The Promise (2011) - interviews with Claire Foy

In the 4-part series, The Promise, Claire Foy plays Erin, an 18-year-old visiting Israel for the first time. She's following in the footsteps of her grandfather Len, a soldier in the British army in Palestine during the Mandate period who kept a diary of his turbulent time there.

It's a powerful tale of love, war and betrayal, telling the stories of both Erin and Len - two young people caught up in the same struggle more than 60 years apart.

4-part series began February 6, 2011 on Channel 4

Claire Foy, Christian Cooke, Perdita Weeks, Haaz Sleiman, Katharina Schuttler, Itay Tiran

Teaser Trailer

Watch video: BBC News interview with Claire Foy

Claire talks about her role and "explains why she'd like to burn every costume she's ever worn"? Oh noes!! Not what fans of period costumes want to hear!

What was it that drew you to The Promise?
I remember the very first audition very clearly. I got sent 25 scenes, and was asked to prepare all of them, which is what Peter does, God love him. It was so much work.

I remember reading a scene, and I had no idea what it was about. But then when I got the finished script, I couldn't stop reading it. It was just the most amazing story.

Peter is just so talented, it's unbelievable. Anyone who watches it will be blown away by the story. He somehow makes a political piece that's so emotionally driven by the characters. There's no agenda in it. It's just amazing, it's my favourite job ever, and I think it always will be.

That's quite a statement.
It's the whole reason I want to act. Obviously I couldn't do a job like this every week - it's such undertaking and it requires a lot. But I loved it; it's about something bigger than just the drama. And I loved the character so much. There was so much in her.

She's not exactly a sympathetic character, is she?
No, she's not very nice at all. [Laughs] She's quite unforgiving and a bit bolshy, a bit sarky, and a bit of a cow, really. But I think it works because she's a real person. And I felt very strongly that when I was 18 I was a lot like Erin. I was quite mouthy, and sticking up for things I didn't really believe in because I didn't know anything about the world. She's a difficult character to love, but she's real.

Erin suffers from epilepsy as well. Did you do any specific research into that subject?
Yes. I had to. I had to have a few fits on film, so I had to be quite technically specific about them, because some of the people watching will be epileptic, and there's a duty to get it right.

We had some people from the Epilepsy Foundation come in and talk to us and give is some information about it. And there are things you can watch on YouTube about it as well. I watched some fits, but it felt a bit weird to be watching them. It seems like such a personal thing. And I watched quite a few documentaries with people talking about what it felt like to have epilepsy, and how it affects your life. I think she's so aggressive all the time because she doesn't want people to think that she's got a disorder or needs help. She doesn't want to be patronised at all.

Did you do any other research into the situation in Israel?
Yes. I really shouldn't have done, because Erin was a complete innocent about the whole thing and really naïve about it, but once I'd read the script I had to keep reading, because it opened a completely new world to me.

I got the job months and months before we started shooting, and I actually became a member of the British Library - which is very nice - and I went and found a book about a man who had written a diary of when he was in Palestine at the same time that the character of Len was there. So it helped me no end.

The series was filmed in Israel. Had you been there before?
No, never. And I probably never would have been but for this. For a country that's so aware of its politics it was brilliant they gave us permission, because we couldn't have done it anywhere else.

What did you make of it?
That's such a tricky one. I don't know really. It's a beautiful country, it's warm, it's got lovely food, Tel Aviv's an amazing city, it's a really nice place to film. It's a very metropolitan place, with a relatively European feel to it.

Politically, it's not my favourite place in the world. I'd never been anywhere before that was in conflict, and I very much felt that it was in conflict.

Did you see daily reminders of that?
I did, yes. We were staying next to the US Embassy in Tel Aviv. The level of security is just astonishing if you're not used to it. There are people walking around withy guns, and there are massive army helicopters everywhere, and fighter jets going past your hotel window. You don't get that everyday back here. And the weird thing for me was you knew they were going somewhere. They weren't just off on an exercise.

Were there any problems with people who didn't want you there?
I think it was more difficult for us than it was for the actors in the 1940s scenes, because they were all in period costumes and period transport. But when we turned up in Arab areas and put an Israeli army roadblock in the middle of their city, people didn't know we were actors.

