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Barrington Jedidiah Walker, Barry to his mates, is a seventy-four year old, Antiguan born, exuberant Hackney personality, renowned for his dapper taste and fondness for retro suits. Carmel, his wife of 50 years, senses that Barry has been cheating on her with other women. Little does she know what’s really going on: a secret, passionate affair with his best friend and soulmate, Morris.

Now facing the final chapter of his life, Barry has big choices to make that will force his whole family to question their futures.

Bringing to life Bernardine Evaristo’s ground-breaking exploration of Britain’s older Caribbean community, Mr Loverman is a life-affirming story about family, love, and being true to yourself.

• Watch all episodes of Mr Loverman on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ iPlayer on Monday 14 October
• Watch the first two episodes of Mr Loverman on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One on Monday 14 October at 9pm 

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Bernardine Evaristo (writer of the novel Mr Loverman)

What made you write Mr Loverman? Was there an inspiration behind the story?

I’m always interested in writing into the silences in our society and literary culture, and bringing to the fore stories and characters that have hitherto been underexplored. In 2009, when I began writing this novel, I had long been aware that the Windrush Generation had always been presented as completely heterosexual, which cannot be an accurate depiction of that demographic. The idea of an elderly, Caribbean gay protagonist seemed the perfect way to address this.

How would you summarise Mr Loverman for those that aren’t familiar?

It’s a novel about the consequences of not being true to yourself. More specifically, it’s about a 74-year-old gay Londoner, originally from Antigua, who is a married father and grandfather, who has hid his sexuality his whole life.

Barrington is such unique protagonist. How did you get the idea of Barrington and his characteristics?

It might seem strange to say this but in a way Barrington wrote himself. Sometimes this happens when a character emerges fully-formed, first through his voice, and then I built a life around him. As a character, he is flawed as they come, with deep desires, fears and contradictions, but he’s also very charismatic and funny. I took great pleasure in creating him and serving him up to the world.

There are different complex and contrasting themes in both the book and the series, can you talk us through them? 

The series is very faithful to the book, which is a multi-layered exploration of sexuality and forbidden and hidden love and desire; the pressures of familial duty, sacrifice dynamics and secrets; conformity versus owning your individuality, and Caribbean masculinity and homophobia.

What was it like having your book adapted for screen? 

It’s the first time any of my books have been adapted for the screen so it’s a new and revelatory experience for me. To my great relief, I absolutely love every aspect of the series from the script to the casting to the direction to the set design to the costumes to the soundtrack and cinematography. The series is very faithful to the book in the sense of the storylines, characters and even some of the dialogue, yet Nathaniel Price, the brilliant writer and adapter, has produced a very impactful structure and sewn in many of his own flourishes.

What can you tell us about that process? How involved were you in bringing the story to screen?

I saw Nathaniel’s script at various stages and offered some feedback, but overall, as soon as I started reading his adaptation I knew he’d captured the soul of the novel. It’s an exemplary adaptation. I wasn’t otherwise overly involved in the production, although it was exciting to visit the set at various times and see the material realisation of the novel in physical form, such as the set, furniture and props etc, when everything had thus far only existed in my imagination.

What do you think of the actors’ interpretations of your characters?

Hand on heart, without exception, I was deeply impressed to see that the actors have brought my characters to life with such talent and accomplishment. As their creator, the characters are so close to me, I know them inside out, but the experience of seeing them on the screen as real people brought a powerful level of intimacy I didn’t expect. My words made flesh, literally.

What do you hope audiences will take from this series? 

I’ve now attended several screenings thus far, and people have laughed and cried. It’s drama that is constantly moving from comedy to tragedy in an emotional rollercoaster. I hope audiences will find it entertaining, but also feel that they’ve gained new insights into the themes the series explores.

What advice would you give to any aspiring writers?

