Fay Ripley plays hard-drinking head of human resources at Butterworth’s, Christine Frances. We got her to tell us all about the new character…
What’s Christine like?
She means well, she tries, but she can’t even send a text message. There is a scene where I have to get my assistant Sally to text. People ask how this woman has kept her job but it’s like a lot of offices, she has been there a long time, probably from a junior and probably wasn’t too bad originally.
So she’s rubbish at her job?
She ends up getting away with it because everyone knows her and they cut her some slack. People correct stuff for her. People facilitate her - she is rubbish at her job and is allowed to be. She’s the kind of woman who does a lot of crosswords at work.
And she has special relationship with the boss…
She has known Roger for years and she has something on him and that helps her to keep her job.
How does she get on with the other characters?
Alyson [the new chief operating officer] is a bit of a worry to Christine because she is brilliant at her job, completely dynamic and with perfect clothes. She is right on everyone’s case and it’s a big threat to Christine. Christine is incredibly child-like. Her office is filthy while Alyson’s is immaculate. Christine has coffee stains on the desk and Angelina ballerina stickers on the window from the days when she wanted to be a ballet dancer. Nothing is filed properly.
What about her love life?
I think she is a virgin. If we go to a second series I hope she might see more action! Her only saviour is loyal, patient Sally. Christine gets away with things by the skin of her teeth. Sally saves her all the time,
on every level, she does everything for her. She probably even does her make-up for her. Christine is a bit of a cow to Sally, but at the moments where it matters she comes good. She even buys Sally a horse, which turns out to be a Shetland pony but it’s got four legs!’
Your character likes a drink or two. Did you have to be careful dealing with the issue of alcoholism?
You have to be quite careful but it’s a comedy drama not an AA documentary. It’s not to
be taken too seriously, frankly. I know a few alcoholics and I don’t think its offensive. Hopefully there are bits that are touching that people will relate to.
