The Woman In The Wall: Daryl McCormack Interview

Gothic thriller The Woman in the Wall is a sensitively crafted, fictional drama series which examines the legacy of one of Ireland’s most shocking scandals – the inhumane institutions known as The Magdalene Laundries.

Lorna Brady (Ruth Wilson) is a woman from the small, fictional Irish town of Kilkinure who wakes one morning to find a corpse in her house. Lorna has no idea who the dead woman is, or if she herself might be responsible. That’s because Lorna has long suffered from extreme bouts of sleepwalking ever since she was ripped from her life at the age of 15 and incarcerated in a convent. There, Lorna gave birth to her daughter Agnes, who was cruelly taken from her and whose fate Lorna has never known.

Unluckily for Lorna, Detective Colman Akande (Daryl McCormack) is now also on her tail, for a crime seemingly unrelated to the body she has discovered in her house.

As Colman searches for a murderer and Lorna searches for her daughter, their paths collide in ways they could never have anticipated. Lorna’s search for Agnes will take her deep into her own past and to the heart of Kilkinure’s darkest secrets, as she and Colman seek the answers they each so desperately need.

Interview with Daryl McCormack (Detective Colman Akande)

Can you tell us about the premise of The Woman In The Wall?

The Woman in the Wall follows two survivors from fictional Mother and Baby Homes in Ireland, who have been separately impacted. The story begins after the murder of a priest that my character knew from his childhood, it brings these two people together, the young detective who’s trying to solve the case played by myself, and a prime suspect who was sent to a Mother and Baby Home in the mid- eighties played by Ruth Wilson. They both kind of have similar wounds from this system, and it’s about them going on to really tackle something that’s a lot bigger than just the initial murder case.

Please tell us about your character, Colman Akande?

Colman is a detective. He is in his early 30s and is an adopted young man who came out of the Mother and Baby Home within our fictional town of Kilkinure so he’s never known the true identity of his mother. He is very bullheaded, kind of stubborn, but you can sense that it is his only way to survive.

He’s an interesting character and hides a lot on the surface, he is almost a victim of the type of masculinity that almost hurts him. He struggles to really bear himself to those around him. He’s met with a lot of his own demons and paths that he doesn’t want to really face but this investigative case that he is working on forces him to do so. You can sense the wounds and trauma that he hasn’t yet dealt with and has to then face throughout the course of the series.

Colman is transferred from Dublin to the fictional Irish town of Kilkinure – a seemingly close-knit community, which up until the events of the series, remains relatively quiet. Tell us about this journey for Colman, and what his relationships are like with Gardai and people living in the town?

I think Colman is angry at what appears to him to be small mindedness on behalf of the local Gardai. I think there can be an Irish tendency to sometimes sweep things under the rug in fear of hurting people or in fear of disrupting the peace. And he’s partnered with a detective called Massey who is very happy to just move things along quite quickly. So, there is a dissonance there between the two of them. They operate in very different ways. He has no real allegiance or obligation to appease the local community, so he comes in becomes quite frustrated quite quickly, which I think adds to the kind of comedy of the two. They’re two very different people which makes for more of an obstacle for his investigation.

Though totally fictional the series is inspired by Ireland’s horrific history with the Magdalene Laundries and Mother & Baby Homes. How much did you know about these real-life events before taking on the role?

I’ve known about the Magdalene Laundries for quite some time. I remember watching The Magdalene Sisters movie when I was maybe 14 or 15. And through kind of just growing up in Ireland, it would have been talked about every once in a while. So I knew of it for the most part, but I obviously did a much deeper dive into the history once I once I started prepping for this role. I was more focusing on the children that came out of the Mother and Baby Homes, because that’s where Colman was coming from. It was difficult. Obviously, there’s a lot of pain and a lot of shame, which is part of the Catholic institution. So it was necessary, but also difficult to re-expose myself to the truth of what happened.

In the process of solving a murder in the town of Kilkinure, Colman makes a massive personal discovery about himself. How does his past trauma affect the decisions he makes throughout the series?

What I really enjoyed about playing Colman was that he is really trying to keep a lid on himself, because it’s the most efficient way he can get through the case. And as he meets with truths about both the Mother and Baby Homes and the murdered priest, he is being provoked by his own past – a dark past that he hasn’t really decided to look at.

