Philippa Dunne On Amandaland Series 2 & The Genius Of Lucy Punch

After Motherland wrapped its three glorious series of school-gate chaos, fans were left bereft. Enter Amandaland, the BBC spin-off that follows Lucy Punch’s self-absorbed Amanda as she decamps to ‘SoHa’ (South Harlesden), launches lifestyle brand Senuous and tries to keep her chaotic family afloat. The first series was an instant hit, and now series 2 is here.

Reprising her role as Anne – Amanda’s plate-spinning school-gate friend and mother to Darius – is Philippa Dunne. Ahead of the new series, C&TH sat down with Philippa to talk dream roles, the BAFTAs and the genius of her Amandaland co-star.

Q&A: Philippa Dunne On Amandaland

Amandaland is finally back: Felicity (JOANNA LUMLEY), Amanda (LUCY PUNCH), Mal (SAMUEL ANDERSON) and Anne (PHILIPPA DUNNE) in Amandaland series 2. (BBC/Merman/Natalie Seery)

Hi Philippa, how’s life going at the moment?

Life is going wonderfully thank you! I’m definitely on a high at the moment and pinching myself regularly. To add to that, I’m also delighted that I’ve dried three loads of washing outside on the line so far today.

You are about to reprise your role in Amandaland – what do we have in store this series?

Things in SoHa are pretty much the same as how we left them at the end of series 1. The parents are still attending football practice. Amanda is continuing to expand Senuous, Fi is trying new jobs, Della is busy working to pay off their debt, Felicity is thinking of moving in with Amanda, Mal and JJ do some lovely bonding, and we have the wonderful Harriet Webb joining us as Abs, Mal’s ex. There’s a careers talk at the school, a new coffee shop and a prom at the end of the series to boot.

You play Anne – how would you describe her this series?

Anne is still getting on with life, spinning a million plates and doing the best she can. I guess her biggest challenge this series is trying to teach Darius some very important life lessons, with varying results.

What is it like returning to the role?

Joyous. I love Anne, she means a lot to me and she’s just a lot of fun. I get to be in wonderfully written scenes with great actors, and I have a lot of silly fun.

How did you get into character?

I think the writing is so characterful that it’s a pretty easy process.

Philippa Dunne: ‘I love Anne, she means a lot to me and she’s just a lot of fun.’ (BBC/Merman)

Any standout moments from rehearsals or filming this time around?

We had some absolutely beautiful dogs on set that stole all our hearts.

What is the cast dynamic on set?

Very relaxed. We sit together, we chat and we take quiet downtime too.

Who is your favourite person to work with?

Lucy Punch.

What has been your favourite project to date?

Amandaland. I apologise in advance, but my answers to the next few questions are going to be very heavily biased towards Amandaland!

Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past?

Lucy Punch.

Philippa Dunne: ‘Lucy Punch is so hardworking and committed.’ (BBC/Merman)

Which co-star did you learn the most from?

Lucy Punch. She’s so hard working and committed. I’ve never seen her phone anything in. She’s constantly giving her all to every line, every scene.

What’s your dream role?

Something that is so different to any role I’ve previously played, that no one would see coming.

What’s a genre you’d like to do more of?

I’d love to do a bit of horror or sci-fi.

Who is an actor, writer or director you’d love to work with?

I would love to work with Keanu Reeves.

Do you get to spend much time at home?

As an actor you can have large chunks of time off, which I always spend at home. I like to do very normal things when I’m not working.

Philippa Dunne: ‘I like to do very normal things when I’m not working.’

Do you live in the town or the country? Which do you prefer?

I live in a town. I grew up in the country, and I tend to get terrible FOMO if I’m not in a town or city.

What’s your interior design style?

I would love to have a pared-back, streamlined, minimalist, mid-century type interior, but I have one child and one cat that makes that very difficult to achieve.

How do you find balance in your personal and work lives?

When life is busy, it usually involves me phoning my mother to see if she can help out. She’s a marvellous, generous woman.

How can we all live a little bit better?

By practising kindness with yourself and others.

Anything fun in the pipeline – professionally or personally?

The BAFTAs on 10 May!

Philippa Dunne: ‘I tend to get terrible FOMO if I’m not in a town or city.’

What Philippa Dunne Is Loving Right Now

I’m currently watching… MAFS Australia

What I’m reading… Writing on the Wall by Madeleine Pelling

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… Hamnet

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… Amandaland series 2!

Favourite film of all time… Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining

Favourite song of all time… ‘Hideaway’ by De’Lacey

My ultimate cultural recommendation… The Vasa ship in Stockholm. If you can go see it, go see it.

Cultural guilty pleasure… Reality TV

Philippa Dunne stars in Amandaland series 2. All episodes are streaming now on BBC iPlayer.

Credits

• Photographer: Jemima Marriott
• Make-Up: Gina Blondell
• Hair: Maiko Komori
• Styling: Charlie Elmy-Britton