BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation

09/20/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/20/2022 02:17

Crossfire - Meet the cast and creator

Published: 20 September 2022

Created and written by Louise Doughty (best-selling novelist and author of Apple Tree Yard), in her first original series for television, Crossfire is set in a luxurious resort in the Canary Islands.

Sunbathing on her hotel room balcony while on a dream holiday with her family and friends, Jo's (Keeley Hawes) world is turned upside down when shots ring out across the complex. Gunmen, out for revenge, have, in an instant, turned a slice of paradise into a terrifying heart-breaking hell.

A story of survival and resilience, Crossfire is an edge-of-your-seat nail-biting thriller yet also emotional, intimate and relatable. With the unsuspecting holidaymakers and hotel staff forced to make monumental split-second life or death decisions, the consequences will linger long after the final shots are fired.

Produced by Dancing Ledge Productions (The Salisbury Poisonings, The Responder), Crossfire is a 3x60" series being made in co-production with Spanish free-to-air broadcaster TVE, in a deal struck by Fremantle and in association with Buddy Club Productions.

Directed by Tessa Hoffe (Kin, Wayne, Majority), the executive producers are Laurence Bowen and Chris Carey for Dancing Ledge Productions, Lucy Richer for the BBC, Louise Doughty and Keeley Hawes. The producer is Alex Mercer (Inside Man, Doctor Who).

Filming took place last year and Crossfire will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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Cast and Crew

Keeley Hawes - Jo

Lee Ingleby - Jason

Vikash Bhai - Chinar

Anneika Rose - Abhi

Josette Simon - Miriam

Daniel Ryan - Ben

Hugo Silva - Mateo

Shalisha James-Davis - Amara

Alba Brunet - Bea

Ariyon Bakare - Paul

Louise Doughty - Creator & Executive Producer

Tessa Hoffe - Director

Alex Mercer - Producer

Chris Carey - Executive Producer for Dancing Ledge Productions

Laurence Bowen - Executive Producer for Dancing Ledge Productions

Keeley Hawes - Executive Producer for Buddy Club Productions

Lucy Richer - Executive Producer for the BBC

Interview with Louise Doughty (Creator & Executive Producer)

Behind the scenes

Can you tell us a bit about your writing background?

Well, this is my first drama for television, it's very exciting. I'm actually a novelist and I've published nine novels. The most well-known of which is Apple Tree Yard, my 7th book, which was adapted for television by Amanda Coe for BBC One in January 2017 and that's how I got introduced to the wonderful world of television.

Can you give us an overview of what the story Crossfire is about and what inspired it?

Well, I got the idea for Crossfire when I was on holiday with my family in Tenerife. I love the Canary Islands, I've been many, many times as it's one of our favourite holiday spots. I was lying on a sun lounger one day in a hotel complex; my family were scattered around the complex. I had one child was in the pool and one had wandered off somewhere and I couldn't help thinking what if some sort of gun attack happened on the resort at this particular moment. I thought 'What would I do?'

Of course we would all like to think we would behave heroically; the truth is not all of us would. Which child would I go for? They were both separated. Would I help the people around me; would I only save myself? How would I actually behave? That was the idea for Crossfire. I wanted to write about an ordinary group of people; ordinary holidaymakers from Britain, in a resort hotel like this when such an attack occurs. I wanted to write about the human choices that we all make under pressure and of course the consequences of those decisions that reverberate for years to come.

Can you talk about some of the characters we will see in Crossfire?

I was very keen to create a whole cast of characters, all of whom make the different sorts of choices that are available in such an instant. Because the truth is, none of us know how we would behave when we're acting impulsively, when we are in fear for our lives and in fear for our children's lives. Everybody wants to believe they would behave heroically and the truth is, very few of us are in an emergency situation. I know that I'm not and I have been tested in such a situation.

So, I decided I would have three families. There is our main character Jo Cross who is there with her teenage daughter from her first marriage, her husband and the two children from that marriage. Her husband Jason's best friend from school, Chinar and his wife Abhi and their three children. Then there is a childless couple, Ben and Miriam. At the point where the attack occurs, all three of these family units are spread across the complex. Crucially they are all separated from their own family members. So, each of the cast have to make their own individual choice. It's not giving anything away to say that some behave more heroically than others and some characters who do act more heroically are perhaps the characters that you wouldn't necessarily expect to behave that way. Some are able to think things through calmly and others behave very impulsively.I'm really hoping that everybody sitting at home on their sofa when they watch this series will be forced to think: what choice would I make and would I be capable of choice or would I behave entirely on impulse? My absolute aim for this is that after watching it, somebody brushing their teeth in the mirror that night will pause with the toothbrush lifted and look in the mirror and think 'What would I do if that happened to me?

