Russell Tovey Talks BBC Doctor Who Spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea

A Brand New Environment

Doctor Who spin-off The War Between The Land And The Sea starts tomorrow and here’s one of its stars Russell Tovey talking about it…

How did your casting come about? How did you react when you heard you had got the part of Barclay?

I worked with Russell T Davies on Doctor Who and Years And Years, and he wrote to me to say there is something coming my way and he’d love for me to do it and take a read. I read it and met up with the director Dylan Holmes Williams and Executive Producer Jane Tranter and had a big chat about it. I was incredibly excited once I got my head around the concept, how it was all going to play out, and what was going to happen to my character. It was an amazing thing to step back into The Whoniverse and work with Russell T Davies again.

What can you tell us about your character, Barclay? Where do we find him at the start of the series?

Barclay is a very regular guy who books taxis for very important people. He’s a drifter, he’s a divorcee, he’s a single parent. He’s slightly numb and going through the motions. We find him at the beginning just suddenly thrust into a situation he wasn’t expecting, and that ricochets through the trajectory of his life.

Did you receive any advice on how to go about the role?

I think the script was enough. There were amazing directions in it, the dialogue was incredible, and the interactions between the characters is really beautiful and nuanced. I talked to the director Dylan Holmes Williams about the character. I wanted Barclay to feel like a lost boy at the beginning, and I really wanted to go on a journey with him.

What can we expect to see from the series?

We are going to see how Barclay connects with Salt and their relationship, how that blossoms and becomes something incredibly important for him personally, for her personally, but also the implications that has for the planet. I think there’s going to be a lot of love, and this show has a big beating heart and it’s their connection.

What was your reaction when you first read the scripts?

I loved them. I just thought they were beautifully written. Pete McTighe and Russell T Davies created something very original and exciting and nuanced and moving. I was incredibly moved by Barclay’s journey; it allowed me as an actor to process many emotions. He goes on a gauntlet of highs and lows.

Did you get to partake any stunts? How was it filming the underwater sequences?

There were a lot of stunts – running around a lot at full pelt! A lot of water stunts. I love swimming and I embraced all the swimming underwater with panache, I loved it. I feel very at home in the swimming pool or in the sea, so those were easy for me. Barclay has a lot of leaping and jumping and fighting.

The sets, special effects and make up in this series are on another level, what was it like immersing yourself in that environment?

Amazing! The sets were so immersive, I couldn’t believe the build. What they achieved was phenomenal. So, when you climb onto set, literally in some cases, you felt totally immersed in the story. My makeup was minimal compared to Gugu, and I was in awe of her energy and how she created this amazing character and had to go through this endurance test. Every moment of every day I was excited to get on set.

How was it working with your co-lead, Gugu Mbatha-Raw?

I’m obsessed with her, I think she’s phenomenal. Her poise, her stillness, her emotion, the way she contains so much with a look, I’m a big fan. I was so excited that we were going to be working together on this. I think she’s incredibly classy.

How would you characterise the relationship between Barclay and Salt?

I would say they are soulmates from totally different worlds, and unbeknownst to them, they’ve been thrust together. It feels kismet or astrological – the universe has made these two connect in the most profound way and it’s affected the planet.

How was it working alongside your other co-stars?

It was amazing. Jemma Redgrave is so wonderful and I loved working with her. Francesca Corney and Colin McFarlane, I loved… Everybody at every stage, cast and crew, were incredibly special. It was a really beautiful energy on set, and we formed good friendships. It’s one of those jobs that I think we’re all going to remember for a long, long time.

What are you most excited for the audience to see in the series, and what would you like them to take away from it?

I want them to go on this journey with Barcley, for him to take you through this world, be changed, connect with Salt, and start to really consider the state of the planet and what we’re doing. It’s about dramatizing and humanising something that is fundamentally serious.

Do you think there could be different species lurking in the ocean?

Yes, and I think there’s different species lurking in space, I think there’s different species lurking in rainforests or in the middle of glaciers, and I think there is a lot in this world that we haven’t even encountered yet or have no concept of. I find that hopeful and terrifying at the same time.