Sometimes aspiring writers don’t realise that reading is part of their training. Writers need to maintain a rigorous reading practice, whether its poetry, novels or scripts, because this is how they will absorb the art form and develop a sensitivity to how it works. If people are writing scripts,  they need to also watch screen drama through a script-critical lens – analysing and deconstructing the mechanics at play. Through hard work and dedication, aspiring writers will improve their skills. Talent is only a small part of being a writer; it’s how we nurture it that makes all the difference.

Meet the Cast

Lennie James (Barrington Jedidiah Walker)

What drew you to the role? Did you read the novel?

The novel was sent to me around the time it was published. I read it and I loved it and I’ve been keeping an eye out for it ever since. Any actor who saw and read Barry would like to play him as a character. He’s everything that would excite an actor – complicated, funny, a good dresser and harsh.

He’s also a contradiction - loyal but disloyal, a good and bad husband, a good and bad father, a good and bad man. He loves and hates in equal measure. Every part of him is really interesting to me and would be to any actor. The opportunity to play him was a real no-brainer.

Are there any challenges in playing a character from a novel?

When you’re playing a character from a novel you have to take into account that people who have read the book will have their image of who Barry is, what he looks and sounds like. You take all of that on board but then you have to forget it and absolutely put it to the side. The only part of this story I can play is what is written in the script, so that’s my main source material and that’s the guy I’m trying to bring to life. You have to be mindful of it and be aware of the book but for the most part, you have to put it to one side.

You’re also an executive producer on the show. What does that entail?

I think when people hear about actors being executive producers, they think it’s kind of a power thing so you get to tell people what to do. I don’t really see it as that. I feel much more that it’s about being party to conversations that you’re not normally party to and offering the perspective of the front-of-camera department and what is relevant for the actors. On Mr Loverman, it was really important to be respectful of the subject matter because there are a lot of intimate situations that the actors were in, so we wanted to make sure that was all being considered and taken on board.

If anything came up and if there was an avenue that we could say ‘we should consider this’ or ‘we should change this’ and ‘we should be mindful of this’, the other cast members knew that they could come to me and I would take it to the other producers. It was just an avenue to ensure we were doing our job in the best way possible, because it’s important to do the job but it’s also important the way you do the job and the way the ship is sailed, as it were. It offers an opportunity to be a bit more involved in the collaborative process.

What was it like working with Ariyon and Sharon?

Working with Sharon and Ariyon is one of those weird things. Sharon and I have known each other since we were kids and just getting into the business. We used to socialise together, we’ve got multiple friends in common but we’ve never worked together. It’s been a joy working with Sharon. That relationship between Carmel and Barry is, alongside the relationship with Morris, a crucial part of this story in both the TV series and the book, so getting that right was really important.

To do this with Sharon has been excellent. I don’t think Sharon realises how good she is – her presence, voice and gravitas and what she brings with that. Barry and Carmel’s relationship is really complicated and it needs actors who are able to understand that. We lucked out with Sharon when she said yes. I actually wish we had more to do with each other in the series but it’s been fantastic and she’s great.

I didn’t know Ariyon as well as I knew Sharon but I was familiar with his work. I’ve always admired his work and I was really excited to work together. The best part of it was how quickly we trusted each other and I think in the relationship we build between Morris and Barry, trust is vital in the journey that we go on and how we tell the story. Not just a trust of ‘you look after me and I’ll look after you’, but just that ability to feel able to offer up your version of your character and know that it’ll be taken on board by the other actor and returned in kind. That was what it was like working with Ariyon. As an actor, I don’t like overanalysing things, I like to just get on with it. If the camera doesn’t see it, we haven’t done it right. Working like that really worked for Ariyon too.

Why is the way Barrington dresses important?

We had lots of conversations about how Barry dresses in the series. There’s a way of doing it that might reveal the thing he’s trying to hide, that he’s showing his sexuality without talking about it. We wanted to move away from that and, in fact, he’s actually dressing to the lie and not the truth. The way he dresses portrays him as a bit of ladies’ man when he’s really not. The other thing is that his clothes were a reflection of him as a successful businessman – he’s made money and he’s wearing it.