So, he really becomes a lot more rash and emotionally driven, which was obviously great fun to play, because he becomes slightly unhinged in that in that regard. He cannot go back and not be involved with the case, so when these emotions come up for him, it only forces him to try and go through it as quickly as possible. And that causes him to go to all sorts of places.

Why do you think it’s important to tell this story to audiences today?

I think it’s important to cover anything that hasn’t gotten its fair share of exposure, particularly when it’s left a wound for some people in the country. I think the great thing about art and storytelling is that it gives another chance for people to hear and learn about past events, whilst in the frame of a fictional recreation. And I hope in doing that you give both the survivors, and the people involved a chance to hopefully salvage some recognition and some empathy, but also some justice. When we were making the show, everyone involved from the writers to the actors, and the directors, were aware that this is a sensitive topic, so we just tried to really pour ourselves into the show as much as we could for the people affected. So, the hope is that it something for them and that our efforts come across.

The series examines tragedy in Ireland’s history, while also telling a compelling whodunit crime drama. Can you talk about how the two elements work side by side, and how you found that as an actor?

I think that’s a great question. We’re not making a documentary, we’re making a fictional drama, and there is some sort of creative licence in there with regards to how that is expressed. For those involved in the series, there was a juggling act which was to really have respect to the truth of the show, but at the same time, as an actor be open to creatively where the show went and how it expressed itself.. So, it is an element of I guess, trusting that you’re respectful of the history and then letting that go and trusting the process of how the show is being made. And trusting also how it’s going to be received, hoping that people will see that you have good intent.

What was it like returning to Ireland to take this role?

I love coming home to shoot and I love working with Irish crews. I think we have some of the best crews in the world. This was my third time shooting in Belfast – I’d previously worked on a film called Pixie and some of Bad Sisters in Belfast too, so to be back there felt good because I knew the city. There is also something nice about telling an Irish story in the country.

What makes this series stand out from other similar thrillers and crime dramas?

I think it’s really to do with the way the show dances between dark comedy and horror and thriller – there are so many genres working together, which makes it feel really new. Also, in the way Joe has written in the show and how visual it is, will be exciting for audiences. A lot of time when you have a show or material that is inspired by historical events, it can be very limited in terms of how it’s expressed, almost as if it’s been shot documentary-style. But I think this show really takes licence to take risks in how it expresses itself, and I think that will be something that people haven’t seen much in this genre and that opens it to a wide audience.

How did you find working opposite Ruth Wilson, and the rest of the cast?

I’ve always wanted to work with Ruth. I remember when I first saw her in Luther, I just thought she was incredible, so from that moment that I really wanted to work with her. I didn’t mention that to her at all though, I was kind of shy, so I thought befriend her first and then let her know that I’m actually a massive fan! But she’s incredible and so unpredictable to work with as an actor as well.

I think there’s a frequency that she operates from that is really riveting. It was a joy. And working with Simon Delaney who plays my fellow detective, Massey, was an absolute treat. He’s a fantastic actor, and obviously known more for his comedy, but I was delighted that he has such a great role in this as well, one that really shows some depth. There’s such a great cast of Irish legends in this in this show that turn a brilliant performance.

What is your hope for the series?

Well, my hope is that that it is received well, and that hopefully it might bring up some more discussion, for the survivors and people involved. And then on top of that, I hope that audiences get a show that is creatively fulfilling as well. It’s a weird thing to hope for, because it’s based on true events, but I just want the survivors to feel like they’re being represented well. I really do think it’s going to be an exciting show, so I hope that they enjoy it.

Interview with Philippa Dunne (Niamh)

Can you tell us about the premise of The Woman In The Wall and your initial reaction to the scripts?

The Woman In The Wall is the story of a woman living in a small fictional town in the west of Ireland, who is very othered, by her kind of “antisocial, strange, odd behaviour”. But what people may not know about her is that she’s dealing with trauma of having spent years in a Magdalene Laundry / Mother & Baby Home, and she’s still traumatised. She’s constantly thinking of the baby that she had there, and what became of that baby and she’s obviously tormented. This is the reason behind her place in life at the moment and so the show watches her rediscover the fate of this baby and just how much the experience has affected her from the time she spent in the laundry.

