The Durrells in Corfu Return With Season Three Based on Gerald Durrell’s Trilogy with a Keeley Hawes Interview

Do you think Simon Nye relishes writing for Larry?

“Certainly from the conversations I’ve had with Simon, for a writer to write a character who is a writer is such a joy. You can also tell how much a writer enjoys writing a character because you get some great lines. There’s a rhythm with Larry and these nuggets of a line. You can just see Simon laughing at himself in his little office. It’s a pleasure saying those deadpan, negative lines from Larry. They’re always really good to undercut scenes.”

Larry and Louisa return to England for a visit. How was that to film?

“We filmed some exteriors in Richmond, Surrey. That was a lot of fun. It was weird to be filming on location but not in Corfu. And it rained a lot. Which is great because you want to show the contrast with Corfu.

“The London scenes are fantastic and that whole storyline is brilliant. We meet some new characters, including the writer Henry Miller. Seeing Larry in that setting makes for a good storyline in terms of, ‘How long has Larry got left staying in this family?’ That’s a really interesting side of it.

“It is strange to take those characters out of that Greek setting. It works all the better for the performances. The whole point is that Larry and Louisa have come away from England and then they have to come back. There are cars on the road when they’re used to one car, Spiros’ car. I loved throwing ourselves into a new setting.”

Is it almost like Larry has found his real home?

“That’s exactly right. There’s a lot of writing about Henry Miller and Lawrence Durrell being friends and even some photographs of Henry being in Corfu. I’m a huge fan of Henry Miller’s work so it was nice to actually live that.

“Larry is very much torn. As much as he might complain and moan about it, he loves his family and loves the setting. In the second series he spoke about wanting stuff to go wrong with his family because it gives him something to write about.

“But at the same time there’s this other yearning to be in London and be with the Bloomsbury Set and the whole literary movement. So it’s a real battle. In London, he finally finds people like him. He’s not the weird one.”

How do fans react when they see you filming?

“It’s amazing how that has grown. From starting the series in Corfu and none of us being recognised. Then gradually as series one came out and did so well and then series two, more and more people stop us and say how much they love the show. It’s always nice to hear that.

“We have our regular spots we go to in Corfu and we now know the locals so well. There’s a restaurant we go to which we absolutely adore and the people who own it have pictures of us up on the wall. It’s a lovely community.

“We all hope the series will go on. But whatever happens, we’ve had an amazing experience on The Durrells. It’s been the best possible job. You go to Corfu and meet people who say, ‘We didn’t know where to go on holiday. Then we watched the show and now we come to Corfu and will keep coming.’ It’s a great thing to have been involved in.”

Larry has an adventure on a boat. Are you a good sailor?

“No. I’m terrible. I think I had sailed once before and was knocked off the boat. That was amazing to film. They took this boat out with a little motor and we went in the middle of the ocean between Albania and Greece.

“Then all of the camera department and everyone else got off this sailing boat and went away, leaving me on my own. They filmed me from a distance. So I found myself in this weird position where I don’t know how to sail and I’m stuck alone in the middle of the ocean looking at Albania, where I’ve never been, looking back at Greece. I was totally isolated.

“There were a couple of hairy moments but that was probably one of my favourite scenes to ever film. It was so much fun. Not much acting was required in terms of not knowing how to sail the boat.”

Does Larry still avoid Gerry’s animals?

“We’ve got Frank the sloth in this series, who was brilliant. As much as the character of Larry avoids the animals, I do anything I can to be with them. They are astonishing animals. While Roger the dog - whose real name is Mossup - is the best dog in the world. We’re all very hands-on with the animals.”

Larry says, ‘One family, entirely different people.’ Does that, in part, sum up why this series works so well?

“Yes. It’s that thing that everyone can recognise someone. In that family dynamic everyone has got their trait. The Durrells are such an eclectic group of misfits, really. I love that and I think everyone relates to that. They can see parallels in their own families. It’s brilliant. That line sums it up. And is a perfect reason why Gerald Durrell wrote the book.”

