Still Open All Hours' Sally Lindsay dishes on Moving On role
GETTY Ex-Corrie actress Sally Lindsay has a few things to say about Jimmy McGovern's acclaimed drama
The punchy one-hour drama has some serious pedigree – the series was created by firebrand TV maker Jimmy McGovern – and has always attracted a raft of household names as guest stars. Past Moving On episodes have starred Lesley Sharp, Joanne Froggatt, Sheila Hancock and Shane Richie, among dozens of others. The series has also provided a platform for many actors to try their hand at directing: among the famous names directing episodes are Dominic West, Paul McGann, Johnny Vegas and Robert Glenister. So it’s good news that after an absence of two years, Moving On returns for a ninth series with the same formula of strong acting and concise writing to tell thoughtful stories about life in modern Britain. Among this series’ starry line up of actors are Downton Abbey’s Samantha Bond and Sue Johnston, and Still Open All Hours actress Sally Lindsay.
GETTY Sally Lindsay is among the star-studded lineup for the latest series
It was a lovely little bit of drama, a great series with some gritty stories
“It was a lovely little bit of drama, a great series with some gritty stories,” says Sally, 44, who has also starred in Mount Pleasant, Scott & Bailey and Coronation Street. Sally’s episode explores the damage that money can cause to friendships. “It’s about a couple of best friends,” muses Sally. “It seemed very light on the surface, but it turned quite dark.” Sally and actress Sarah Niles (best known from the comedy Catastrophe) play best friends from school, Cath and Debs, married women with grown-up kids who live across the road from each other.
“Basically, we have a lovely little life. We live opposite, we go to Weight Watchers together and go to the bingo straight after. We brought our kids up together and our husbands get on really well. We’ve got it pretty sorted.” But Cath and Debs’ close friendship starts to go wrong when, one day, Cath wins the massive jackpot. Whereas previously they’d always split all bingo winnings 50-50, this time Cath’s husband, Geoff (ex-EastEnder Shaun Williamson) convinces her not to. “He manipulates Cath into thinking she shouldn’t share the money – it’s a kind of a Gas Light story,” explains Sally, referring to the 1938 play in which a husband uses psychological manipulation to convince his wife she’s going mad. “Debs and her husband are heartbroken and you just see it all unfold from there.
GETTY Sally is joined by Catastrophe actress Sarah Niles, and the two play best friends