Pollys story this year is much, much more interesting.
Ive had a fantastic time this year, hes written me one of my best parts Ive ever played.
Oh yeah, as a woman particularly, yes!
And also because its more interesting as a viewer.
Does it pass the Bechdel Test?
Yes, it does.
Its a very different sort of period drama than some of the competition, isnt it?
[There was] just an extraordinary amount of manufacturing going on.
Our hearts did sink a bit when Laurie Borg [Producer] said it was all moving to London…
But its all shot in Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.
We dont have it in London in the same way.
Anti-heroes and anti-heroines are quite popular on TV at the moment.
Pollys going to go and work in the local factory?
Tommys going to go back, [with] high unemployment, to where?
I think that helps you empathise with the characters.
But also, it is stylized.
This is not Ken Loach, this is not gritty realism.
Theres much nicer lighting!
With all that in mind, what do you think Polly wants?
I think at the start of the series its stability for her family.
There are a lot of wild cards in the family.
But as her family issues become resolved, a self-loathing comes out in Polly, a destructive self-loathing.
Children make us look at ourselves.
So I think that when she finds family stability, a self-loathing comes out in Polly.
So I think its peace [that she wants].
What do you think about howPeaky Blindersrepresents PTSD, going into series 2?
In this series, its not as apparent.
It is in Tommy, you feel still that theres a restlessness well no, thats not true.
Its a problem today.
What happens to men and women whove seen conflict and how its very hard to re-wire.
And [for the family] coping with people with mental health issues as well, its exhausting.
Is there a sense of social responsibility in terms of how its portrayed on screen?
I dont know if Id say that theres a collective responsibility.
Also, its not the social services, its an entertainment show.
But there are many more scenes this series talking about Arthur and how to deal with Arthur.
Is shellshock something that the characters are aware of?
I dont know if they called it shellshock, but yeah.
Is that something the female characters have to deal with, without having shared that experience?
No amount of therapy is going to get it out as quickly as people want it to.
Who do you think needs the other more, Tommy or Polly?
Who is more reliant on the other for survival?
I think theyre so locked together now.
I think they need each other for different things.
And I think he needs her because she looks after the family, and him.
Is he the one pulling the strings, or is it a supportive relationship?
So that hasnt really changed as we go into London.
I think its a really important issue.
It wont be until men have maternity leave.
What the fuck was that?!
Helen McCrory, thank you very much!
Peaky Blinders series two starts on Thursday the 2nd of October on BBC Two.
