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TV Quickfire: Dawn French on making Christmas drama Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of The Curious Mouse

As Sky original drama Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of The Curious Mouse airs this Christmas, we found out more from star Dawn French.

Roald & Beatrix – The Tail Of The Curious Mouse: Dawn French as Beatrix Potter
Roald & Beatrix – The Tail Of The Curious Mouse: Dawn French as Beatrix Potter Roald & Beatrix – The Tail Of The Curious Mouse: Dawn French as Beatrix Potter

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN ROALD & BEATRIX?

I WORKED with the writer Abi Wilson years and years ago; she was a PA for Jennifer [Saunders] and me. She's a wonderful person. She came to me with this idea about Beatrix Potter she had been working on with the producers at Hartswood and I just thought, "Yeah, okay", and they took it to Sky and it grew and grew.

DO YOU HAVE FOND MEMORIES INVOLVING ABIGAIL, JENNIFER AND YOURSELF?

One of the reasons she got the PA job with us in the first place was because she was an RAF child like Jennifer and me. When you have a kind of a nomadic childhood where you're constantly moving, you have an affinity with other people who've had a similar experience. When Abi came along to interview for the job and she told us that, she had the job right there. So she came to help us run the company and make sure we were all in the same room at the right time, run lines with us, remember props. She came on tour sometimes as well. She's just a brilliant, sunny person. She was just a baby then but she's a grown-up now and a brilliant writer.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE ROALD & BEATRIX STORY

Beatrix Potter is writing about the tale about three blind mice and she's wondering if anyone is taking her seriously; whether the publishers are just making money off her and don't care what she writes. She's losing her eyesight and she's wondering what her life has become. She's resisting having to wear glasses, but she needs to be able to see for the pictures she's drawing.

AND THEN SHE MEETS ROALD DAHL?

The key moment is this little boy runs into her garden, six-year-old Roald Dahl, dressed in a very interesting little blue jacket, looking like Peter Rabbit. His father has died, his sister has died, and he's feeling very sad so he goes to visit Beatrix's house. From her point of view he's just a pesky boy in her garden, one of many children that came and bothered her.

DO ROALD AND BEATRIX FIND COMMON GROUND?

The beautiful thing about them is that they're living parallel lives: they couldn't be more different, really, at different stages, but there's this beautiful moment where they come together which changes both of them in different ways.

Meeting Roald gives Beatrix a bit of confidence. From something he says, she realises something quite profound and carries on to a life of writing more brilliant books for children.

WERE YOU A FAN OF BEATRIX POTTER?

Oh yes. I remember having Beatrix Potter books as a child and loving the pictures. And Jennifer and I played Porcas and Dorcas in a film called Little Pig Robinson [1990] which was adapted from a Beatrix Potter book.

HOW DID YOU FIND FILMING UNDER COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS?

I had a very strange moment on set with Rob [Brydon] where we have to hug each other, and it was very good because I hadn't hugged people for so long. Even my own husband is a key worker so we were being very careful with physical contact for those first few months.

So to be hugging this other guy was so odd. It was in the script and we were all being tested so it was okay to do, and it felt wonderful because I hadn't touched anybody for so long!

:: Watch Sky original Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of The Curious Mouse this Christmas on Sky One and streaming service NOW TV