Violence is present in the narrative but not the main focus, why is this important?

It was really important for me to set such a horrible, traumatic and violent incident within the context of ordinary people's ordinary lives because the truth is - things as horrific as this do happen to ordinary people. They happen to people who go home afterwards and do the school run or queue in the supermarket or go to the pub with their friends and I wanted to really explore that. I think it's really tempting to not to take on board that victims that actually people just like anybody else that have to go back to being people just like anybody else even after this appalling thing has happened. I think after something like this, it must be very hard to return to 'normal life'. To know how quickly the story moves on for everybody else, how quickly everybody else forgets about what happens to you, and certainly how quickly the news headlines move on. Of course, for people who have been through something like this, it doesn't fade quickly, it's a life-changing event. That's what I really wanted to explore.

What aspects of the story do you think audiences will relate to?

I hope that what people watching relate to is the sense that this event happened during the course of something that for many people is very ordinary and often a treat. Many people have been on holiday to resorts such as these. There's a sense that when you are on holiday you let your hair down because you're being pampered a bit. Somebody else is making your bed, somebody else is cleaning your shower, somebody else is laying out food and your children can help themselves from the buffet. Quite often you're in your swimwear. It's not often we walk around in our underwear, certainly not in the UK! On holiday you relax, you lie by a pool. So for something to happen at a time when you are so unguarded, I think it must be so horrific. I think people at home will be able to relate that at your most relaxed, at your most unguarded and this thing strikes and how would I behave if it happened to me?

How would you describe Crossfire in one sentence?

Crossfire is a drama about ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary situation and how they behave.

Interview with Keeley Hawes (Jo)

Jo (Keeley Hawes)

Can you give us a brief overview of what Crossfire is about?

Crossfire is a show about a family who go away with other friendship groups on holiday. My character Jo organises a trip for them. They are at a party at Jo's house on New Year's Eve and she slightly has an ulterior motive about wanting them all to go away on holiday together... They haven't been on holiday for very long when the hotel that they are staying in is attacked.

What kind of show would you say Crossfire is?

It's quite difficult to describe what kind of show Crossfire is because it's about so many things. There are so many layers, it's an action-based show. There is a lot of action, certainly more than I'm used to, or have ever really done. However at the same time, what it's actually about is the human stories and the kind of moral dilemma at the heart of it. Hopefully the idea of 'what would I have done in that situation'?

What were your first impressions when you read the script?

I suppose firstly it was something quite unusual to have a woman at the centre of a story which is so action-based and at the same time has this moral dilemma with this much emotion. To play a character like Jo who is really imperfect; she's a messy individual, and I went from sort of liking her and finding her quite endearing, thinking she's this really interesting, quite complex, quite confused, and then thinking god, I'm not sure I do like her. She's not straightforward. It threw up lots of questions for me and it really made me think about her and that was really appealing too.

Could you tell us a little more about Jo's story?

Jo has three children and she's married to a man called Jason played by the brilliant Lee Ingleby. She also has a first husband called Paul played by Ariyon Bakare, who is also brilliant. We've been so lucky we've got such a lovely, extraordinary cast. She and her first husband Paul share a daughter, and then she has got two more children with Jason. 15 years prior to us meeting her she was a police officer which is how she met Paul. She has sort of lived this other life and when we meet her, she has decided she wants to go back into the force. She has made the decision and it is a matter of breaking it to her husband that it's what she wants to do. You know it's not easy for her to go back to work because of childcare; two of her children are still quite young, so it's a big decision to make. It's also a big decision to make because she left having failed an exam which knocked her confidence at the time as it was really hard for a woman in the force. For all sorts of reasons it became untenable for her to stay and she had a 3-year-old at that point too so she left. But she loves her job and always had her eye on going back.

Could you tell us about some of the action scenes we might expect to see in a Crossfire?

There are lots of action scenes in Crossfire. I think the majority of the scenes filmed in Tenerife are quite action-packed because this hotel has been taken over by gunmen out for revenge.

Do you think the audience will get a sense of what would I do in this situation?

I think the hope with Crossfire is that it is one of those shows that there is this horrendous question, this awful moral dilemma of, what would I do in that situation. That really is at the heart of the show and what I hope that people are left with. I mean it's quite a thrilling ride and it's quite dark in places. It is a show about relationships, friendships and marriages and all sorts of messy stuff. I would be really satisfied if people walked away and were debating what would I do? Because that is where the story came from with Louise. What would I do in that situation? That is what was interesting to me about it and everyone else who had read it.

Interview with Lee Ingleby (Jason)

Jason (Lee Ingleby)

When you first picked up the script, what was your impression?

