The Pact

Interview with Little Door Productions (Elwen Rowlands & Hayley Manning)

Tell us about how the initial idea of The Pact came about? 

ER - Pete and I live a few streets away from each other in Cardiff and we meet up regularly to discuss ideas. We discovered a shared love of a particular type of thriller. Pete’s original pitch for The Pact – five women bound by a secret that could ruin their lives – appealed because it had such clarity of concept and threw ordinary people into extraordinary circumstances which always makes for great drama. Being Little Door Productions’ first commission, we wanted to launch with the right show and The Pact embodies high-quality drama that represents Wales.

Have you worked with Pete McTighe before? What was that process like?

ER - I had worked with Pete previously so was aware of how skilled he was at plotting, how brilliant he is at creating these flawed yet utterly relatable characters, his writing always packing a huge emotional punch. I guess there was trust there from both sides and so the process was pretty smooth. It was helped by swift commissioning decisions from BBC Wales. We had all six episodes written before we were due to start shooting. This is becoming more common in the post-Covid world but back in December 2019 is was very unusual!

How important to you was filming and setting this drama in Wales?

ER - It was hugely important to set and film The Pact in Wales for all involved. Both Pete and I wanted to portray the contemporary Wales that is our home. The strong sense of community, the diversity, the variety of accents, the landscape.  Little Door was set up in Wales in 2019, as an indigenous producer it’s important for us to always film our shows locally where possible, supporting local talent, showcasing new talent and making the most of the great locations on our doorstep.

What challenges did you face during the production?

HM – The Pact has been hugely challenging. Our lawyers said we have had a career’s worth of experience on this one show, and it’s certainly felt like that. It’s been a rollercoaster journey but with a resulting show we very proud of.

Production on The Pact was suspended due to the pandemic in March on our last day of prep. We had to deal with the immediate fall out of what were unprecedented circumstances and then focus our minds on how to re-start and at what cost. We spent four months dealing with suspension, re-working scripts, re-financing the additional Covid costs, and looking at the Covid safety measures required to be able to resume production safely. We eventually resumed prep in August with only a handful of other dramas in a Covid production landscape that was changing daily. The additional pressures the pandemic put on the team was tremendous and at any point you knew your phone could ring with another Covid issue and potentially the production could be suspended.  With a few bumps along the way together with our amazing cast and crew we managed to finish filming a couple of weeks before Christmas. There was a huge sense of achievement amongst the team and although Covid took over the creative many times, we are delighted with what we have produced.

When the casting process was taking place, what were you looking for? Did you have any of the actors in mind from the script? 

ER - We didn’t have anyone in mind during the development stage but knew our ensemble cast offered a myriad of opportunity. It was a challenging show to cast because we had to deliver on Welsh portrayal and have a cast that would cut through internationally. Our casting director Sarah Crowe completely understood this dual need and we ended up with a fantastic cast who truly complement each other.

For Little Door, it was about finding a cast that felt authentic in our Welsh setting and the predominantly working-class world of the show. We also wanted actors to use their natural accents as much as possible. We did have to break that rule for Eddie, but he completely nailed the Welsh accent! I think we’re very proud to have so much brilliant Welsh acting talent - Eiry, Heledd, Abbie, Jason, Rakie, Gabrielle, Aled and Mark - in the show alongside Laura, Julie, Eddie and Adrian.

Without giving anything away, what can viewers expect from the series? 

ER - It’s a gripping, surprising and emotional thriller. It’s a show about secrets, friendship and divided loyalties – where nothing turns out to be quite what it seems.

What are the over-arching themes of the drama and how are they explored? 

ER - The Pact explores how ordinary people deal with extraordinary circumstances. How we behave towards our friends and family when we find ourselves under huge pressure. How we cope with huge moral dilemmas. Although The Pact takes us to some dark places and shows the best and worst of human behaviour, overall, I think it’s a show with a lot of compassion and kindness. 

What do you hope viewers will take away from The Pact? 

ER - How important friendship is in our lives. 

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about the production? 

HM - Supporting new and diverse talent is very important to Little Door and there is a responsibility on us as company owners to make sure we are always looking at how we can provide opportunities for new talent. A standout talent for us was up and coming Director of Photography Will Baldy, The Pact was beautifully lit, and Will is certainly one to watch! 

ER - Reflecting the diversity you find in contemporary Wales was very important. It was great to hear Abbie, a mixed-race actor, say how excited she was to be around other black and mixed-race Welsh actors on The Pact as she rarely sees herself portrayed in Welsh drama. Pete’s desire to write diverse characters who aren’t defined by their gender, race, class or sexuality also chimes with our values as a company.