Interview with Sarah Hadland (Miss Clack)
Interview with Sarah Hadland (Miss Clack)
Published: 6 October 2016
Clack has no social awareness of her inappropriate behaviour and genuinely thinks it’s everyone else who is at fault.
How would you describe Miss Clack?
Miss Clack – or, as we all started calling her, 'Clack' - is an incredibly pious, holier-than-thou, busy body. She is highly religious and takes every opportunity to force her beliefs on others. She weedles her way into situations she is not wanted in and displays – ironically - truly unchristian qualities in the process. ‘Killing with kindness’ all the way...
If I met her I would be infuriated by her, but totally fascinated!
What was it like filming in Yorkshire?
I absolutely loved filming in Yorkshire. Filming on location does bring you together as you're all away from home and it was the loveliest cast and crew to be with. A local tearoom in Northallerton did become an obsession - they do these amazing bun type scone things called 'fat rascals' that I still think about now...!
The countryside locations were stunning and I may have driven costume mad by getting on tractors in my taffeta frock - it was just too tempting. Clack, working the land.
Did you have a favourite scene to shoot?
My favourite scene without question was the birthday party scene in episode one. It was a night shoot that included all the cast, which is always a recipe for madness as everyone goes beyond tired and gets hysterical. We had a huge, huge crane with a gigantic light over the rear of the house and the garden, and there was drum music and a snake called Geoff. What more can I say?
Is there a particular moment you’re looking forward to seeing on screen? (No spoilers!)
I am really looking forward to seeing Josh (Silver, who plays Franklin Blake) in the sea - he really was dreading that, but I bet it'll look great!
The Moonstone is part of the BBC’s #LoveToRead season. Are you a keen reader yourself?
I have always loved reading. My favourite childhood book was Downy Duckling - I still know it off by heart – and, as a teenager, To Kill A Mockingbird, which is still my favourite book to this day. It had such an impact on me and made me realise that reading really opens the world to you.
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.