I thought it was one of those where, you know, the indication of a good script is always in the writing and it was just great, it was a page turner. When I read it, it felt like, what would I do in this situation, because they all react very differently and I think sometimes we like to think that we would do one thing, but actually when push comes to shove, sometimes you end up doing another and that is explored in the script. I think Jason on paper is quite a simple man. He's married, two kids and I think he always feels a sense that he's not good enough, maybe for Jo. I think he struggles with that.

Where did we first meet your character?

We first meet Jason and Jo and we know that they've got a slightly frosty relationship. They aren't there on honeymoon, things aren't going brilliantly and they are in a state of toleration. Something is simmering which we discover later in the script. It's clever. It's not presented immediately but you know something is going on.

Can you tell us about the other friendships?

Jason and Chinar were at school together and that's when they first got to know each other and became best mates. They became like a foursome and then Miriam and Ben are friends of Jo's and I suppose its that thing where you all become a group of mates that you really enjoy hanging out with and they all just decide to have a bit of a jolly and go to the beautiful Canary Islands.

What's it been like working with the other cast members?

I've worked with Dan [Ryan] before, he plays Ben. We've played brothers a few years ago so it's a joy to work with him again. I've always been a fan of Keeley's [Hawes] and I've worked with Anneika [Rose] in Line of Duty. It was a joy, especially the Spanish cast as well as it was a nice mix, especially the social side of things and we get to hang out together.

Can you summarise Crossfire?

Different characters represent different reactions to what you would do in that situation. Ultimately, what would you do? Everyone is just going to ask what would they do?

Interview with Josette Simon (Miriam)

Miriam (Josette Simon)

Tell us about your character, Miriam?

Miriam is Jo's oldest friend and is married to Ben. She and Ben have been married a long time and they are a very close couple. They're the only one of this group who doesn't have children. She's a GP. I would say, and I think the others would agree, that she's the quietly brave one. She's very on top of her game.

Do you remember your first impressions when you read the script?

Oh I'll remember it forever. It doesn't matter how far back. I got the script. I could not put those scripts down. I remember they were couriered over to me and it was quite late and I was doing something the next day. I thought that I'd read the first episode and then I'll read the rest of it later. My heart was beating out of my chest when I read it and I got to the end of each episode and I had to go on to the next. In fact, I stayed up and read the entire thing because there was no way I could stop reading once I turned that first page.

What did you find appealing about your character when you read the scripts initially?

What I found appealing about Miriam was that she is in some ways, not as fractured as some of the other characters. She is someone you would absolutely and deeply trust. She's somebody who you would confide in. She's somebody who's advice you would seek. However you can also have a laugh with her. She's quite rounded; very centred, caring and funny. The depths that she goes to and the qualities that you see in her as Crossfire unfolds is fascinating.

The story explores the characters and their lives through flashbacks and flash forwards. Could you tell us more about what this adds to the story?

The great thing about having flashbacks is that you see things that happened before and leading to the event, you get to see other sides of people's characters before you see them battling the horror of the story. It's really important because so much of the story is incredibly intense and you are on the edge of your seat. It's nice to see them in normal situations, having a laugh with each other and you get a fully rounded sense of all of these characters. Then you also get to see them afterwards so it's a full picture.

What do you think audiences will relate to in crossfire?

I think what audiences will relate to in Crossfire is the fact that it's a very familiar situation. Every single person who watches this programme, whoever they are, how old they are, whatever the situation they're in, will be able to relate to going on holiday. Either a cheap package holiday or something more expensive. You've got your sun lounges, you've got your pool, the bar and café.. It's a recognisable situation. So anyone watching it will be able to see themselves in that situation.

Interview with Dan Ryan (Ben)

Ben (Dan Ryan) Adam (Noah Leggott) Gatik (Zakiy Jogi) and Jaypal (Arjun Subramanian)

What kind of show is Crossfire?

Crossfire is essentially a show about relationships but how they're strained under extraordinary circumstances. Who you are when you are put to the test when things happen in your life that you would never have dreamed of happening. How does that affect your relationships with your partner and does it affect how you move forward in those circumstances? It's a thriller. I always hate using the word 'rollercoaster', but that's exactly what it is. It's a ride you get on and is completely uncomfortable until you reach the end.

Your character Ben, faces an unimaginable situation, tell us about his response?

Ben's a nurse. So he's used to working under pressure. But the pressure that's put on him in this situation is nothing like he's ever encountered before he's fighting for his own life rather than other people's and also panicking because he's been left with the responsibility of other people's children. His wife is still in the complex and all of his friends and he doesn't know where anybody is. So it's all those responses that you would never know how you would react in a certain situation. Do you go back in to the resort or do you run away? Your responsibility is to look after these children. He starts failing in quite a dramatic way, which I think is probably unusual for him in his life as he copes under normal circumstances. So this pushes him to the limits.

