Interview with Joel Fry
In 1994, a toddler disappeared from a small Welsh village, never to be seen again.
Published: 22 January 2018
When scary things happen, viewers find it even more scary when they really care about the characters, and I think that will be the case here.
Please outline Hal’s relationship with Matilda.
Hal is a wet blanket, but he’s a nice wet blanket! He loves Matilda, but it’s hard to tell if she knows that. She probably does when Hal sits and talks to her for ages, but it’s the last thing on her mind at the moment. She has other things on her mind and other fish to fry! They were bonded before, but when they go on this quest together, they reach a new level of intimacy.
Hal is fascinated by Matilda. She is an incredibly talented musician and a bit of a rock star in the classical music world. She’s gutsy and fearless. Everyone is understandably attracted to her.
How has it been working with Lydia?
It’s been fantastic. She’s really, really talented. She’s very devoted to her work - which she needed to be in this part!
She worked so hard on Requiem. She’s like Mahalia; she really cares about what she’s doing - everything else is background noise. It was really easy to do things with her because we both wanted the same thing; we both wanted it to be as good as it could possibly be.
Sometimes lead performers get too paranoid about themselves, but Lydia is not like that at all. She’s a real team player.
How did you find it filming in the eerie old house which plays such a vital role in Requiem?
It was really quite strange and spooky. It’s one of those old houses where you walk in and can’t help feeling, “What kind of things have happened here in the past?”
How did the locations enhance the drama?
We went to some very remote, very beautiful places in North Wales and that really helps because you’re so far away from everything. It also helps because it creates a travelling-company vibe. Everyone is in it together and feels very bonded. It harks back to the time when actors were travelling players, going around the country putting on plays. That was a very nice extra element to making this drama.
What impact do you hope that Requiem will have on its audience?
I hope viewers are really transported by it. It’s a brilliant mystery, which wraps up very satisfyingly at the end. It’s such an achievement.
Mahalia cares so much about what she’s doing, and that doesn’t always happen in TV. Above all, I hope people really invest in Matilda.
When scary things happen, viewers find it even more scary when they really care about the characters, and I think that will be the case here. This drama is unique. We put a great deal of effort into Requiem, and it really felt like we were making something special. I very much hope viewers will agree.
