Interview with Sarah Smart
Sarah Smart plays the part of Naomi in A Study in Time. Her relationship with Sam hangs in the balance when he suffers a tragic accident and loses the ability to read and write.
“I'm sure the series will provoke discussion about adult illiteracy. It can only be a good thing to talk about it and make it less of a taboo for people.”
Sarah is well known for a string of TV roles including Virginia in At Home with the Braithwaites and as Ann-Britt Hoglund in Wallander. She recently appeared in the two-part Doctor Who episode The Rebel Flesh as a doppelganger.
Here she talks about her character and their similarities. “I play Naomi, a primary school teacher who is in a long term relationship with Sam. I think she prides herself on being good at her job. She really loves her work. She is sweet natured and loyal and a good girlfriend to Sam.
“I like to think that, like Naomi, I also take pride in my work and I would definitely wish to stand by my partner if a crisis of this nature were to hit our relationship.”
Sarah explains why she took the role and how Sam’s plight resonated with her. “I'd worked with the brilliant director, Pauline Harris, quite a few times and she thought this role would suit me so gave me the script to read. I was moved by Sam's story and the poignancy of him achieving his ultimate dream of becoming an English teacher and then losing this amazing opportunity due to an accident. I was also struck by how much I take reading for granted and how strongly it would affect my life if I suddenly lost that faculty. And how it does still feel like a sort of taboo to admit you are an illiterate adult, which seems really unfair.”
The impact on people who have adult literacy issues is something Sarah can identify with. “I have a friend who is dyslexic. Reading for her does not seem to be a pleasure as it is for me. It seems more of a chore. I find that sad because I love to read so much. She doesn't tell people as a general rule because I think she feels ashamed. I kept thinking of her when I read the script and realised I had to be involved in the series somehow.”
And Sarah hopes that the dramas will go some way to removing the stigma around adult literacy issues. “I'm sure the series will provoke discussion about adult illiteracy. It can only be a good thing to talk about it and make it less of a taboo for people. If it facilitates in any way an adult learning to enjoy reading and writing, I think that would be really wonderful.”
