Interview with Lee Ingleby (Prisoner Patrick Morgan)

22 August 2023

Were you a fan of season one of Screw?

Yeah, I enjoyed it. It seemed really well observed, not that I’ve ever been in prison! It was intriguing and I knew the work of the cast, so I was really interested when I got asked to be in it, both in terms of the piece and the character.

What can you say about Morgan?

When you first meet him, it's his first time in prison. His story is that he's a civil servant on remand, someone who interrupted a burglary for which he has been punished after getting a bit hands-on with the burglar. He's incredibly nervous and way out of his depth, so he tries to ingratiate himself with the officers because he feels like he doesn't belong there. Then things go slightly awry…

Is he trying to integrate himself with inmates?

I don't think he's trying to form a bond with anyone, he's trying to keep himself to himself. But he also realises that he shouldn’t stand out, must blend in, and keep his nose clean and not be a pushover or a weak link. People get offended very quickly and will try and take advantage. He's in an extreme, very dangerous situation.

Do you fear for him initially because he is so green?

Yeah, because if you want to survive in prison there are rules and etiquette. For example, one of the officers says to him that he shouldn’t have a picture of his kids lying around because it's information that you don't want to give away, and that’s a bit of a revelation. You might think you might know what it's going to be like in prison, but I don't think anything could prepare you for situations like that.

What does he make of the rumours that there’s an undercover cop on the wing?

He knows how quickly these things can get out, how quickly rumours spread, how quickly people are trying to figure it out as he's trying to figure out what people are thinking. It's a daunting situation.

How did it feel to be banged up on that set?

It was such an incredible set – the detail was amazing. There's a lot of time hanging around somewhere in the back of shot, just overhanging the balcony and observing. It can be boring, and it gives you a sense of what it's like. We get to go back in our trailers or go home of course, but you get a real sense of that claustrophobia and the mind-numbing impact of that lack of movement, the lack of anything inspiring to do.

What does all that do for your performance?

It's funny, because while we're waiting for the cameras to turn around, leaning on the side having a chat, you’re so aware that there's a lot of people there and that there’s somebody looking at you somewhere, all the time. It just felt like there was never a private moment; you were always being observed as you were observing.

Did you do any research for the role?

Well, I chatted to Rob (Williams, series creator) quite a lot, because he has experience of working in prisons himself. He had all these interesting snippets about the psychology of certain people, what it was like for him as an outsider coming in. And then I looked at lots of accounts of prisoners and how they found it. It was fascinating.

What really jumped out at you from those accounts?

Just how situations like that can grab you, whether you're in because you genuinely did commit a serious crime or not. As humans, we’re designed to move in order to function. When that's stripped back and inhibited, it can affect even the steeliest people – it can start to play tricks and make people behave in surprising ways.

Has filming Screw changed your perceptions of prison, of punishment and rehabilitation?

I had an opinion but having a very small insight without actually and physically being there makes it clear that it's a flawed system. It's not as black and white as, “that man's a bad man”, which is Patrick’s mindset. There's always a story, there's always a situation. It's very hard to garner sympathy for a brutal killer and a repeat offender and to think perhaps we should sit down and listen to them. It's imperfect and an outdated system, almost medieval. But to try and enact a new system feels almost impossible too.

What was the most challenging aspect of shooting the series?

Having to play someone so ambiguous was a fascinating challenge, trying to do something interesting and real and truthful. We had good source material and advisors on set to help with the little things, to say that would never happen, or that you've always got to make sure that you do this before doing that. It all helps with the detail and reality of it, even if it's something that feels throwaway.

Was there an us-and-them divide between the actors playing the officers and the actors playing the inmates?

No, not at all. Maybe there should have been! It's one of those small worlds where you've all worked together before or you know each other or you have mutual friends. We could have a chat and a bit of fun, go out for dinner. Having that level of comfort within a company allows you to play the truth of the scene, because you're not being judged, you're being supported.