The scintillating drama The Left Behind screens tonight on BBC1. Carl Marshchats to Welsh actor Aimee-Ffion Edwards about her role in the production
The role you play in The Left Behind, a young mum amongst Britain’s working class, how did you prepare for this role without coming across as patronising to the role, if that makes sense?
My family on both sides are working class. Both my parents grew up on council estates. Dad left school at 15 and got an apprenticeship in engineering which meant one day, he could own his own house. My grandparents also moved in so I grew up with a strong sense of loyalty and care for those closest to you. I am one of five kids and we all feel a responsibility to look out for each other. What struck me most about Annes’ character and ALL the characters was that regardless of class/ethnicity, all they want is to feel safe and secure like everyone else, earn a fair wage to pay for that security and to be able to stick together. When you are being let down from so many sides, all you have is family. Annes is being forced to sacrifice her own brother to look after her child. I focused more on that rather than just trying to make her “working class”. She is just a woman with a family trying not to drown in a system that repeatedly lets her down.
The characters in the show are a mix between victims of zero-hour contracts or no work at all. What message is there for people to take from watching the drama?
That if people feel trapped by poverty, ignored and let down and that there is absolutely no way of them breaking the cycle, then the anger that comes from the injustice of that will eventually surface in one way or another.
Tackling a topic such as the increase of the far-right amongst the young, especially on council estates, is a topic so current, and one that needs to ‘hit home’ with everybody but what made you take this role, as it can be such an inflammatory subject, and the message this drama sends out?
As soon as I read the script I wanted to be a part of it. It has an amazing team behind it who are fearless in telling stories that people would rather not engage with. Apart from that, it is so brilliantly written and it’s set in Wales which I feel is generally under-represented in mainstream television but also because the script made me feel uncomfortable. Everyone in the film is a victim in some way and so it asks you to empathise and to try an understand sometimes, against your own instincts.
Will we be seeing you in plenty more Welsh-set projects?
I hope so! I feel like things are revving up in Wales and I hope people continue to invest in the talent here, especially in the writers. I think people will think they have just discovered Alan Harris but he has been going for years! He is amazing.
People may always ask you this but your knack at accents is sublime, and I know you are an actor but lots cannot pull them off, what is your secret?
Well, some come easier to me than others! But I basically walk around the house mumbling to myself in different sounds till it starts to (hopefully) sound right. It drives my dad mad because he thinks I’m talking to him. Then it’s practice, practice, practice!
The last question – do you miss playing the role of Esme in Peaky Blinders?
I think Esme is my spirit animal. She’s still with me!
The Left Behind screens tonight on BBC1 at 9pm and will be available on BBC iPlayer afterwards.