Vicky McClure on starring in a moving story about a couple trapped in a coercive relationship in I Am Nicola, the first episode in a new C4 drama series
Vicky McClure makes any TV show one to watch, and in C4's I Am Nicola, the first of three self-contained dramas, the Line of Duty actor is superb as Nicola, a hairdresser in a seemingly stable relationship with Adam (a pitch-perfect Perry Fitzpatrick).
It’s soon clear, however, that all is not well.
Adam is controlling and has a talent for twisting mundane bickering into something more sinister…
Realistically shot and inventively improvised, this intimate, relatable and ultimately redemptive character-study resonates long after watching. Directed by Dominic Savage. Leanne Best and Sam Spruell co-star.
Next week: Samantha Morton in I Am Kirsty.
TV Times met up with the effortlessly elegant and eloquent Vicky, 36, to learn more…
What’s I Am Nicola about?
Adam wants control over Nicola, and it then falls into an even deeper category of control over her appearance.
It’s about not being yourself in a relationship – trying to make it work but knowing something’s not right.
I Am Kirsty sees Samantha Morton as a single mum driven to desperate measures, while Gemma Chan is a woman who’s conflicted over having children in I Am Hannah. What appealed about I Am Nicola?
You could think this story may come across as mundane because nobody’s having an affair and there’s no violence.
Coercion and control are touched on in dramas as an added issue, whereas I Am Nicola is predominately about two people struggling with jealousy, trust and their own personal issues.
Read the full interview with Vicky McClure here
I hope someone in a relationship they feel they can’t get out of might watch this and feel a little stronger to up and go, to save themselves and each other.
TV Times rating: *****
