Cast quotes for The Mill, Series 2

30 June 2014

 

“Daniel was politically awakened in the last series, but now he’s on fire! He’s the political voice of the drama.”

Matthew McNulty on his character Daniel Bate

“Esther’s coming towards the end of her apprenticeship and she’s becoming an adult. In this series her storyline is about independence and maturing.”

Kerrie Hayes on her character Esther Price

“In this series Susannah’s finding her feet as a housewife and has to deal with her isolation from her friends. Although she has life comparatively easy, she’s actually really alone and feels taken for granted.”

Holly Lucas on her character Susannah Bate

“Miriam’s really maturing in this series. She’s intrigued by Peter, because he’s completely different to everyone else she’s ever met – she wants to learn about him and to learn more about the world.”

Sacha Parkinson on her character Miriam Catterall

“In between Series One and Series Two, Hannah Greg visited the Greg Plantation in Dominica to understand the state of her slaves. She was dissatisfied with their conditions and, as part of her abolitionist stance, has brought Peter back to England with her to give talks around the country at Quaker meetings to help spur the movement to abolish slavery in the colonies.”

Sope Dirisu on his character Peter Gardener

“Esther is Lucy’s everything – her friend, her sister… As Esther prepares to leave the Apprentice House, their relationship is tested. But as the series progresses, Lucy grows up a lot, comes out from Esther’s shadow and learns to stand up for herself.”

Katherine Rose Morley on her character Lucy Garner

“The Howletts are agricultural labourers forced to move up North for work out of poverty and desperation. John Howlett believes in hard work and honesty and the importance of family, but he still slips his underage son into the mill to work, flouting the rules. He doesn’t approve of rabble rousing – I suppose he’s the Victorian equivalent of a working class Tory.”

Mark Frost on his character John Howlett

“Will Whittaker is an apprentice shoemaker. His dad died at Waterloo and his mum died of a broken heart. He’s been raised by his grandfather, uncle and aunt.”

Mark Strepan on his character Will Whittaker

“Abe Whittaker’s the oldest member of The Mill cast. He’s been a shoemaker all his life and he values craftsmanship. He’s trying to hold his family together and to carry on the tradition by passing down his skills. He can’t stand watching his family become mill labourers.”

Dave Hill on his character Abe Whittaker

“At the heart of the series is a desire to tell the stories of people whose lives have been under-represented.”

John Fay, Lead Writer