It was particularly difficult for the guys dressed up as IDF soldiers. They had people coming up to them swearing.

So many people were so welcoming, and so pleased that we were making the drama,and filming in their country. But certain people I guess felt like 'you're coming over here to tell this story, you don't know anything about it.' That's just human nature.

You're known for Little Dorrit, Upstairs Downstairs, and you've got a film coming out with Nicolas Cage, Season of the Witch, set in medieval times. Was it nice to be making a drama where you were wearing contemporary clothes?
Oh yes! It really was. Costumes are costumes, to be honest, and by the end of anything, you hate them. I always hate them. I want to burn them all when I'm finished with them, I hate them all so much. You end up being really uncomfortable, really hot or really cold, the shoes don't fit. As much as the costume department are wonderful, there's only so much they can do.

But in this I got to wear Converse, which was a massive plus. But I'm so thrilled to have done a modern piece. So much stuff is period, and I couldn't believe my luck to play such an amazing character, and for it to be set in the now. And it has to be good for me that casting people will see me not in a corset for once!

You've talked about how much you loved making it, but where does The Promise sit in terms of how proud you are of the piece?
I really hope people watch it, and I really hope they like it, and I hope people don't get bogged down by the politics, I hope people just watch it for the wonderful story that Peter has crafted.

Little Dorrit will always be so important to me - it was my first big job, it was a character I got to play for six months. So that and this, for different reasons, have to come out top.

I felt so emotionally attached to Erin and so believed her story, and I loved working with Peter so much. I think every job will be different, but I think for me, creatively, and of the jobs I'll be proud to show people, this is definitely up there at number one. It's got so much integrity. All actors want to do something that's good - something that's pure and has no vanity, something they can be really proud of. Well, for me, this was that job. I'll be so lucky to ever do a job that I love this much again.

Source: Channel 4

Read: Interview with Christian Cooke

Earlier post on THE PROMISE

The Promise (2011)

Claire Foy and Christian Cooke star in Peter Kosminsky's four-part drama serial. 18-year-old Erin sets out on an emotional journey when she retraces her grandfather's footsteps. Eight years in the making, it tells the story of British soldiers stationed in Palestine during the Mandate period 1945-1948 and the impact of those events on the current situation in Israel/Palestine.

Claire Foy, Christian Cooke, Perdita Weeks

Also starring: Ben Miles, Itay Tiran, Katharina Schüttler, Haaz Sleiman, Ali Suliman, Smadar Wolfman, Holly Aird, Hiam Abbass, Lukas Gregorowicz, Luke Allen-Gale, Iain McKee, Paul Anderson, Max Deacon

Channel 4 Synopsis:
The gripping drama will intercut between two timeframes and stories: that of Erin (Claire Foy), an 18-year-old Londoner who visits present-day Israel for the first time to spend a summer with her friend (Perdita Weeks); and that of her grandfather Len (Christian Cooke) who, in the 1940s was part of the British peace keeping force in Palestine and witnessed first hand the violent events during the last years of the British Mandate.

The story begins when Erin’s best friend, Eliza, the daughter of wealthy Israeli-Jewish parents, is called back to Israel for her National Service and invites Erin along to spend the summer with her and her family. En route, Erin starts to read a diary that she has found that was written by her grandfather in the forties. Moved by his account and the realisation he wasn’t much older than her when he wrote the diary, Erin retraces his steps in modern day Israel, seeing for herself the hard facts of life for both Jewish and Palestinian communities. But as Len’s story unfolds, Erin finds herself on a journey which takes her deep into the Occupied Territories and right to the heart of the unresolved disputes of the Mandate period.

Retracing Len's steps in modern-day Israel, Erin sets out on a heart-breaking journey in an effort to understand and fulfil a promise made by her grandfather over 60 years ago.

Interviews with Claire Foy

Official Site
IMDb

Trailer for BBC Christmas Dramas incl. Upstairs, Downstairs

Here's an ad for the various Christmas specials that will air on BBC

which features some scenes from updated Upstairs, Downstairs

More details of Christmas shows here

More info on Upstairs, Downstairs

Claire Foy

Claire Foy was exquisite in Little Dorrit.
The series wouldn't have been the same without her charming portrayal
of Amy Dorrit anchoring the production.
She's shown above with Matthew Macfadyen.