Do you think that's what audiences will relate to Crossfire?

It's going to be the classic moments when you're shouting at the television screen. Telling them to not go that way, don't do that, as the audience is always going to be one step ahead of the characters and knowing what's around the corner or knowing where a character shouldn't be. It's going to be exciting to watch. I think everyone who is put in these circumstances is going to make an audience question what they would do and how they would react. There's nothing better than that when you are watching TV.

What was your first impression when you read the script?

The script came during the tail end of lockdown. So for one thing, there weren't many scripts around, so to get one that was like completely fresh and completely compelling! Three episodes that I probably read through in three quarters of an hour because of the pace and the energy! The characters, the richness of it, the fear, the panic! Everything was there on this page. It was one of those where I thought: 'Ok Dan, you've got to get this job.'

What would you like audiences to take away once they've watched the show?

I think Crossfire is going to be something that stays with people after they've watched it. I think it will be a talking point on how someone will have responded in this situation. However, it's also quite a shocking piece to watch.

Interview with Anneika Rose (Abhi)

Abhi (Anneika Rose)

Can you tell us a little bit about your character, Abhi?

Abhi is married to Chinar and they have three children. I think when we first see Abhi, she's sort of an incredibly perfect type of person. Certainly aesthetically she's dressed very well; well-presented and it sort of belies what's going on underneath in terms of her relationship with Chinar.

What did you feel like when you first read the script?

When I first read the script, I genuinely couldn't put it down and I can't honestly say that about a lot of things. It's one of those things that I just had to know what happened next and it was actually very tense reading for me!

Tell us about the hotel in which the story is set?

So, the bulk of the action happens in the hotel and this particular hotel is incredibly confusing and large sort of compound from the outside. It looks a bit like a fortress and once you're in, it's very, very easy to get lost. I think certainly for me filming there, there was no clear escape route and I think that that heightens everything for all of the characters because you turn a corner and you're absolutely not where you thought you were going to be. I think the vastness and it's maze like quality really adds a lot to the story.

The story is told through a female lens, can you tell us about this?

I think as the show centres on the three women, Jo in particular, it's really important that we have a female director and that a women wrote it. That's what is interesting about these characters; they are flawed. They aren't straightforward. Obviously the men are very important as well but the women are at the heart of it.

What do you think an audience watching Crossfire is going to feel?

I think it will be relatable for audiences. This kind of holiday; the Spanish island, sea and sun kind of vibe and I think audiences will be able to imagine what they would do in this situation. All the characters are up against slightly different set of circumstances. It will be a tense watch; we go backwards and forwards in the story and you never know if a character will survive. I think they'll be gripped!

Interview with Vikash Bhai (Chinar)

Chinar (Vikash Bhai) Adam (Noah Leggott) Gatik (Zakiy Jogi) and Jaypal (Arjun Subramanian)

What is Crossfire about?

Crossfire is about a group of really close friends who go on holiday together and their world gets turned upside down.

Could you discuss some of the key themes?

I would say friendship, love, betrayal and revenge..

What was your first impression was when you read the script?

I remember thinking there's a really nice pace about this and the world that Louise Doughty [writer] builds is very clear. I mean she's a novelist and you really get the sense of the friends, the family, their lives, who they are before they go on this trip, what life is like in this place and I thought this is this is great!

What do you like about your character?

The thing that I found appealing about Chinar was that he's a confident man who's really well to do. I think it's a representation of somebody from the Indian subcontinent that we don't often get to see on screen. He's done really well with his life and he's not afraid to go after what he wants and that's definitely been fun to play.

How does the vastness of the hotel add to the storyline and how was the shoot?

I think as an audience member, you feel the tension is quite palpable because the hotel is quite open and it doesn't seem like there's anywhere for anyone to hide. So, you can feel that fear and I think that's probably what that space really does really well. For the shoot, if you're lucky enough to be able to film in the sun in December in 28 degrees, I don't think you can really have anything to complain about and we had a wonderful cast and amazing crew. It was it was a really wonderful experience for six weeks to do that and then to come to rainy London.

Why is violence not the main focus of the story?

At the heart of the story, we're following these relationships and I think that's really what the show is about. These human beings, their lives and the choices they make which are a butterfly effect. One decision you make at one point in time, which seems so insignificant, can result in everyone's lives being turned upside down. It's not so much the violence itself. The most interesting thing about this is how people deal with these situations.

What do you think audiences will relate to in Crossfire?

I think audiences will relate to the fact that I'm sure we've probably all had a moment either on holiday or a plan that has been ruined by some unexpected event.

Could you describe crossfire in one sentence?

Crossfire in a sentence… You don't know what you've got until it's gone.

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