When I read the scripts, I thought they were absolutely unreal and I just thought I had to be in this programme. The imagery, the just the grimness at moments, the writing and the characters are all incredible. It’s so dark yet they’re still comedy poking through. And life has so much of that tragedy and comedy balance going on. Anyone reading them would want to be involved. It’s such a powerful story.

Can you tell us about your character, Niamh.

My character is called Niamh, and she is friends with the lead character Lorna Brady played by Ruth Wilson. Niamh is a very focused, grounded advocate who is campaigning for the survivors of the Magdalene Laundry and the Mother & Baby Homes. She wants their voice to be heard, and she wants to get them compensation. She’s not a survivor herself, but she is carrying the baton for her mother who is deceased. Her mother was a survivor who never lived to see justice or recognition for what happened, so she was very much campaigning for her mother’s memory. And also, what makes it current for her is her friend Lorna, played by Ruth Wilson, who is a survivor and who is actively going through the trauma.

In addition to this Niamh herself is pregnant, which makes it very relevant in that when you’re expecting a baby, all your senses are heightened to a mother’s plight and a connection with the baby. So Niamh is very aware of how horrific these women’s experiences were when it came to carrying a baby and then the baby been taken away, she can’t help but empathise extremely with them. So she’s doing it for a mother, for her friend Lorna, for the women survivors in the group from the town, and a part of it is doing it for herself so that she should never meet the same fate as they did.

Niamh comes from the fictional Irish town of Kilkinure – a seemingly close-knit community, which up until the events of the series, remains relatively quiet. Tell us about where we first find Lorna, and what her relationship is to Lorna Brady?

We first meet Niamh quietly stalking Lorna. She’s very concerned for her because Lorna has been acting strange, and you might say drawing attention to herself because of this strange behaviour, unfortunately. Poor Lorna, she’s very bewildered, she’s very traumatised, and it’s affecting her deeply. Niamh wants to know that she’s okay. She knows about Lorna’s history and wants to pin her down and make sure she’s all right. She also wants to involve Lorna in her advocacy work with the group of survivors, as she thinks it could be a good support network for her, but Lorna just isn’t ready for any of that. Niamh just wants to look after people and make sure people are okay.

Why do you think it’s important to tell this story to audiences today?

Because it needs to be spoken about forever, it can never be forgotten. And what the women endured can never be forgotten. We have to be aware of how dark this country got so that nobody would have to suffer that way again. It’s inexcusable, unforgivable. Plus, the fact that it was still in operation up until so recently is absolutely shocking. It’s still too fresh. And when it’s fresh, let’s not wait for the dust to settle, let’s keep talking about it. Because there are people still alive who went through this awfulness, and we need to honour them. They need to be listened to and they need to be heard, their stories need to be told.

You can’t let the memory of this fade because it’s an injustice to the women and it’s putting us at risk of something similar happening again.

How did you find working with Ruth Wilson, Daryl McCormack, and the rest of the cast?

Fabulous! I was pinching myself. I’m a massive fan of Ruth’s work, I always have been, and I have always watched her stuff and loved it. To get to see her perform in real life, she’s an incredible actor, stunning performance. I learned so much just from watching her and how she approaches her craft. My jaw is still on the floor. I didn’t have any scenes with Daryl sadly, but I’m just delighted to be the in the same show as him. It was a lovely production. I just really enjoyed every minute working on this programme, because I knew it was going to be a fantastic show. And I’m really proud of my involvement.

What is your hope for the series?

I hope it’s well received, and I hope it does the material justice. I hope people get to appreciate all the facets of the show because it’s so much more than just that key story.

There are so many genres folded into one – there’s horror, there’s mystery, there’s thriller, there’s deception, there’s redemption there’s finding a certain level of peace, there’s rediscovering yourself and your strengths. There’s just so many strings to the bow of what this show is. And I hope all the different facets do something for everyone, and I see it being a great watch. I want people to appreciate the fabulous writing and performances and enjoy watching it – if enjoyment is the right word. I hope they find it intriguing and appealing.

The Woman In The Wall is coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer.