The Invisibles
Jenny Agutter plays Barbara Riley
Barbara Riley, mother to Grace (Emily Head), is an ex-model. She met the handsome, witty, rather manic Maurice (Anthony Head) at a party and soon discovered that he was a crook. Rather than throw up her hands in horror, she preferred to make the best of it.
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Can you tell us about your character
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Barbara's a real mixture of things and she comes from a Bohemian family. She's done quite well in modelling and she obviously likes the glamorous life.
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How does she cope with Maurice's relationship with his friend, Syd?
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When Barbara met Maurice, Syd was around and she quickly realised she wasn't going to get in between them. Syd was always going to be there.
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Is that the sort of thing that you can understand yourself?
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I think if you meet somebody you really love and adore, but they've got a sidekick, you accept it as part of their life. I'm sure Syd becomes a friend and a confidante. He's another side of Maurice – they're two sides of a coin.
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How does she cope with her daughter, Grace, not knowing Maurice is a criminal?
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Having made a decision not to tell Grace, because you can't really tell a child her father is a criminal, we tell her that Maurice is a bank manager – well, he takes people's money, so it's actually on the edge of reality. But having told the lie you then continue with the lie and just try and make an ordinary life. It's both funny and rather awful, because poor Grace is left feeling that she's been lied to.
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What was it been like filming The Invisibles?
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Great fun, really terrific and it was a lovely cast to work with – terrific directors and lovely crew. We had good locations and good weather but it was very cold. It was beautiful being in Ireland. One could not have really asked for very much more.
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What should viewers expect when the series hits our screens?
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A comedy drama with a difference. Everybody's done stories about thieves, burglars and criminals. I think William Ivory's writing is different and he demands that you go between high drama and comedy. I hope the audience will enjoy that and just go with it.
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