Larry joins the Corfu Fire Brigade. How was that to film?

“We had some brilliant Corfiot and Greek actors coming in for that. Again, we had an unbelievable set. The art department and designers on this show are just phenomenal. The whole fire brigade storyline was great fun and quite unexpected for Larry. Another one of my favourite episodes. Larry likes a bit of flourish in his outfits. I won’t say too much about his uniform but he does jazz that up.”

One episode features a travelling circus. That must have been fun?

“It was a logistical nightmare. Niall MacCormick, who directed the last four episodes, has had some amazing challenges. Like an entire episode in the house. And the circus has some of the best material. It’s so funny. There’s a new fling for Larry, and the circus itself is amazing.”

There is a dangerous stunt at the circus. Have you ever done anything dangerous?

“Well apart from being left alone in the middle of the ocean, I did a film a few years ago where I had to jump into a lake. In Wales. In November. It snowed the morning we were jumping in. It was absolutely terrifying. I think that was probably the closest I’ve ever been to packing it all in.”

Does Larry speak more Greek in this series?

“Yes, Larry does have a number of Greek lines in this series. And as actors we’re learning more and more as we go along. It’s quite funny that Larry doesn’t really care about learning the language and doesn’t want to. He enjoys being the odd one out. “We see Leslie trying to speak Greek. While Larry loves his English language because that’s what he writes in. But there is a hint this time of Larry maybe trying to get a bit more on board with the Greek. “When it comes to us off screen I think my Greek is coming along very well. All of the Greeks seem to think we’re pathetic. But I can say all the key stuff. I can go into a restaurant and order and then say please and thank you.”

Did your friends and family visit you during filming this time?

“My mum and dad came out again to Corfu, along with my girlfriend. My mum may even be in the series. So people can watch out and guess who that is. If she makes the cut. She gave it everything.”

Do you think a series like The Durrells is even more attractive to viewers in today’s sometimes scary world?

“I think so. I remember when I was first sent the script before series one. I always thought there was a gap in television scheduling. We have a lot of brilliant TV in the UK. But not necessarily a light-hearted drama with high emotion and comedy. A gap The Durrells fills.

“With everything that’s going on in the world at the moment, it is scary times politically. So to settle down on a Sunday evening and you’re looking out into summer on screen, it just lifts everyone’s spirits. The time is absolutely right for what Simon Nye says is a celebration of family life.”

The story has now reached 1937, two years before the outbreak of World War Two. Is that reflected in this series?

“That’s starting to be reflected a little bit. Most dramas set in that period are about impending war. The Durrells are far from that but there’s a definite nod to it in this series. Again, it’s that thing of escaping from the politics and the fear. Simon keeps it light but still makes points about various issues.

“The Durrells are a bunch of immigrants who are accepted, generally speaking, into this community. Just as we as a group of actors and crew have been accepted into Corfu life with open arms. And maybe that’s a nice message to people that we can be like that and that’s a really positive thing.”

The Durrells has a global audience. Have you been recognised anywhere unusual?

“I was at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah and was recognised on a bus by some mid-American person who loved what is called ‘The Durrells In Corfu’ over there. It’s amazing how the series has spread and how people respond to it.

“Previous to The Durrells I had done a lot of theatre and television and film. But I’d never had an ongoing series like this. I always knew when I first read the scripts that this was something special. “But beyond that, the magic of this series is the crew, the cast and everyone who works on the show. It genuinely is a family. That’s magical.”

Editor's Note: The preceding was taken from an ITV's press release concerning the third season which enlarges on the production, Gerald Durrell's trilogy, and a lead actor's perspective. A fourth season is planned.

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The Durrells in Corfu Return With Season Three Based on Gerald Durrell’s Trilogy with a Keeley Hawes Interview

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