One of the most likeable things about Jane Horrocks is that she says it like it is. While she relished the prospect of playing colonial matriarch Sylvia Blackett in The Singapore Grip, she was also enticed by the prospect of spending time in Malaysia, where the series was filmed last year before the pandemic and travelling around South East Asia.
“I’d never been to that part of the world before,” she says. “I had quite a bit of time off from filming so it was brilliant to be able to travel around and experience the region. I did the sights of Kuala Lumpur – which, to be honest, aren’t that many – then I went to Borneo to see the orangutans in a wonderful sanctuary. I also did a rain forest hike and twisted the arms of people on set to come on trips with me to places like Vietnam and Cambodia. It was like experiencing my student gap year – but obviously many years later. It was such an adventure.”
Jane may love to travel – at least she did before lockdown – but this Lancashire-born lass has stayed true to her Rawtenstall roots.
“I am attached to where I’m from,” she reveals. “The strength of the Lancashire people is within me. You get on and do it. There are no airs and graces. My family have never allowed me to get above my station and I still have my accent.”
Due to her grounded North West background, Jane was astonished to be cast as plummy-voiced, uber-posh Sylvia.
“I was very surprised when I was offered this,” she admits. “I’m not a natural choice for Sylvia. But I always love it when people cast against type. It’s interesting for the viewer for a start. It’s just more imaginative casting. I think that’s probably what every actor wants – to jump out of their own skin into somebody else’s. We’re certainly doing that in this.
“I love playing somebody with a cut-glass accent. I’ve always loved doing that, morphing into somebody else and the way that they talk and sit and stand and hold things. It’s much more interesting than being yourself.”
In short, the plot of Singapore Grip, which is adapted from the book by JG Farrell, is as follows… It’s 1942 and the British colonial lifestyle of families such as the Blackett’s in Singapore is about to be destroyed forever as Japan invades the colony and enters the Second World War.
“Sylvia is a typical colonial wife,” Jane explains. “She’s a society lady who loves entertaining and parties, and wants the best for her daughter. She wants her daughter to marry into a business and into wealth. Her son is a bit of a lost cause because he’s a drinker and a reprobate. Sylvia has to think that it’s the daughter who will carry the family name on. There’s a lot of pressure on daughter Joan to find a marriage union. That’s a massive part of the story but Joan opts for very inappropriate men in Sylvia’s eyes.
“The characters feel very rounded. They’ve got a lot of substance to them. You can get hold of them. They’re all very individual. I think because of that it will be quite a light, funny piece. Obviously, the war stuff isn’t very light but they’re in this bubble in Singapore. There’s a World War going on but they’re sort of thinking, ‘Really? Does it have to affect us? Do the Japanese really have to invade? How inconvenient when we’re having a really lovely time here eating what we want’. ”
Jane’s character Sylvia is completely ignorant of what’s going on. She’s frightened of what could happen but doesn’t really think it will happen. She’s also completely disinterested in her husband Walter’s career as a ruthless businessman in the rubber trade.
“She’s not interested at all,” laughs Jane, who’s 56 and lives in west London with daughter Molly (21) and son Dylan (23). “As long as she can keep her social set going and is able to carry on wearing her fabulous frocks – and I must say her clothes are gorgeous - that’s all that matters. And I don’t think Walter would want her to be interested. That’s his business. The male/female divide then was very clear – where females stood in that period. It was probably considered vulgar as a woman if you poked your nose into politics.
We loved Jane as Bubble in Absolutely Fabulous
“I remember seeing this footage of a French lady listening to a dignitary talking. He was going on and on and on. She didn’t say anything. She was just nodding. I can see Sylvia doing that. She would politely take in what she wanted to take in but probably switch off halfway through.”
Jane’s not usually interested in playing Mother roles but she says Sylvia is different.
“Once you get to a certain age, you are The Mum and invariably the mum isn’t that interesting. It’s usually the younger people that are the interesting parts. You’re just there serving a purpose. Sylvia may be the mum but, actually, I’d quite like to play her all the time. She so very interesting in herself.”
Rather like the actress who plays her!
Jane shares a secret
She’s not hugely ambitious.
“I don’t massively have a wish list of other roles or projects,” she says. “I’ve got a couple of projects that I’m developing with other writers. I like collaborations. I’ve done a couple of theatre collaborations in the last three years and thoroughly enjoyed doing that.”
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