Again, it’s the contradiction of Barry’s character in the sense that he’s hiding but he’s hiding in plain view, screaming at people to look at him. We worked with (costume designer) Jodie-Simone Howe and (hair and make-up designer) Nora Robertson to create Barry’s look and it was really specific. We tell the story across 50 years and for 40 of those I’m dressed in some really fantastic suits! Part of making Barry was done for me with the hair, make-up and costume.

What do you hope the audience gets from watching this show?

I hope that it takes people into a world that they might think they know, but they might be surprised by how much they don’t know – in the sense of this particular love story between these two men but the particulars of these two men being older, west Indian immigrants to the UK. More often than not, when that story is told it’s the ‘no Blacks, no Irish, no dogs’ story.

That’s not the story we’re telling here. We’re telling a love story that exists for people that have survived that and have earned a position and lived a life in this country that doesn’t always get depicted. I hope people enjoy that but I also hope they enjoy the grown-up love story. It’s a story that doesn’t patronise the audience but assumes a sophistication and intelligence that I believe television viewers have now because they’re well versed in it.

Sharon D Clarke (Carmel Walker)

How would you describe Carmel?

Carmel is Barry’s long suffering wife. On her wedding night, she dreamed of how he would touch her and how they would live in England; dreaming about the white picket fences and the China tea sets. In her mind, she had this idyllic life that she’s going to have with her fine, beautiful upstanding husband. She’s a product of a father who is abusive to her mother, so has grown up with that. She knows that she has a good man and that Barry is not abusive, he’s not going to hit her and has always provided for the family. He’s a good man, but he’s just not in love with her.

She’s been in love with him since she was seventeen and she’s just waiting for that love to be returned and it just isn’t, so it then makes her bitter. It also makes her question herself – she has this good man, so why don’t they have this perfect lifestyle and why don’t they have the loving side of the relationship, the humane and gentle side? That makes her feel like a failure of a woman – she believes she is not sexy enough, which is why she thinks her man is straying, because she isn’t keeping it down at home. None of her needs and desires are being fulfilled which makes her feel really bitter and makes her lead a lonely life. Barry spends most of his time with Morris and as far as she’s concerned, they’re mates. She doesn’t know what isn’t keeping her man. It’s very complicated and sad.

It's a wonderful role to play. Lennie, Ariyon and I get to play our characters from late 30s-40s in to our 70s which is a really beautiful challenge for an actor to have. For example, finding different body movements as you get older and how your voice might change. It’s really fun and I get to work with wonderful people.

As complicated as Barry and Carmel’s relationship is, do you think there is some form of love there?

There is love there but Barry isn’t in love with her, his heart belongs to someone else. So for a married couple, it’s not a great thing and it’s certainly not great for Carmel. When we eventually get to the end and Carmel realises she has been used as a cover story for over 50 years, it’s a hard blow. At some point, Barry should have released her so that they could both live their lives. 50 years is a long time!

What has it been like to work with Lennie and bring these characters to life?

Working with Lennie has been an absolute joy! I’ve known Lennie for around 30 years now but we have never ever worked together. He’s someone I admire as a person and as an actor, so to be in his sphere, see the way he works and how he is on set, to see his focus and talent has just been an absolute joy. I don’t feel like I have to delve because it’s all been handed to me on a plate and you’re with someone who is willing to play, so it makes work a total joy.

How is it working with the other actors on the show?

We have Morris De La Roux, who isn’t a Walker but is always in Carmel and Barry’s house, they’re long-time friends but I think she feels like he does spend way too much time at her house. I haven’t worked with Ariyon before and we only shared a few scenes in this series but working with Ariyon has been just wonderful, finding a new friend in him is joy!