I had never heard of Terry Pratchett's collection of works,
which I soon discovered has an extensive fan base!
I was highly entertained by the adaptation of Going Postal
and loved Claire's portrayal of Adora Dearheart.
She's shown above with Richard Coyle.

Claire will be seen next in Upstairs, Downstairs where she will be playing Lady Persephone Towyn. Here's an interview regarding her role courtesy of BBC:

How would you describe Lady Persie?
Persie's a funny one. She's selfish, headstrong, rude and a bit ditsy at the same time. She's a bit troublesome. But she's also charming, and doesn't really mean anyone harm. She does some terrible things, but for some reason you can't help but like her. She loves adventure and she definitely goes against convention. Excitement plays a massive part in the choices she makes. She has to better herself all the time. I think it's just the way she likes her life to be. She doesn't see why everyone has to be so boring all the time.

What sort of relationship does she have with her sister Lady Agnes?
Persie feels that she's not the sister that Agnes wants. Agnes wants the debutante, air-headed girl who is happy having a pretty frock on and a diamond star in her hair. Persie sees it all as something she's expected to do and thinks it's all very meaningless. The problem is that Persie isn't the brightest. Sometimes the things she says, thinking she's being outlandish, is actually just stupidity. She has no inhibitions.

Persie becomes embroiled in the fascism movement in the series. Do you think she really knows what she's doing?
That's the hard thing. It's been difficult to look on from the outside knowing what happened a couple of years later. As an actress you have to believe that she really believed in it. For me that was extremely difficult to get my head around. I did a lot of research about it, and there was a big movement of women who joined the fascist party at the time. Society was changing and there was a lot of excitement around politics – with people looking for a lead to change the country.

Claire Foy as seen on the set
of Upstairs, Downstairs

How was it recreating the Cable Street riots?
It felt like you were there. The extras were amazing – they were screaming and shouting all day, which really helped the atmosphere. When you're filming scenes like that you can't do it all in one take, and so I watched from the sidelines for some of it. It just looked incredible. It's funny recreating it in Wales rather than London. But weirdly you could make it look more authentic in Wales. It was funny how just like it was to the scenes I'd watched on YouTube. The way Heidi has written it is very true to how it happened.

Did you do any research into the period?
I did quite a lot actually – not necessarily about the period itself, but more about the type of people Persie would have known, and the circles she would have moved in, and the debutantes' scene. But I think everyone has their own image of what 1930s were like – the war etc. It's quite a personal thing.

Did you watch any of the old series before you started filming?
You can't have lived in the country if you haven't heard of Upstairs Downstairs. But I think it's so accessible – it's a classic. Everyone will always be interested in the goings on in class system. My grandparents watched it. We're not remaking the classic series – we're doing something new with it. So in a way I didn't want to watch it, because we were coming in to it new. But I really want to go back and have a look at it now that we've finished.

How was it working with Eileen and Jean – co-creators of the original series?
I only had one scene with Jean, so I was a bit annoyed about that! She's just such a wonderful actress. But I did get to speak to her quite a bit. She's such a lovely woman. For her and Eileen it's more than just a job – and you really feel that. That's what's so lovely about it. You are very aware that you're in something so much bigger – there's a gravitas behind it.

Upstairs, Downstairs (2010)

Character descriptions

&
cast interviews

"Set in 1936, this lavish three-part serial sees diplomat Sir Hallam Holland (Ed Stoppard) move into the iconic townhouse along with his wife, Lady Agnes (Keeley Hawes). With the help of former parlourmaid Rose Buck (Jean Marsh), they launch a new whole new era for the sumptuous home at the heart of Upstairs Downstairs.

As Lady Agnes remarks: "This house is going to see such life!"But storm clouds are gathering in Europe, and servants are no longer biddable and cheap. The Hollands' first year at Eaton Place does not unfold as either Lady Agnes or Rose anticipates.

The drama that results sets exquisite domestic detail against a sweeping historical backdrop. There may be two families living in 165 – one upstairs and one down – but their fates are intimately linked. Touching, funny, romantic and savage, the revived Upstairs Downstairs is set to enrapture a whole new audience."

To air BBC One: December 26, 27 and 28, 2010

To air on PBS Masterpiece: April 10, 17 and 24, 2011

Source: BBC Press

Jean Marsh (shown in original series), cast promo pic, Claire Foy on set

MORE INFO:
> Video: watch 3 preview clips from episode 1 (new)
> Video: view scenes in BBC's Christmas trailer
> Promo photos for Radio Times (new)
> Daily Mail: article by screenwriter HEIDI THOMAS (new)
> Daily Mail: Downton It Ain't (new)
> first photos of some of the cast in costume
> more photos from the set, BBC press release
> site dedicated to original series of Upstairs, Downstairs
> Daily Mail: photos of cast, similarities to Downton Abbey
> Telegraph: first article about casting of series
> Telegraph: Jean Marsh article Dec 16
>Ian Wylie: Dec 16 Preview and Q&A
> Interview: Eve Stewart, production designer
> Episode 1 Synopsis
> Episode 1 selected screencaps
> Screencaps for Episode 1
> Screencaps for Episode 2
> Screencaps for Episode 3
> More articles on UpDown (new)

> Interview with screenwriter HEIDI THOMAS

~ UPSTAIRS ~

Sir Hallam Holland, played by Ed Stoppard: The Master
Diplomat Sir Hallam appears to have everything. In his mid-30s, he has risen rapidly through the ranks of the Foreign Office, and has recently inherited not just 165 Eaton Place but a considerable fortune and a baronetcy. After a lonely childhood spent in boarding schools, he also has found deep love and solace with his wife Lady Agnes. However, he must also find room in his heart, and his home, for his formidable mother Maud, Lady Holland. The events of 1936 will challenge and change him in ways he could not have foreseen.
Read interview


Lady Agnes Holland, played by Keeley Hawes: The Chatelaine
The eldest daughter of the 12th Earl Towyn, Lady Agnes was reared in a very damp castle in Wales. Beautiful and aristocratic, she has never been well off. Despite financial hardship, and their failure to have children, her marriage to Sir Hallam has been happy and devoted. The sudden rush of new money thrills her, and she is determined to put her husband, and her home, at the heart of London high society. But even as her dreams come true, Lady Agnes is forced to digest unpalatable truths, and fight to preserve the things she holds most dear.
Read interview


Maud, Lady Holland, played by Dame Eileen Atkins: The Dowager
Maud, Lady Holland is Sir Hallam's mother, and one of the women who helped to build the Raj. A fiercely intelligent and complex woman, she spent her whole adult life in support of her husband, the late Sir Greville Holland, seeing him rise to the very top of the Indian Civil Service. Newly widowed, she returns to England to write her memoirs, and secretly hopes to build a new relationship with her grown-up son. But thirty years of distance are not easily undone, and there will be shocks and heartache along the way.
Read interview


Lady Persie Towyn, played by Claire Foy: The Debutante
Lady Persephone Towyn is the 20-year-old sister of Lady Agnes. Ravishing but gauche, she has been marooned in Wales due to lack of family funds – a situation Lady Agnes is delighted to reverse. But Lady Persie's lack of education, and the stimulation of the London scene, make for a highly combustible mix.
Read interview

~ DOWNSTAIRS ~

Miss Rose Buck, played by Jean Marsh: The Housekeeper
Rose Buck was the upper house parlourmaid at Eaton Place for almost forty years. Since 1932 she has eked out a living running a domestic employment agency – but a twist of fate brings Lady Agnes to her door. Initially engaged purely to recruit the servants for the Hollands, Rose soon proves herself indispensible to the running of the house. A business deal becomes an emotional adventure, and Rose returns, in triumph, as a permanent member of the staff of 165.
Read interview


Mr Pritchard, played by Adrian Scarborough: The Butler
Warwick Pritchard is sleek, discreet and quite beautifully spoken – but Rose has distinct reservations at first. Mr Pritchard comes to 165 Eaton Place after a lengthy career on the Cunard cruise ships, and has a reference from film star Errol Flynn. Teetotal and highly strung, his exacting façade conceals deep kindness and real integrity. As the downstairs family settles in, he gradually becomes the moral centre of the household – though he still has a few surprises up his sleeve.
Read interview


Mrs Thackeray, played by Anne Reid: The Cook
Clarice Thackeray is a widow. Passionate about her work, she expects the highest standards of herself and others. She follows the workings of high society through the pages of the Tatler, and even cuts out pictures of the family upstairs. Romantic and affectionate by nature, she is also nosey, judgemental and a monumental snob.
Read interview


Mr Amanjit, played by Art Malik: The Secretary
Educated, gentle, and imposing, Amanjit Singh comes to Eaton Place as secretary to Maud, Lady Holland. Having been in her service in India for many years, he is devoted to her welfare. Occupying a position that is neither upstairs nor down, he is at first a shadowy and isolated figure. However, he rose to his current position from very humble origins, and longs to be included in the servants' social world. Once he manages to break the ice, he becomes a welcome and respected member of their tribe.
Read interview


Harry Spargo, played by Neil Jackson: The Chauffeur
Good-looking and cocksure, Harry Spargo enjoys his position with Hollands, but resents the social system that keeps him there. He enjoys a cautious camaraderie with Sir Hallam, but this is put to the test by the events of 1936. His passionate nature and desire for easy fulfilment will take him into dark pastures, politically and emotionally.
Read interview


Ivy Morris, played by Ellie Kendrick: The Housemaid
Orphaned Ivy Morris comes to 165 from a Barnardo's home, where she was trained as a domestic servant. Just 15 years old, she is spirited, wilful, and likes red nail varnish and singing in the bath. Rose only hires her out of desperation, and has a hard time wrangling disobedience and tantrums. But Ivy, who has never had a proper home, knows she has found one in 165. She would never willingly risk her newfound security – but her hunger for love leads her, and others, into danger.
Read interview


Johnny Proude, played by Nico Mirallegro: The Footman
Aged 16, Johnny Proude was born in a mining village near Nottingham. He launches a career in domestic service in an effort to escape a life spent down the pit. Charming and hard-working, he is popular with the other servants – especially Ivy – but comes to 165 with a troubling secret that, once revealed, will shatter the whole household.
Read interview


Rachel Perlmutter, played by Helen Bradbury: The Parlourmaid
Rachel Perlmutter is a German-Jewish refugee who comes to 165 as the new parlourmaid, in May 1936. Reserved and sophisticated, Rachel knows little about basic household chores, but is determined to make the best of her circumstances. An unexpected friendship with Mr Amanjit has lasting consequences for both of them.

~ Other characters ~

HRH The Duke of Kent, played by Blake Ritson
Kent is new King Edward VIII's youngest brother, and Sir Hallam's closest friend. They shared some wild nights out when they were younger, but both have now settled into domesticity. As the Abdication scandal rises to a rolling boil, Kent leans on Sir Hallam for support – and 165 Eaton Place finds itself at the heart of a national crisis.



Joachim von Ribbentrop, played by Edward Baker-Duly
A German diplomat who answers directly to Hitler, Ribbentrop is out to solicit the British establishment. Charismatic and manipulative, Ribbentrop's flirtation with Lady Persie has significant repercussions for 165.





Anthony Eden, played by Anthony Calf
The Foreign Secretary, with whom Sir Hallam works closely at the Foreign Office. His personal opinions often run counter to the government policy of the day, and Sir Hallam finds his own political assumptions challenged.




Wallis Simpson, played by Emma Clifford
- the foreign visitor causing a stir will be the glamorous Wallis Simpson, the American divorcée for whom King Edward VIII abdicated.

Source: BBC Press

Upstairs, Downstairs - update

BFI Screening on December 15, 2010:
There will be a showing of the first episode of Upstairs, Downstairs (60 minutes) followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with members of the cast and production team. Book your seat

Synopsis found at British Film Institute:
"The return of the legendary TV series Upstairs Downstairs takes viewers, old and new, back to the lavish world of 165 Eaton Place in Belgravia, London. A new set of occupants move into the iconic address, as storm clouds gather in Europe. The lives of the wealthy Holland family and their servants will never be the same again."

