31 March 2024

Interview with Eve Austin who plays Jeannie in This Town

How would you describe the premise of This Town?

The show is centred around a group of young people who find each other in different circumstances, they all come from different lives. But equally they are all facing hardship, they’re all having a difficult time, like being young which can be difficult in itself. Them connecting with one another and bringing their experiences together to help one another is all done through the beautiful artform of music. Sometimes it’s easier to speak with music than it is with words, I think that’s what they find with each other.

What are the core themes of the show? Do they resonate with you?

Hugely. To me, friendship is the underlying theme of the show. It’s what saves each and every one of the lead characters who you meet, even above family in some aspects. That resonates with me, the platonic relationships in my life are the most important thing, they bring you up out of the darkness all the time and I don’t think they get enough credit. Often a lot is swayed towards how important romantic relationships are, when actually in This Town – with all the characters getting something from each other in this big friendship group – for me friendship is the most important theme.

What was it like when the cast first came together?

A lot of us come from very similar backgrounds and experiences. Myself, Levi and Ben are all Midlands kids which is different to being a southerner or a northerner, as it has its own world. It felt like we’d known each other for years, which is amazing and really lucky because it’s a tough thing to pull off – half of us weren’t musicians before we started this. To have the support of people who do know it better and to feel incredibly supported all the time – I don’t really know how we’d do it without that.

What can you tell us about your character?

I play Jeannie, we meet her pretty much immediately in the riot scene. She sees Dante who she knows from school and they go on an adventure together that night. She actually becomes the catalyst for everything moving forward, as she introduces Dante to music, and pushes him out of his comfort zone. Behind everything she’s a driving force, which I think women often are, so I’m very proud of her for that. Jeanie is super protective of Dante and I think a brother/sister role is what comes through the scripts and it comes through when we’re working together. Jeannie is a bit bossy and she likes to be in charge so it works very well, as I think Dante likes to follow.

What were the challenges in taking on this role?

It truly is the most beautiful piece of writing I have ever read, and whenever you’re doing something that reads so well on the page you put so much pressure on yourself to deliver it well,. I wanted to do it justice because I feel so connected to my part.

Learning an instrument – the keyboard – for the first time has been very interesting. I’ve had a lot of help, a brilliant teacher and we’ve got amazing music producers on this who are wonderful because they make such a chilled environment on this.

How did it feel recording the music with Dan Carey, and coming together as a band?

We did a lot of rehearsals at Dan’s studio which were always the most fun, as we’d do it for the whole day. It’s all about communicating with each other, and Ben and Freya who play in bands separately to the show were so brilliant at helping everyone else.

How does music impact the society Jeannie lives in?

It bring people of all subcultures together, merging people who might not even speak together but then they dance and hear the music together. That’s a very bonding experience. It’s escapism for everybody and at a difficult time that’s a really important thing for human beings to have.

Set in a world of family ties, teenage kicks and the exhilarating music of a generation, This Town tells the story of a band’s formation against a backdrop of violence, capturing how creative genius can emerge from a time of madness. Both a high octane thriller and a family saga, This Town opens in 1981 at a moment of huge social tensions and unrest. Against this backdrop, it tells the story of a group of young people fighting to choose their own paths in life, and each in need of the second chance that music offers.

This Town (6×60) is produced by Kudos (a Banijay UK company) and Nebulastar for the BBC, co-produced with Mercury Studios, in association with Kudos North, Stigma Films and Nick Angel.

This Town is available in full on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Sunday 31 March, with episodes one and two airing on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday 31 March and Monday 1 April. The series continues on BBC One on Sundays at 9pm.