Isobel Middleton (Anna Tregorran) Q&A

One of the key players in the trial of Helen Titchener has been her well-respected barrister, Anna Tregorran. She represented Helen after her godmother, Jill Archer, recommended her. Here the actress Isobel Middleton, who played Anna talks about her role.

What was it like recording the trial episodes for you as an actor?

It was exciting. I think we all felt a certain responsibility to portray proceedings as accurately

and truthfully as possible despite the time constraints of each episode. There was definitely

a sense of creating something special in the story of The Archers and a desire to give the

listeners what they wanted after so long. It goes without saying that it was thrilling and great

fun to play the scenes with such fine actors such as our regular cast plus Nigel Anthony

(Judge Loomis) and Alan Raglan (Mr Bywater) under the direction of Sean O’Connor.

What was the most powerful moment for you while recording those episodes?

You probably won’t be surprised if I say it was the moment Anna took a complete risk and

pushed Helen to confess to being raped by Rob. It could have gone either way, of course,

but Helen’s admission was both horrific and cathartic, so in terms of drama it doesn’t get

much better than that. And of course, Louiza (Helen) played it brilliantly. In every take.

Do you think Helen’s trial has helped heal old wounds for Anna?

I think it’s early days yet, but I have no doubt she feels a massive sense of relief! Whether

this will restore her confidence in her ability as a barrister I’m not entirely sure. I think she still

has quite a bit of stuff to sort out, both personally and professionally.

Do you remember what your first day at The Archers as Anna Tregorran was like?

It was very thrilling and slightly nerve-wracking! Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. I

recall trying to remember everyone’s names as they introduced themselves whilst trying to

disguise my excitement at actually seeing the faces behind the voices I’d grown up with for

years. I felt (and still feel) very fortunate to be joining such an iconic programme.

Were there any stalwart Archers voices you were particularly pleased to meet in person?

All of them! But I admit I was especially thrilled to meet Carole Boyd, as I’ve always loved

Lynda Snell, and obviously the wonderful Eleanor Bron who plays my mum, Carol Tregorran.

Before Anna Tregorran, what was your previous experience on The Archers?

I appeared in one episode as the air ambulance doctor who arrived to tend to Tony after he

was attacked by Otto the bull! The thing I remember most is that I had to say “thoracolumbar”

and had to keep singing “La Cucaracha” in my head to make sure I got the emphasis right! I

also got to work with the wonderful David (Tony), Pat (Pat) and Louiza (Helen) so it was

lovely to meet them again when I later returned to work with them as Anna.

What has it been like getting to know Anna Tregorran?

It’s been fun and challenging at the same time. Obviously Anna’s main purpose has been to

act as Helen’s barrister so initially a lot of her dialogue was legal stuff and I was keen for her

to be a credible professional. That was quite hard, as a lot of her early efforts were

unsuccessful, but over time I discovered that she was determined in the face of adversity

and as the scriptwriters began to reveal more of her back-story I could see why. It has been

great to slowly get to know more about her, and hopefully flesh her out as a fully rounded

character in time. I hope listeners will feel that, despite their frustrations with her emotional

and professional challenges, Anna is a truthful and believable character, warts and all!

What’s your impression of The Archers since joining the cast?

I love it even more! I am constantly impressed by the production team’s ability to create

magic out of the ordinary, in the sense that it all comes out of one small studio in

Birmingham, using everyday objects to paint a world that is only limited by the listeners’

imagination.

Has your view of it changed in any way since becoming embedded in its production?

I have huge respect for all involved. Obviously I have had to accept that my perception of

Ambridge is a little different now that I have seen the inner workings, but I still love it and

salute it as a wonder of our creative industry in this country.

What would be your fantasy Archers storyline?

Apart from Lynda Snell casting Anna and Carol as Maria and the Mother Superior in her

Christmas version of The Sound of Music, you mean? I’d quite like an alien abduction story. I like a bit of sci-fi and I’m sure if Susan was involved we’d get a fascinating insight into extraterrestrial life. They’d probably send her back pretty pronto!