Claire Foy (Lady Persephone) shown on right

I was surprised to read that Upstairs, Downstairs will only be 3 episodes of 60 minutes (December 2010 in U.K., April 2011 in U.S.) but an article in December's Marie Claire magazine mentions that they are planning to make it into a full series next year.

More information on UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS

Upstairs, Downstairs - filming underway

For those wanting to know when the remake of Upstairs, Downstairs will be back, it appears that it will air around Christmas time. They're currently filming in Leamington and in two studios (at Bridgend and Pontypridd) in Wales.

scan of the set from Radio Times from Upstairs, Downstairs fansite

From BBC Press Release
Set in 1936, the three, hour-long episodes, to be broadcast on BBC One, will take viewers, old and new, back to the lavish world of Belgravia, London.

A new set of occupants will reside at the iconic address and viewers will see how external and internal influences of the tumultuous pre-war period shape and mould the lives of this wealthy family and their servants.‬

‪Upstairs, Keeley Hawes is Lady Agnes Holland, the beautiful, spirited and socially ambitious woman who plans to take society by storm. Her husband and master of the house, diplomat Sir Hallam Holland, has his work cut out keeping the peace between his wife and mother and will be played by Ed Stoppard.

Dame Eileen Atkins will play Maud, Lady Holland – the straight-speaking mother-in-law who causes sparks to fly as soon as she arrives. And Claire Foy plays Lady Persephone – the beautiful, younger sister of Lady Agnes who refuses to adhere to the rules of 165 Eaton Place.

Downstairs, Jean Marsh reprises her role as Rose Buck – and is now the reliable housekeeper. Anne Reid will play Mrs Thackeray, the resident cook, Adrian Scarborough plays the highly strung, teetotal butler, Mr Pritchard and Art Malik plays Mr Amanjit, loyal servant to Maud.

Jay Hunt, from BBC One says: "Upstairs Downstairs is a piece of TV history and this wonderful cast are set to bring it alive for a whole new audience."

The revival has been written by award-winning writer Heidi Thomas (Cranford, Madame Bovary, Ballet Shoes, I Capture the Castle).

Of taking the audience back to 165 Eaton Place, she says: "Bringing 165 Eaton Place back to life has been the greatest honour and privilege of my career. It really is a dream come true for me, and I am thrilled that our actors feel the same."

The original series, created by Jean Marsh and Dame Eileen Atkins was first broadcast in 1971. It was an international success – winning seven Emmys, two Baftas and a Golden Globe.

Jean Marsh says: "This series has been beautifully cast and I was completely enthralled listening to them bring the scripts to life at the read through. I feel very happy and very comfortable – I feel very lucky. For the rest of the cast it was their first episode of Upstairs Downstairs. For me, it was my 56th. I am very much looking forward to the start of filming and I am very much looking forward to returning to 165 Eaton Place."

Upstairs Downstairs will begin filming in south Wales in early August.

Piers Wenger, Head of Drama BBC Cymru Wales says: "Upstairs Downstairs is not just one of the most loved and famous series in the history of British television but of television all over the world. Heidi Thomas' scripts have already attracted an irresistible cast, led by Jean Marsh and Dame Eileen Atkins, and I cannot wait to see this peerless drama brought back to life."

Upstairs Downstairs is a co-production with Masterpiece on PBS.

Clicking on images will bring you to BBC

Claire Foy, Ed Stoppard and Eileen Atkins filming on location in Leamington
Article here
More photos here

* Christmas airdate mentioned by Radio Times, and podcast by David Stephenson

More on UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS

Upstairs, Downstairs (2010) - pics from set

For those eager to see the updated version of Upstairs, Downstairs due out this fall, here are some photos from the set in Cardiff Bay, UK. (including Keeley Hawes and Claire Foy who are playing sisters in the upcoming series)
Read more
Photo credit: Alun Vega

More photos found here at James Davies Photography

Thanks to Rosanna and Riddler for the links!