My two beautiful daughters, Donna and Maxine, who are played by Sharlene Whyte and Tamara Lawrance. Sharlene plays Donna, Carmel’s eldest daughter. For Carmel and Donna, there is this bond as Donna is Carmel’s confidante and her golden-eyed girl. She’s also given her the gift of a beautiful grandson, Daniel (played by Tahj Miles) and that makes Carmel so proud. Carmel and Donna always look out for each other.

Carmel and Maxine have a slightly different story. When Carmel was pregnant with Maxine, she developed post-natal depression which meant she couldn’t touch her or be around her, resulting in Maxine’s care being in Barry’s hands. They have a great bond as he was the one looking after her when she was younger.

So you have these two parents with their individual children in some ways. Later on in the story, it’s Maxine that helps him come out and it’s Donna that is Carmel’s confidante and helps her through the grief of the relationship and her father’s illness. 

What would you say are the key themes of Mr Loverman?

I would start with love – a prevailing and resilient love that has lasted for over 50 years and has gone through everything. It’s such a beautiful and deep thing and, although it’s hard for Carmel to accept that, the fact these two men have loved each other since school, came to England together and have managed to find a way to keep that love strong and fun, and weather all the storms, is such a global testimony to love and its endurance.

Alongside that, there’s also themes of betrayal, loss, guilt, secrets and how they can destroy and stop people living their authentic lives. I think also we’re at a time now where we’re talking about what I call the ‘rainbow community’ and people being able to live their lives authentically. However, the series can help for a generation to understand what went before and how hard that was to just be yourself and feel safe to do so. In that sense, the series also looks at how far we’ve come but there is still work to do. We’re making strides.

How was it working with the director, Hong Khaou and the producers on the show?

One of the things I loved about working on Mr Loverman is the diversity that we have in the production, and that is on every level. Our wonderful director Hong – his sensitivity and his sense of vision of how he sees the story and how it all blends is just a joy. He is such a wonderful and sensitive man. It’s glorious!

Our producers, Hannah, Faye and Irma are brilliant. Irma is someone I’ve known for around 30 years and I first came across her as an actor. So to be with her now as a Black woman producing this story is such a joy. Hannah and Faye, I worked with on Rocks so to be back in their orbit and the way they work was great. I’ve never been on a TV set before that has had this much diversity, in all my career. I’m used to being one of one or maybe a couple of Black people in front of the screen.

Here and throughout the whole show, we have this vast array of diversity of people from all different sways of cultures, backgrounds and religions. It makes my heart sing because this is the kind of thing we’ve all been fighting for, for inclusivity and diversity. So, to actually have it has been incredible, as I say I’m used to being the only person of colour in front of the camera or anywhere on set! It’s wonderful and I commend it.

Ariyon Bakare (Morris De La Roux)

How would you describe the show? 

Mr Loverman is a coming of old-age story about a man who is coming out. It’s a story about love, betrayal, broken dreams, distrust and finding yourself in the most difficult situations and how to come to terms with it. It’s a very moving but often funny and often touching show.  

What drew you to the role and did you read the novel? 

I listened to an audiobook which was my first introduction to the book, one of the best audiobooks I had ever heard. I was quite excited by this and thought it was a really beautiful story and felt it had a James Baldwin-esque quality about it. The way Bernardine writes, she takes a simple story and allows it to explode off the page in the most simplest way with these rich and moving characters. When I got the part of Morris, I went back to read the book again and I was just so touched by their relationship.

You can understand this journey of these two men who are from Antigua, a country where it’s illegal to be gay, homosexuality is illegal – it has only just become legal over the past few years. So you understand why they hide their love for so long and how far they’ve gone to do that – marrying other people and having kids. They’re so entrenched in their lies, it becomes hard to face the truth again and it’s easier to keep that lie moving on. It’s a complex and detailed couple and I was really excited to play that.

How would you describe Morris’ relationship with Barry and the complications with his family?

