Think of England lead Natalie Quarry talks playing wartime actress Holly Spurring, navigating on-screen nudity, and the joy of being part of BBC drama, Call the Midwife

Lead image: Cast ensemble, Think of England. Credit: Vianney Le Caer

Scotland’s largest film festival is underway, bringing more than 120 films to audiences through an eclectic programme. Among the highlights at the Glasgow Film Festival is the UK premiere of Think of England – a compelling new feature set on Orkney in the summer of 1943, amidst the Normandy landings of World War II. 

Inspired by an enduring wartime urban myth that the UK government commissioned pornographic films to boost troop morale, the story follows a group of characters tasked with carrying out a top-secret mission. Directed by British writer-director Richard Hawkins and starring Ronni Ancona, Jack Bandeira and Natalie Quarry, the darkly satirical story explores moral boundaries, power and the means to survival.

Credit: Natasha Merchant

Think of England is your feature film debut. What drew you to this indie project?

The film really questions issues like control, censorship and truth – something we’re all talking about at at the moment – which is partly why I found the script so appealing. My character Holly has so many different levels to her, which is such a gift. Sometimes female characters don’t have that many layers, and that’s quite frustrating. It’s always nice to be working on a script where the character has a lot of conflicting behaviors – where they don’t necessarily make the best moral choice, but they’re trying to work through it all.

The film spotlights power, coercion and moral compromise during wartime. We’re currently living through unstable times worldwide – did those parallels come to mind while you were filming?

When we were shooting this two years ago, AI wasn’t as advanced, which is interesting when you’re talking about what is true. I quite often struggle with videos on my phone, wondering if they’re real or AI. Talking about the film now – having had a lot of things happen politically over the past two years that are relevant to the story – has also really been interesting. There are these questions over hypocrisy, authorship, and navigating who you are within such a tumultuous political time. 

Jack Bandeira and Natalie Quarry in Think of England. Credit: Vianney Le Caer

Did you really dive into the urban myths that inspired the film?

Initially I thought: ‘This must be a true story.’ Then the more that I learned about the project, the more I realised it was a fabrication from a myth that was already around. Whether or not behind closed doors something like this was attempted and then didn’t work out, we’ll never know. I used the film as an excuse to go to the Imperial War Museum in London, and did a lot of research on what Holly’s experience might have been before we meet her in the film – what her working conditions would have been like, her home life, and just trying to visually place myself in her experience.

Your performance includes elements of on-screen nudity. How did you make sure you felt comfortable with the way those scenes were portrayed? 

We worked with an intimacy coordinator, and you discuss what everyone’s comfortable with before you shoot. It’s all really mapped out. With anything a bit more intimate, you really choreograph it before you even get into rehearsing. Obviously I was nervous, but I felt I had complete control over what was being seen and when. Plus all the nudity was in black and white – I don’t know why that made me feel better, but it did. 

Playing Holly Spurring. Credit: Vianney Le Caer

I hadn’t explored that kind of work before and it challenges you as an actor, in the same way that the story questions personal boundaries. There was no point where I didn’t feel like I had control over what was going on, and that was really empowering. Although Holly is being exposed – and the story is exploring the theme of her being coerced – they didn’t want the use of nudity to seem gratuitous or out of place. I hope people feel it’s done in a way that helps to support and illustrate the story, but it’s such a small part of a much bigger picture.

You joined series 13 of Call the Midwife, taking on the role of Rosalind Clifford. The show illuminates the progression of women’s rights and social change spanning the 1950s – 1970s – was that something that appealed when you took on the role?

I had always enjoyed watching the show, and I really admire how its creator, Heidi Thomas, writes so many stories highlighting politically relevant medical cases. It’s also such a stronghold of British television, with amazing female actors. I felt incredibly honored to join such a strong feminist show – especially with the story that we’ve had in the latest series with women’s lib, and Rosalind choosing the life that she wants to live for herself. I was excited to join a show focusing on women’s health, as a woman who has had various health issues across my life. 

The cast of Call the Midwife

How do you approach wellness in your day-to-day life?

I don’t think I’ve perfected the art of looking after myself. Especially when you enjoy what you do so much – you can get really lost in the work and things can fall to the wayside, like making sure you get enough sleep. I’ve been trying to learn when I should probably just watch some TV, relax and go to the pub, rather than: get home, look at lines, prep, sleep, get up, go to work. I’m so grateful to have an amazing, supportive partner, family and friends, but mostly it’s about trying to write in my journal, do yoga and be mindful.

Natalie Quarry stars as Holly Spurring in Think of England, which receives its UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival on Friday 6th March at 5.45pm, before screening at Manchester Film Festival on 22nd March – with plans for a general release later in the year