An interview with the cast of The Marlow Murder Club

Thanks so much for joining us today! To start with, we’d love to know what your overall experience was like working on The Marlow Murder Club?

Cara: It was really nice returning for a second season. Since we did the first season together, we didn’t have to put as much work into getting familiar with each other and the characters. Marlow makes the shoot pleasurable because you're in ideal locations. And it's just nice to be back with the old team writers and directors.

Natalie: Yeah, I totally agree—It felt nice to come back to it. As Cara said, it was lovely not having to build friendships from scratch, as we'd done a lot of the groundwork in the previous season.

Jo: The cast and crew have now become a family because everyone from season 1 has returned for season 2. Because the first series was based on Robert [Thorogood] 's books, for this season, they've got new writers with amazing new stories. And since we're all good at comedy they've leaned into the humour a bit more—that's been really fun to play!

When you read the script for season 2, were there any plot twists that took you by surprise?

Cara: Well, it's a slightly different setup this season because we've got 6 episodes and three separate murder stories. So unlike season 1 where they're all interlinked and it comes to one crescendo, this is three separate stories, and it was really fun to work on them as separate entities, because they are all set in different locations and involve different guest stars which gives them their own individual feel. In terms of plot twists, I was certainly surprised, particularly with the second story in episodes 3 and 4, I really didn't see that murderer coming at all!

Jo: They all take me by surprise… I'm just like what? No. What? No. Once, I must have read one of them and misunderstood something or skipped a page by mistake because when we did the table read I was like, oh, my days! I don't know how these writers do it! These plot twists are incredible—I'm just like, wow. In season 2 episode 1, the whole plot is about a guy who dies in a locked room. How on Earth are you going to unpick this? But we do, we certainly do…

Jo, your role as Suzie is very different from some of the other roles you've played, like The Fugitive Doctor in Doctor Who, so what drew you into this role and what can we expect from character development in Season 2?

Jo: You wouldn’t expect someone of Suzie’s age to be thrown into something new, especially as an amateur detective. It's unusual and I've never been offered something like it before. I get to solve crimes alongside other women and I'm not the sidekick of another man! 

In terms of what Suzie is going through, she's got her daughter who has been her absolute world and suddenly she's faced with the fact that she's going off to university. And I think she is trying to hold her back, which isn't a positive thing for Suzie as she has to let go… But as I always say, if loving is a crime, then you'll have to kill me!

Natalie, you play the character, DS Malik. What drew you to the role and what can we expect from your character arc development in season 2?

Natalie: It was really lovely in season 1, to admit needing help and having the ladies to lean on. Their working relationship was a huge benefit to DS Malik— it helped her believe she could do the job and find her voice. So I think it's been quite nice for me (as I’m not a detective!) to figure out how to play the role as she's on her own journey, and it’s been lovely having more confidence this season.

Are you able to tell us how your trio's relationship with DS Malik will change over the second season? At the end of season 1 we saw you all get much closer...

Cara: Well, it's interesting because the three women are not official police officers. Although they're civilian advisors, there’s only so far that they're supposed to go and these three women find a way to cross that line every time, constantly trying to push the boundary of what they're allowed to do. Their different personalities and their different standings within the community allows them to negotiate that boundary in different ways. There are still moments where it's easier between them than other moments, but there's definitely been an overall development in their closeness as Tanika trust them more.

Jo: In one particular scene, we are all very happy as we’re celebrating a win! My character is going mad and cuddling everyone, I embrace Tanika and there’s a moment of maybe this is too much, too soon and we’re not quite ready for that yet—but it is coming!

Which episode of season 2 are you most looking forward to the audience watching and why?

Natalie: For me, it’s episodes 3 and 4 as it's a slightly different setting to what we've seen before, it gets more intimate and goes from the large-scale amazing houses that Marlow has to offer to something more domestic.  That's the first real taste we've had of that from Marlow. Everyone expects amazing houses—and we have them, don’t get me wrong—but this had a different vibe. It was a bit spooky and a bit weird, which I loved!

Cara: I loved that one too, and I really didn't see the murderer coming either! I quite liked episodes 1 and 2 as well, purely because it's set in one location in one house, and the three women are guests at the party where the murder occurs, so there's only a finite amount of people that it could be. It's actually quite interesting to have that restriction like Murder on the Orient Express, where it can only be someone in that location. There's something kind of quite satisfying about figuring out the jigsaw pieces of who saw what, who's lying and what people heard!

Jo: Definitely episode 1—the guy who died in the locked room—that’s one of my absolute favourites!

Jo, could you tell us something that you'd love the audience to know that you never get asked?

Jo: How agile I am [laughs] I can still do the splits, I want to do more fighting, I did some martial arts and I think they need to write in some high kicks. They're missing a trick is what I'm telling you. I’m glad you asked for that! Is anybody else casting anything? You need some high kicks, a new Equalizer? Here I am.

If you could play a different character in the show, who would you choose to play and why?

Cara: Oh, that's a great question, I'd like to play Mrs Eddleston, I'm not quite there in terms of my of age for casting but she's a busy body and gets under people's skin and there’s something quite endearing about her because she's well-intentioned…I really love that character she's sort of irritating and funny at the same time.

Jo: I like playing baddies. I can't say who specifically because I'll be giving it away, but one of the baddies who has murdered someone is acting like butter wouldn't melt…I think I could play that quite well!

Natalie: That's such a good question. Purely for the snacks, I'd have to go for Brendan because he eats 75% of his way through this show—his desk is always covered in scampi fries and frazzles!

Can we expect more cliffhangers and a lot more excitement in season 2? 

Cara: There' are cliffhangers at the end of each episode and I think the audience will have trouble guessing the murderer each time. It was never who I thought it would be and that's half the fun of watching this genre, working out who it is will very much keep you guessing!

Natalie: Yeah, I totally agree. The three ladies borders on Charlie's angels sometimes, there are some funny moments as well.

Cara: Yeah, there's some nice comedy, isn't there?

Natalie: Yes, which I think we got flavours of in the first series. It felt nice to be able to get a few more jokes in, it's very funny to watch.

Our final question is which scene across the series would you say was the most fun to film?

Jo: In one episode we borrow a mobility scooter, and while filming we were taken on a low rider through Marlow. The stunt women did some amazing stuff and the way it was cut made it really look like we did it. That was the most fun day ever! My son was on set that day and he couldn't tell when it was the stunt women and when it was us! So he kept saying “mum, you're amazing” I said that wasn't me! That was a stunt woman! 

Watch The Marlow Murder Club on U&Drama, Wednesdays at 9pm or stream on U.