to
hear about this curious gender divide, I do have to admit it was definitely a
concern of mine with regard to Timothy. But at the end of the day I realised
that 1950s society placed pressure on men to ‘play’ roles too, and I tried to
show that Timothy was as much burdened by expectation and a need to conform as
Susan was. There is a discomfort on both sides at having to live as your fellow
citizens expect.
Q.
Yes, that discomfort definitely came across onscreen. What research did you do
for the role?
I’m more
familiar with certain eras than others, and I’ve done a bit of stuff set in
this period before so that wasn’t the main focus. Fortunately my job was to
know absolutely nothing about code breaking or the goings-on at Bletchley Park –
as the whole point is that Timothy is kept totally in the dark about all that.
Mostly I looked at the effects of the war on the psyche of the men returning
from it. Facing death on a daily basis and then coming back to crusty suburban
life is a much harder transition than many of us realise.
Q.
I’ve heard rumours of a second series… Can you confirm or deny? What would you
like to see happen between Timothy and Susan in a second series?
I can confirm
those rumours, we’re due to start filming in May. Major developments are in
store for Timothy and Susan but that’s probably all I should say at this point!
Q.
Intriguing! Since Bletchley, you’ve played a bounder in Father Brown and a
psychotic toff in Ripper Street. Are you having as much fun as I suspect you
are?
Your powers of
deduction are impressive! Yes it’s been a very busy, very enjoyable year or so,
and it’s good to explore your darker side after playing a woolly tank-top-loving
civil servant! As well as playing those unsavoury types you mentioned, I’ll also
be seen playing a ‘national hero’ in a later instalment of Mr Selfridge, so I
don’t think I’ve been typecast just yet!
Q.
Not a chance of that happening, I should say. This is a crime blog, so I have
to ask: do you have a favourite crime writer? And is there a character in a
crime book you’d love to play on stage or screen?
I’ve
always been a fan of classic movie versions of classic crime novels. The Big
Sleep being a favourite, which first drew me to the books of Raymond Chandler.
Phillip Marlowe is one of those parts you’ll always find on an actor’s wish
list. He’s certainly on mine.
I
love Marlowe – read all Chandler’s books when I was a student and am due a
re-read, so thanks for the prompt, and for the interview!
You can buy the first series of
The Bletchley Circle on DVD now - highly recommended! You can follow Mark’s adventures over at his brilliant
blog,
The Bottled Beer Year “an insight into the dark, murky real life of a British actor,
hell-bent on exploring the rich and varied world of finely crafted beer when he
really ought to be learning his lines”, and on Twitter where he’s
@BottledBeerYear
I was lucky enough to travel to Bantry in 2008 with Vanessa Gebbie, a supremely talented writer who also happens to be one of the most supportive and generous people I've ever met. She predicted my publishing deal long, long before I believed it would happen - and was one of the first to celebrate when my good news broke a couple of weeks back. She invited me over to her blog for a natter about how it felt to stick out the dry years of rejection, and how it feels now, to have reached where I wanted to be for so long. Vanessa always asks the most intriguing questions, and I enjoyed our chat very much. Do pop along for a read.
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