Interview with Terenia Edwards (Rachel Verinder)
Interview with Terenia Edwards (Rachel Verinder)
Published: 6 October 2016
Rachel is a total hero. She's passionate, she’s headstrong and she knows exactly what she wants.
Tell us about Rachel. What attracted you to the role?
Rachel is a total hero. She's passionate, she’s headstrong and she knows exactly what she wants. It was a wonderful and, I think, quite a rare opportunity to play a girl of her age that takes on so much.
What was the biggest challenge of playing her?
Rachel’s very accomplished and proud of it. I think finding her confidence was probably the biggest challenge... I'm a bit of a hermit myself.
Do you think the Rachel in this adaptation differs to Rachel in the novel?
I think Rachel Flowerday and Sasha Hails brilliantly reflected the book and the characters in the script - but I think you get to know Rachel a bit more in this adaptation. It gives us a closer look.
Did you have any favourite moments on set?
So many wonderful moments. I was so excited driving up to the Verinders’ house for the first time. And ALL of my costumes and hair dos!
Is there a particular moment you’re looking forward to seeing on screen? (No spoilers!)
Probably Rachel’s birthday party scene in episode one. It's bonkers and I can’t wait to see it.
What was it like filming in Yorkshire?
An absolute dream. Yorkshire has got to be the most beautiful place in the world, right? I have a special piece of my heart reserved for it - particularly the coast.
The Moonstone is part of BBC’s #LoveToRead. Are you a keen reader? Do you have a favourite book?
I do love a good book. Love an Agatha Christie. It's hard to pick one favourite. Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman will always stick with me - I read it at drama school. But my absolute favourite has to be The Death of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave. I could read it a hundred times and I would still find it as entertaining and disturbing as I did the first time I read it.
Early on, we decided to take the leap of choosing a co-writing credit on every episode. There’s always a slight competition, even between the most generous writers, over meaty story beats and who ultimately gets to write the ‘best’ episode. Our feeling was that by co-writing, we would both always be fighting for what was best for the series as a whole, and work equally hard for every beat of each episode, keeping ego completely out of it. It worked really well. We broke the story for the five episodes as a pair, with our exec and producer coming in at the end so we could pitch the day’s work and spot any shortcomings together. When it came to writing the episodes, we went away to write individual first drafts – but reconvened for notes at every stage, suggesting (and writing) new scenes and story beats for each other’s episodes where needed, and acting as each other’s script editor. It’s possible that having an all-female core team – writers, director, and our producer Joanna Hanley – helped continue this spirit of partnership onto the set. The result is true collaboration.
It’s rare, as writers, that the finished product looks not only as good as your imagination, but better. Here, though, it’s definitely the case. Every element works in harmony – stunning location and costumes, amazing cast, talented crew, and of course our fabulous director Lisa Mulcahy.
We’re beyond delighted with the magic they’ve breathed into our scripts – and can’t wait for a new audience to enjoy the sparkle of The Moonstone.
