Rosalie Craig: Punk Rock Is Actually Really Quite Cathartic

Sally Wainwright’s latest drama premieres on BBC One at 9pm tonight, showcasing the intertwining lives of five overworked women who ditch quiet decorum to form a punk rock band and enter their local Hebden Bridge talent contest. At the centre of Riot Women are Beth (Joanna Scanlan) and Kitty (Rosalie Craig), two unlikely allies and the unlikely creative masterminds of their band. Kitty is fiery, brash and unpredictable – but they turn out to be more entangled than Beth would ever have previously believed.

With all six episodes available to stream now on BBC iPlayer, we sat down with Rosalie (who is also hot off her role in ITV’s The Hack) to find out more.

Q&A: Rosalie Craig On Riot Women

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

Great, thanks. It’s a very exciting time full of anticipation for some super projects to be seen. I have also just finished Goodnight Oscar at The Barbican and loved every minute of it.

You’re recently starred in ITV series The Hack. What can you tell us about that?

I won’t give too much away, but as the name suggests it focuses on the News of the World phone-hacking scandal. It has a great team behind it, an awesome cast and it’s complex and thought-provoking.

How did you prepare for the role, and do you tend to prepare differently when you are portraying a real person?

When I’m preparing to play a real person I do a lot of research and find out as much about them as possible. I’ll watch as much footage as I can to observe accent, mannerisms and energy. It’s important to remember that you’re also in a piece of fiction – it shouldn’t be an impersonation as such – rather a reflection of that person.

It was written by Jack Thorne, who is probably one of British TV’s buzziest writers right now post Adolescence. What was it like to work with him?

I’ve known Jack for a long time and watched his rise to the top with great joy and no small level of surprise. He is a fantastic writer, both for the stage (where I have encountered him before) and for the screen. What talent we have in this country, in the creative arts!

What do you hope audiences will take from The Hack?

I hope it will shed light on a chapter in British history that demands great scrutiny and attention. You only have to look at Mr Bates vs The Post Office to see the impact that drama can have on a wider scale. It can be far-reaching and hold people to account in a way that other forces can’t.

Beth Thornton (JOANNA SCANLAN), Jess Burchill (LORRAINE ASHBOURNE), Yvonne Vaux (AMELIA BULLMORE), Kitty Eckerson (ROSALIE CRAIG), Holly Gaskell (TAMSIN GREIG), Nisha Lal (TAJ ATWAL), & Kam Lal (CHANDEEP UPPAL) in Riot Women. (© BBC/Drama Republic Ltd.)

Let’s talk about Riot Women. Can you give us an elevator pitch for the show?

Riot Women is a hard-hitting, beautifully crafted, emotionally engaging and dramatically rich drama written by national treasure Sally Wainwright. It focuses on five women who put together a punk band to win a local talent contest. They juggle demanding jobs, grown-up children, aging parents, absent husbands and the menopause as the band becomes a catalyst for change in their lives.

What was filming like?

Working with the UK’s most prolific female writer alongside some of the country’s most-loved female actors was inspiring, to say the least. The shoot was challenging and demanding, of course, but I learnt so much for all these people and am so proud of what we made together.

You play Kitty – how would you describe her?

Kitty is resilient and attacks life despite a challenging start. She’s a survivor – she’s literally covered in scars – but doesn’t consider herself a victim. As you might expect for Sally’s writing, Kitty’s life is a rollercoaster but the inspiring thing about her is that she’ll always get back up after being knocked down (or out) in her own unique way.

How did you get into character?

Kitty is quite a distance from me as a person – but that’s the thrill of being an actor. You find the common ground between you, where you identify with her and things tend to take shape from there. Sally had a very specific idea of what she wanted for Kitty, so there were many conversations to be had around the specifics of playing her.

What was it like getting into the punk rock frame of mind?

Great fun. Actually really quite cathartic. After we played together as a band for the first time, I finally understood the appeal of a garage band to teenagers. It rocks.

Did you do anything special to prepare for the role?

Given the show is about the formation of a punk band, obviously music plays a big part. We all play our instruments and sing, and this required a lot of preparation and rehearsal. Thankfully Kitty plays the guitar and sings, both of which I’m pretty familiar with. Some of the other actors had pretty quick crash courses in their respective instruments. But they smashed it.

Any standout moments from rehearsals or filming?

There are so many memorable Sally moments in the scripts – every day and scene there seemed to be one. Look out for Kitty smashing a Aston Martin with a sledgehammer: that day’s filming will live long in my memory.

Anything you are especially proud of or excited for viewers to see?

I’m proud to be part of a production that foregrounds women of an age that often gets overlooked. As you’ll see when the credits role, the majority of people involved in the production are women. But it’s not tokenism: all these people are the best in the business and I’m excited for viewers to see what we’ve created. There’s nothing else on television like this.

Kitty Eckersley (ROSALIE CRAIG) in Riot Women. (© BBC/Drama Republic Ltd.)

What has been your favourite project to date?

Well, Riot Women is a real career highlight. But I also had great fun onstage at the Barbican in a play called Goodnight Oscar playing opposite Will & Grace‘s Sean Hayes. It’s a classy slice of American drama with a coup de theatre at the end of show that stops it in its tracks.

Any roles in the pipeline that you’re excited about? (If you’re allowed to tell us!)

I’ve got a project that films towards the end of the year (but sadly I can’t say what as it hasn’t been announced yet!) as well as lots of other projects in development.

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

I’ve had the good fortune of working with my husband, Hadley Fraser, a few times. We love working together and I hope we will again one day.

Which co-star did you learn the most from?

I’ve learnt a lot from so many colleagues. Patti Lupone taught me to value myself, Joanna Scanlan and Tamsin Grieg were endlessly inspiring and Sean Hayes sets a hell of an example onstage and off.

What’s your dream role?

I genuinely don’t have one. My favourites have always been a surprise.

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

All of them. Why limit the possibilities?

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

I’d like to work with Rebecca Frecknall. She makes extraordinary, compelling, urgent theatre.

Do you get to spend much time at home, and how do you spend your free time?

It depends on my schedule. When I am at home I spend time with my daughter, ferrying her around and cleaning out her hamster cage. In my free time I adore seeing friends, exercising, and I have a passion for interior design. I can often be found in shops off the beaten track hunting down a new treasure!

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

More by luck than judgement. There’s no perfect answer to balancing them, other than to be aware of them both in equal measure. And to make sure both are treated with respect and humility.

How can we all live a little bit better?

Do something for someone else every day, and find a moment of happiness where you can – however small.

What Is Rosalie Craig Loving Right Now?

I’m currently watching… The Great British Sewing Bee. We love it.

What I’m reading… I have twenty odd books on and beside my nightstand. Some for work, some for pleasure. My favourite recent read was The Life Impossible by Matt Haig.

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… My daughter in her drama show playing Violet Beauregard.

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… Ohio: The Bengsons at the Young Vic. I’m a huge fan.

Favourite film of all time… Wall-E. We can still learn a lot from that film.

Favourite song of all time… ‘Both Sides Now’ by Joni Mitchell. It’s obvious, but it’s the truth.

Band/singer I always have on repeat… See above. I’m a little obsessed.

My ultimate cultural recommendation… I’ve just worked at the Barbican and am blown away by the breadth of creativity and artistry it showcases. Come and spend an afternoon and evening there and you’ll walk away richer for the experience.

Cultural guilty pleasure… Scrolling endlessly on Vinted for the next bargain.

All six episodes of Riot Women are streaming now on BBC iPlayer.

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