I think that is the most complicated parts of filming. The relationship between Barry and Morris is relatively easy because it’s a love story and they’ve known each other since they were seventeen years old. The tricky part was playing the character over decades but we had a really brilliant hair and make-up team who allowed me to create this space for Morris and help build the character.

Lennie is such a professional that between us we found this easy way to just fall into the part together and we just gelled. With Morris, as he’s the quiet man inside the family who sits in the corner and watches everything. He has already lost everything while he’s waiting for Barry, yet he’s entrenched in the Walker family – Barry’s children call him ‘Uncle Morris’, for example.

For me, as Ariyon, I kept asking ‘how could you do this? How could you be the side piece and yet be so central  and upfront sitting in the household, eating their food, loving his children and speaking to his wife?!’ Those obstacles helped me play the part in some ways, and Hong helped me bring that out. They’ve all known each other for years and from their time in Antigua, they’re a community and within these communities these things happen.

What’s going on with Morris as Barry goes through his own transformative journey?

Morris is one step ahead of Barry in the sense that Morris has lost everything already. In the book, it feels like both of them were forced into this situation. Even coming out, with my character something happens and we later find out why he came out. Morris doesn’t try to push Barry too hard but is a guide for him in the sense that ‘if you do this, this could be this way and I can show you a new life’. For Morris himself, it’s final – if Barry can’t do it, Morris has to find his own self and move on. That’s the reality I was pushing for with him which wasn’t in the book but it gives another bit of drama and finality towards it. If Barry didn’t come out, Morris has to start a life as 74-year-old gay man with modern technology – would it work for him and what would that life look like? In that sense it is also Morris’ coming of old age story as well.

What was it like working with the other cast and crew on the show?

The cast are amazing, every single one of them. To work with these Black actors who have been around for many years who we remember on TV but probably haven’t been on TV enough! They were so brilliant. The ones I’ve really got to give props to are actually the people behind the scenes. We had a great cinematographer in Remi Adefarasin. Irma Inniss (series producer) brought everybody together – we have diverse crew which I’ve never really had on a set before. Hannah Price and Faye Ward our executive producers were brilliant.

I could wax lyrical about the cast but I really want to wax lyrical about the crew and the people behind the scenes. I walk on set and I think ‘wow this is a beautiful place’. It’s not just because we had a diverse crew – it was just such a multicultural kind of set and everyone felt in a safe place to do this really sensitive piece of work. No-one seemed to be offended or on guard, we all just wanted to get it done and do this piece together. I’ve really got to applaud the people behind the scenes for creating that. They were an amazing team to work with.

What was it like working with Hong Khaou?

He has a beautiful soul and just made everyone feel so safe, so you just want to work with him all the time! Some of my scenes were some of the most emotional ones within the piece, so he allowed me to explode with it. After filming those scenes, he would always come up to me and ask if I’m ok and if I’m happy. I’d work with him again anytime, any day!

What do you hope the audience gets from this show?

One of the things is for people to be more understanding about people coming out. These two characters have seen it from the 50s to now, so they’ve seen every kind of hostility towards the LGBTQIA+ community. I would want audiences to think, if there’s someone that they know that feels that way, rather than use their own prejudice, put a hand out and lead them out as well. I think in the Black community, it’s one of the hardest things because it’s all stooped in religion or cultural identity. Now we’re in a more modern world, I hope people will just see people for people.

When I finished filming, I asked quite a lot of people if they thought Barry was wrong and I’m always shocked by how many people say yes. One person said no and I asked them why, to which they explained that there was a time and an era. You get embedded in the lie, you sleep with it and you don’t know how to wake up out of it. The only way you can is to have people stand with you and allow you to be yourself. I think that’s a beautiful way of putting it and a lovely takeaway of the show. It’s important to be and feel supported not just by your family but by others too, and know you’ve got a space in the world to just be you.

Meet the Creatives

Nathaniel Price (Screenwriter)

What can viewers expect to see from Mr Loverman?

