Emilia Fox, David Caves and the Lyell Centre team discuss series 27 as the BBC Studios produced crime drama returns for five more two-part mysteries on BBC One and Player.

What is Cara up to at the start of this series?

We see her study criminology at university and settling into that life, but wanting some more real-life, professional experience. So she goes to do an internship at the Lyell. She enjoys the work. She’s always very curious, and she wants to learn things all the time. She’ll always be asking Jack to show her how to do things. She wants more responsibility, even when she might not be quite qualified for it or she might not have the experience for it.

Is Jack wary of Cara getting in too deep at the Lyell?

Yes, definitely. I think he’s quite protective of her. She maybe doesn’t know her own limits or doesn’t know what she should or shouldn’t be getting involved in. There are definitely some moments of tension where she wants to do more work and she wants to get involved with things and Jack is not too impressed.

How does Cara’s relationship with Jack evolve over this season?

Boundaries are definitely pushed! Cara has a bit of a tendency to get involved where maybe she shouldn’t. Jack is protective of her. So yes, there are some pushed boundaries this season. And also, there’s one storyline where Cara begins to doubt what she knows about Jack and who she can trust. When you think you know somebody and then things emerge about them that you didn’t know – that has been really interesting to play.

Is Cara a natural in that world of pathology?

I think so. She’s good at it. She uses her strengths. She’s very thorough in her research, and there have been times where she’s maybe been able to find certain things that she was searching for. She also demonstrates some other some really interesting things about how a deaf perspective can work in that sort of world. Lipreading is not a superpower, but it’s definitely a really useful skill. Being able to lipread, being able to read body language, not to be distracted by all the noise around her – she uses that to her advantage. Sometimes it might cause extra challenges for her as a deaf person in that world. But at other times, it’s not a challenge – actually, it helps her view things in a different way. It’s really interesting to show that throughout this series.

That’s fascinating because it’s not something we have seen a lot in drama before, is it?

Exactly. I hope that this drama does show that deaf people can be in all industries and workplaces. It doesn’t have to be an issue or a problem, and it doesn’t have to add loads of extra work. It just takes a bit of learning about how to adapt and how to communicate, and that’s it. Deaf people can stand on their own. I think that’s very important. In drama, we don’t often see deaf people, especially younger, deaf women in positions where it isn’t just about vulnerability. We don’t really see them control the room. But we do see that in this series.

What has the reaction of the deaf community been to the character of Cara?

It’s been really positive. There is starting to be more deaf representation throughout the industry, and it’s been really exciting to be part of that. There are lots of different types of representation, Cara being one of them, which is great. It is helping to show people that there are lots of deaf people out there and that we can tell our own stories. Everybody is different, but it’s not that big of a deal. People I’ve spoken to in the deaf community have echoed that as well. That’s been really nice. And it feels important.

How does it feel play such a vital character in the biggest drama on British television?

It makes me feel really pleased that I could be that person. It’s a great show to work on. My first day on the show, in series 24, was my first ever job. I had never had any sort of professional acting job before then. So I have gone from that to this moment where we have just finished on series 27 and I am a regular on the show. That makes me so delighted. That Silent Witness deaf character could have been in just four episodes. That could have been it, but it wasn’t. Cara’s story has been explored a lot more, and that makes me really proud.

Emilia Fox, David Caves and the Lyell Centre team discuss series 27 as the BBC Studios produced crime drama returns for five more two-part mysteries on BBC One and iPlayer.