Vicky McClure Talks Trigger Point

Season two of Trigger Point landed some 30 million streams on ITVX, with the Jed Mercurio-produced thriller becoming the second most-watched drama for U.K. broadcaster ITV last year. Distributed worldwide by All3Media International, Trigger Point was recently greenlit for a third season, with Vicky McClure set to reprise her starring turn as bomb disposal officer Lana Washington. McClure, who previously worked with Mercurio on six seasons of the megahit Line of Duty, tells TV Drama about what’s in store for her character and discusses the work she’s done helping dementia patients in the U.K., most notably creating Our Dementia Choir, an initiative chronicled in her BBC documentary of the same name.

TV DRAMA: What made you want to say yes to Trigger Point? I understand the role was written with you in mind.
MCCLURE: Apparently so, which is always a huge compliment to any actor. That’s what we all hope and dream would be the scenario, but you never expect it. Jed [Mercurio] did approach me and said, “We’ve got this show in development, and we’d love you to attach yourself.” The biggest attraction for me was it was a world I knew nothing about. With terrorism, you don’t tend to think too much about the people behind it because the event itself takes over. When you do start to learn what they do and the technical side of it, it’s a lot. And the characters behind it. Who’s brave enough to be in control? Who’s brave enough to do that job? And also the female side of it—females are less likely to be in that position.

TV DRAMA: You mentioned the technical side. What kind of research did you have to do to get into character?
MCCLURE: The technical side of it comes down to a team we have. Joel [Snarr, a consultant on the show] is an EXPO [a bomb disposal advisor]; he has been for many years. He’s an expert in the field, and he was able to work with us in a way that you need somebody to work in this job. We need to have a bit of artistic license because this is telly. Joel would say, If we were doing this for real, you’d be looking at this device for five hours—that’s not very entertaining for anybody! It’s all about trying to find a balance. We meet with Joel before we start shooting, and he talks us through devices. From what we see in the news, we know that these devices can be simply made. As we’ve gone on, the devices have become more complex because there are only so many people who want to watch me snapping some wires. The collar bomb in series two was the most harrowing of all. It’s just trying to be inventive in entertainment and ensuring that we’re keeping it as real as possible. I’ve learned an awful lot about bomb disposal devices, more than I ever expected to know.

In terms of the psychological side of it, that always comes down to lots of reading. I have friends and people like Joel who have worked in the forces and the police. That gallows humor is important to have that light relief. It’s also to make it as relevant as we can and authentic. Lana is not going to be shocked every time she sees a bomb or be scared. It’s all about trying not to seem like you’re reacting how I would.

TV DRAMA: As a viewer, you feel the tension from those scenes; I imagine you don’t want it to feel like that on set! How do you switch off, as it were, in between takes or when you leave for the day?
MCCLURE: For me, music is a massive part of it. I’ve got connections with Our Dementia Choir and Day Fever [a daytime disco] and other bits of my life. Music breaks up the energy and steps you away from what you are doing. And at home, I use the telly—I put on something like The Traitors; telly that is easy to watch. I like to be on the phone with my mates and my family. Nothing exciting!

TV DRAMA: Having come off playing a police officer in Line of Duty, were you concerned about taking on another law-enforcement type role for fear of being typecast?
MCCLURE: It crossed my mind. What I find quite frustrating about telly in general is—and I’m looking at this from a producing point of view now because I’ve got my own production company—[commissioners will say] “We’ve already got a show set in the Midlands.” And I’ll say, “Well, you can have more than one when we’ve got I don’t know how many cop shows running at the same time!” That can apply to an actor’s perspective as well. There are actors out there where you’d be gutted if they weren’t portraying the role we love to see them do. What excites me more than anything is working with people that I like. Having connections as I do with people like Jed makes me feel comfortable knowing that I’m going into a show that will be well managed, produced and written. That was a big part of it. Also, she’s not a copper, so I can be less legal about things. Lana doesn’t stick to the rulebook all the time. There was much more movement for me and more character behind the scenes. You see Lana away from work much more than we would Kate Fleming, so there was much more for me to play with. The comparison was there, and it was on my mind, but it didn’t stop me from it. And I don’t think it should stop anyone. We should all be grateful to grab the jobs that we can.

TV DRAMA: I know it’s still early, but what can you tell us about the recently greenlit third season of Trigger Point?
MCCLURE: We’re still in a bit of development with some of the scripts, but we’re returning to Lana, and the only thing that will keep her going is her job. It’s the one thing that destroys her at the same time. It’s that constant push and pull that she’s battling. She’s lost so many people around her, including her family and friends at work. It’s within her heart and desire to ensure she saves as many people as possible. We will see Lana continue the battle of her mental health. It is on the floor now. She’s hit a point where she’s got to try and continue in the role. She has to prove to the powers that be that she’s capable. At the same time, she’s got to prove to her team that she can run it. She’s got to hide a lot of stuff by doing that. What we see is that lonely battle she’s having. She’s trying many different methods and things that will help keep her level, but it won’t last, and people will be lost in the process.

TV DRAMA: Being at the top of the call sheet, what kind of atmosphere do you try to foster on set?
MCCLURE: Let’s just enjoy it. This is not real. We’re not in this actual situation. We are blessed to be in the positions and the jobs that we’re in. I want there to be a happy set. I know that’s not always realistic, but if people have a problem, they can say it. It’s always about an open floor. Whatever set you’re on, it always comes down from the top. If your execs and producers are present and happy to have the discussions and want to make it a happy place to work, you will have a happy shoot. As an exec, I’m happy to let all the professionals do their jobs. I don’t want to step on toes and start picking the scripts and shots apart. My role is to lead by example, have a laugh and enjoy it. We have some brilliant directors and writers; they want people to get into the bones of their characters. We can cut lines here and there where we feel like they’re not needed. Then, the actor feels like they belong to the character and have a bit of ownership over it. For me, it’s just the human side of it. There’s nothing nicer than a crew. They all want to help each other and get the job done. We’re in a good place.

TV DRAMA: Is there anything else about Trigger Point or other projects brewing that you can tell me about?
MCCLURE: With Trigger Point, we’ve been blessed to see the reaction to [the announcement of] season three; people were buzzing. Coming up for me next is [the release of] a Kenneth Branagh movie [The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde], which I loved doing. Build Your Own Films is a working-class production company, and we’re fighting hard to get these productions out there and get distributors and channels to take risks. We’re trying to break the mold by putting on stuff that feels authentically working class.

TV DRAMA: I want to talk to you about your work with Our Dementia Choir and how that has created a new avenue of expression for you, personally and professionally.
MCCLURE: I’ve managed to build a platform and a profile where I feel like it has a purpose, and I might as well put it to good use. The work that I do with Our Dementia Choir and dementia in general, there’s such a long way to go, but me turning up at 10 Downing Street or Our Dementia Choir performing in a space that you wouldn’t usually see people with dementia performing feels like we’re progressing. The millions of people who are dealing with dementia see very little being done. Diagnosis is such a long and tricky road. Our Dementia Choir shows that you can live well with it. We have to make sure we’re there for people, especially for those that don’t have families. There’s so much more that we should be doing. I don’t mind being the spokesperson for that where I can. And the choir, my God, they are their own stars now. It doesn’t require my presence at these performances. People are desperate to watch them sing and are uplifted by them. The science behind it says everything, and people should be given this advice about music when they go to their GP. It really can make a difference to that person’s day or week.