It’s a very faithful adaptation of the book. We have a 74 year-old Antiguan-born gentlemen as our protagonist, Barry. He’s very dapper, loves to dress well and he’s all about how he presents himself. But he’s got this huge secret - that he’s been having an affair with his best friend Morris for the past 50 years, unbeknownst to his wife and two daughters.

The series explores the ripple effect of this lie on his family. There are various provisions Barry makes in order to maintain his secret and his bravado, which has an effect on his daughters and filters down even to his grandson, Daniel. We start with Barry making the decision to leave Carmel so that he can live in secret with Morris. Throughout the series, this shifts as he realises he has to come out.

What is it like adapting a book like this? Is there a lot of pressure?

There is a pressure in the sense that obviously Bernardine is a fantastic writer and her work means so much to so many people, so for me it’s more a self-imposed pressure because I want to do it justice. At the same time, it’s a great honour to take such fantastic material and bring it to life but also to mould it into something you want it to be and to put your own stamp on it. I really love the characters and the story but there was a golden opportunity to do something of my own as well.

Were you able to work with Bernardine and what was that like?

Absolutely, and she’s great. Initially, I pitched my vision of how I would adapt the series, which was during the first lockdown - so it’s taken some time, as TV always does. Bernardine loved it and she was happy with how I wanted to approach things and she kind of left me to my own devices to do that. Once I had drafted scripts for four episodes, and it was greenlit by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, we had another meeting and we went through a few things and she gave me notes on a few characters and story. She’s been very generous in allowing me to crack on with things and to trust me with this and I’ve been really thankful for that.

What can you tell us about the process of adapting a book for screen?

You first read the book, which I’ve done a few times now but from first time I read Mr Loverman I had a very clear idea of how I would approach and adapt it. Bernardine is a very visual and cinematic writer so a lot what she writes lends itself well to screen. The hardest part of the adaptation was actually deciding what I was going to have to leave out.

When you go through the book, you make a rough series arc and shape that you want to do, essentially the tent poles of the series which highlight the key moments. Then you can start to break things down episodically – what it is about and who is driving that episode. After that, I like to write outlines from episodes one to eight and speak with the execs on that and we’ll perhaps do a few drafts. Once all approved, I’ll finish writing the scripts and again there are various drafts of that as well.

What are the key themes of Mr Loverman?

Sexuality, particularly anti-gay bias and violence – and how historically it’s been harder for gay Black men to come out for various reasons. Toxic masculinity is also a key theme, not just in terms of sexuality but how do we allow people to define who we are, how do we get to our sense of identity, what does it mean to be a man, particularly a Black man, and who holds the key to all that – and who deems what it is to be Black? Daniel, Barry’s grandson, really goes through that ordeal in the series.

Acceptance is also a key theme, not just for Barry but also for the whole family as they’re all going through their own struggles. Learning to accept yourself and other people normally means you have to deal with something that isn’t quite right within yourself and how you view the world and what is holding you back in that regards. So again, I think acceptance is a key theme too.

What do you hope audiences will take away from the series?

When people sit down to watch Mr Loverman, I really hope that they can relate to the characters in some part. There is something in all the characters that I feel like are relatable and people will be able to identify with. There’s a really key thematic question that runs throughout the series, and that is: is it ever too late to start over and have a second chance?

It really speaks to the brilliant quote at the start of the book by James Baldwin, which is, ‘not everything that is faced in life can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.’ I feel that’s not just true for Barry, but true for all the characters. There are things they all need to change and come to terms with, but it’s taking that first step that makes all the difference.

Faye Ward (Executive Producer for Fable Pictures)

How would you describe the show?

Mr Loverman is a beautiful love story between a husband and wife and a man who is in love with his best friend. We find out quite quickly that he has been in love with his best friend since he was a teenager and his best friend is a man. It’s also about family, heritage, getting old and reflecting back on life, those sliding door moments and the paths you end up taking.

