August 20, 2024 — Interview with Annabel Scholey who plays Cathy in BBC drama Dead and Buried

Tell us about the character of Cathy?

Cathy is a mother, a wife, a friend and teacher. We meet her in episode one in a state of normality, of calm almost. Then she bumps into Michael McAllister who was responsible for her brother’s death many years ago and everything changes. Cathy is hyper focused, obsessed and lives life in the extreme when she is off her meds for bipolar [disorder]. She is very funny, stubborn and has a lust for following her instincts which can be dangerous and disruptive.

What attracted you to the part?

Cathy is so far away from who I am. For a start, the Northern Irish culture, humour, the accent! The fact that she is bipolar. For an actor, it was like tick tick tick. A huge challenge. Absolutely terrifying. All of it. Her emotional journey is so intense and complicated in its twists and turns and her moral compass is sometimes questionable (which is fascinating to explore for any actor). I enjoyed how physically she quite often moves in extremes.

Cathy has an alter ego, so I got to explore that version of her too. I read the script and thought, oh my God, this is incredible! I had also just finished working with Laura Way on a Paramount Plus UK series, Serial Killer’s Wife and I absolutely love her and her brilliant work.

You are acting with an accent from Northern Ireland – how did you prepare for that?

I worked HARD. For weeks. With my brilliant accent coach Brendan Gunn. I felt very strongly that to tell Cathy’s story with a bad accent would not only ruin the story for viewers by reducing the authenticity but as an actor, in a role like this, you need absolute freedom. If I had been limited because I wasn’t secure in the accent, it would have been a disaster I think. I absolutely loved the accent and found so much character within it.

Unfortunately I worked so hard that now if I try to do another accent, it comes out Northern Irish!

How did you find filming in Ireland/ Northern Ireland?

I have spent a lot of time in Northern Ireland and Ireland as my daughter is half Northern Irish. I have always found both to be very vividly beautiful places, full of friendly, open and artistic people and it was a pleasure to work with our crew who were quite simply excellent.

What can audiences expect?

I think audiences will be surprised by the central characters and tested by their choices. I think often as a viewer, we expect to be fully on side with them and the path they choose to take but Dead And Buried will test that. It is a bit gruesome at times. It’s funny at times, it’s heartbreaking at times – a bit of everything, I think. Expect to feel exhausted watching it. If I were watching it as an audience member, I would be confused in the best possible way. It has its own quality, its own flavour.

The new four-part psychological thriller Dead And Buried, written by Colin Bateman, starts on Monday 2 September on BBC One Northern Ireland at 10.40pm. The full series will be available on BBC iPlayer from 10pm that evening.

The series features Annabel Scholey (The Split, The Serial Killer’s Wife, The Salisbury Poisonings) and Colin Morgan (Humans, Belfast, Merlin), Kerri Quinn (Hope Street), Waj Ali (Carnival Row), Owen Roe (Vikings), Niamh Walsh (The Sandman), Micheal Hanna (He’ll Have to Go) and Joanne Crawford (Blue Lights).

When out shopping with her son, young mum Cathy McDaid (Annabel Scholey) bumps into Michael McAllister (Colin Morgan), the man responsible for killing her brother Terry 20 years ago. Unaware he had been released from prison and is living in the same town, Cathy pays her solicitor a visit and discovers the killer had been released years ago.

Taking to social media, Cathy uncovers the successful career and family life Michael has forged for himself since his early release from prison, while she grieved for her brother.

Unable to comprehend that he’s now a free man, teacher Cathy goes against the advice of her best friend Sally Bowman (Kerri Quinn) and creates an online alias in order to befriend Michael, instigating a clandestine relationship with the man she despises and embarking on a campaign of harassment and deceit.

As Cathy’s obsession grows, dark fantasies of revenge and reality blur as she sets out on a campaign of psychological warfare to destroy Michael’s life.

The series uncovers how far Cathy is prepared to go to seek revenge for her brother’s death and the catastrophic impact it has on all their lives.

Writer, Colin Bateman says: “Dead And Buried is going to be intriguing for the audience because the audience have to work out who to trust because there are so many red herrings. You’re not quite sure what Cathy’s up to or whether Michael is truly a reformed character, or if he still retains his capacity for violence.”

Laura Way, Director, says: “Dead And Buried entertains and compels but Colin’s script also explores bigger issues unique to past and present Northern Ireland and its border counties, which gives the show more depth and layers than your typical thriller, exploring themes of cyclical violence and forgiveness.”

Dead And Buried was commissioned by BBC Northern Ireland and Virgin Media Television in association with All3Media International and produced by Three River Fiction and Vico Films.

The drama is written by Colin Bateman (Murphy’s Law, Doc Martin) and directed by Laura Way (Maxine, Blood, The Holiday). It was jointly commissioned by Eddie Doyle, Head of Commissioning for BBC Northern Ireland and Sinead Stimpfig, Head of Commissioning & Acquisitions for Virgin Media Television.

Set on the border, the series was filmed earlier this year in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with support from Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen and Coimisiún na Meán.

The series will also begin on Virgin Media in the Republic of Ireland on the same evening.