How did the book come to your attention?

It was before Bernardine had won the Booker Prize for Girl, Woman, Other. I was killing time in Soho in between meetings and it was pouring down with rain, so I did my favourite thing and popped into Foyles bookstore. I remember it vividly, they had the stands at the front of the store that have the best sellers and I saw this beautiful Black man staring at me on the Mr Loverman cover. And the title, ‘Mr Loverman’, was genius.

I started to flick through it and just thought it was a really beautiful story and incredibly woven together. And to top it off, it is set in London, which is where I grew up. I mentioned to Hannah Price, who at the time had just started working at Fable and is our Executive Producer on Mr Loverman, and she said she had heard of it a year or so before and loved it. It’s such an incredible feeling when you read a book and you immediately feel and see how it could be a piece for screen. It’s exciting.   

We called the agent straight away and disappointedly found out someone else had the option. I then proceeded to email and call the agent monthly until it came out of option. We put in an offer on it the day it expired and we got the option the day after. It’s such a poetic book. It’s rare that you find a story that traverse all layers of relationships, family, immigration, sexuality so beautifully intwined and with such humour. Barry is quite unlikeable at times, but also enticing and attractive.  Bernardine really winds you through the story so you have sympathy and empathy for him and all the characters.  They feel real with all the great and floored layers we have as people. I adore Barry, you can’t say a bad thing about Barry to me!

What informed the decision for you to make this a television show versus a film? 

The book is very much from Barry’s perspective, except from a couple of chapters. I think it leans itself to television because it is a story about a family. Yes, it’s one man’s journey and his relationship with his wife and lover but actually it’s multigenerational and it’s about the impact of life and decisions and how that works within a family.

All families have history and gnarly moments and even secrets. For all these reasons it felt like a film medium wasn’t appropriate, I felt like it need more time on screen to investigate these characters thoroughly and go on a journey with them all. We loved the way Bernardine had chaptered her book, and in TV you can be more playful with that style. For example, we flash back to the past many times and perspectives quite quickly and easily. 

What was it like working with Bernardine Evaristo?

It was fantastic working with Bernardine. It’s obviously petrifying, because you don’t want to disappoint an author. It’s a heavy responsibility to get it right. My aim when adapting material to screen is that the originator feels proud of the end result. You’re asking them to give over something that they adore and have created. That is petrifying for me and I imagine for Bernardine too. Bernardine did a great thing for us, she was there when we needed her – she read the scripts and gave us her terrific thoughts – but she allowed it to have its own journey with us.

She came to set and walked around the Walker family home and met the team and enjoyed meeting the design teams and saw their detailed work. The art department in particular adored meeting Bernardine and had thousands of questions for her. It was wonderful to see Bernardine sit in Barry and Carmel’s front room and look around. Imagine making something up and then one day walking into the scene. 

Were there any other actors that you were considering to play the role of Barry?

No, I always wanted Lennie James to play Barry, right from the very beginning as we were developing it. Once Nathaniel had a couple of episodes in a great shape to read I called Lennie agent about something else and then I went in for the kill but tried to keep it casual and said ‘we’re adapting this book, I don’t know if you remember it..’, she read it straight away and said she loved it and wanted to give to Lennie. Hannah, Nathaniel and I had a call with Lennie quite soon after.

Lennie is just one of the amazing actors. To ask someone to play a character twenty years older is quite a task, and I think none of us really knew how we were going to pull it off, although Lennie might have! He had such an energy for Barry and he really got his complex tone. Lennie is a wonderful person to work with, he is not only one of the most hard working and talented actors around, he is so collaborative  a true head of department when you’re a lead. He set’s a great tone in an environment and Lennie really did that.

What steps did you take to make sure this story about the LGBTQ+ community was authentic and properly represented?

It was really important for us to get the story right. As a heterosexual white women, I’m not placed to have an understanding of the nuances of all layers of the story. The only way for me to do that is to bring on incredible people to do their phenomenal jobs and in some cases bringing their lived experience to the piece and to create an environment where we always listen and everything is a conversation. It’s about constantly interrogating the story, how we’re telling the story. We were really lucky to have incredible Heads of Department who were predominately Black or Caribbean heritage or queer.  We all really enjoyed being part of that intimacy of creating work. On Mr Loverman we really tried to bring everyone together as much as possible and have those conversations.

In addition to our crew we had some wonderful consultants. Jason Okundaye who is Black and is part of the LGBTQ+ community and has written this beautiful book on the history of gay Black men. He consulted at various points particularly a contemporary queer eye on the story. The book was set in 2010 and the TV show is set now so it was important that representations and conversations were relevant to now. We were also  lucky to meet many men and their families whom were generous with their personal stories of coming out later in life and the impact it had on their families. They were incredible stories. We also had a great intimacy coach in prep and shoot to make sure those intimate moments felt true.

To also add, of course getting the Caribbean and Antiguan building blocks and details were integral to the piece and we had a great Antiguan consultant, Baden Prince who was a terrific phone a friend answering anything we needed. It was imperative that the family & friends felt right in all ways, especially in sound and voice. Joel Trill was our terrific voice coach.

What has it been like to work with Hong Khaou? 

Hong is one of the most beautiful humans you’ll ever meet. He’s a gay man himself and when I first met him about the project he was pulsating with energy and enthusiasm. He reiterated the importance of this story but also how unique the love story is on the page and that we HAD to get it perfectly right on the screen. You could immediately tell he would do everything he could to make sure that love story worked and was right, and that was exciting and assuring to us.

He also understood the tone, the levels of drama and comedy the piece has which was really important to us. The project does deal with quite heavy subject matters but also it’s fun and it’s sweet, it has a bounce to it. The cast completely adore him because he’s so hard working and detailed, you can feel how important this material was to him. He really listened and was so collaborative across all departments.  

What do you hope viewers will take away from Mr Loverman?

I hope audiences are going to be surprised and enjoy it for all it’s glory. The story is a complex story about a  love between two Black men, as well as a husband and wife and a family. It’s about life and ageing and the decision you make or the path you’re given. I think it’ll be really special for lots of people. I hope it will continue conversations about love and sexuality.

Cast

• Barrington (Barry) Jedidiah Walker – Lennie James (also an Executive Producer)
• Carmel Walker – Sharon D Clarke
• Morris De La Roux – Ariyon Bakare
• Maxine Walker – Tamara Lawrance
• Donna Walker – Sharlene Whyte
• Daniel – Tahj Miles
• Augusta – Juliet Garricks
• Odette De La Roux – Suzette Llewellyn
• Reuben Dempsey - Lochlann Ó Mearáin
• Miss Drusilla – Llewella Gideon
• Miss Merty – Hopi Grace
• Miss Candaisy – Doreene Blackstock
• Young Barry – Keenan Munn-Francis
• Young Morris – Gabin Kongolo
• Carmelita – Lauren Akosia
• Hubert – Clint Dyer
• Tony – Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
• Merle – Jessica Murrain

Creatives

• Hong Khaou – Director
• Nathaniel Price – Writer and Associate Producer
• Irma Inniss – Producer
• Faye Ward – Executive Producer for Fable Pictures
• Hannah Farrell – Executive Producer for Fable Pictures
• Hannah Price – Executive Producer for Fable Pictures
• Jo McClellan – Executive Producer for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ
• Remi Adefarasin – Director of Photography
• Speakers Quartet Corner – Composers
• Leo Davis and Lissy Holm – Casting Directors
• Chris Melgram – Production Designer
• Nora Robertson – Hair and Make-up Designer
• Jodie-Simone Howe – Costume Designer
• Joel Trill – Dialect Coach
• Robbie Taylor Hunt – Intimacy Coordinator