Suranne Jones (Harley Street) Interview
Starring Paul Nicholls, Suranne Jones and Shaun Parkes, Harley Street is a glossy, post-watershed 6-part medical drama series for ITV, set in London’s famous medical district, in a new stylish Harley Street practice. Suranne Jones plays Dr Martha Elliot.
What attracted you to the role of Martha Elliott?
Martha has a completely different background to any of the characters I’ve played before. There were so many layers to her character that I just couldn’t say no. Martha is a strong and successful woman without being overbearing. She is very forward thinking in terms of what she wants to create at the practice. She feels that people are willing to pay for expensive cars and houses so should be able to pay for good healthcare to look after the body they’re living in. It’s also quite a grown up role for me as I’m heading into my thirties whereas Martha’s in her mid thirties with a child.
Tell us about her relationship with Robert?
There’s a real ‘will they won’t they’ tension between Martha and Robert that bubbles under throughout the series. They’ve been in a relationship before so they have a shared history and now they’re working together so it could either be completely disastrous or really wonderful if they do get together. They’re really good friends and there’s still the sexual chemistry between them from years ago. Although he’s a complete womaniser, he’s the main man in Martha’s life and he’s a father figure to Tess.
How is Harley Street different to other medical dramas?
Harley Street is very character lead. A lot of people don’t realise that the private sector runs in tandem with the NHS, and most of the doctors maintain both sides of their careers. The character Robert Fielding works shifts in a local A&E when he’s not at the practice. Ekkow is the best in cosmetic surgery, but he’s also the best in reconstructive surgery for the NHS. Harley Street mixes these two aspects together, which gives it a really good balance. It’s unusual because the doctors already know their patients, which makes it easier to tell emotional stories as the patients are often friends with the doctors.
Did you do any research for your role?
The Producer, Joy Spink, kindly arranged for me to meet Dr Samina Showghi, a Harley Street practitioner who is very much like Martha. She consulted on the show - checking that all the medical aspects were accurate. Samina was very glamorous and so friendly. We discussed the scripts and spoke about what it’s really like to be a female doctor on Harley Street working in what is still a predominantly man’s world. I asked her if she had any tips and she gave me a really good piece of advice. She told me to use the passion that I feel about acting and let it show in my character – because Martha would feel as passionate about helping people as I do about acting.
Do you share any qualities with Martha?
No, she’s very different to me. Martha is so groomed and well organised. When I first started filming I’d get up at 5:00 am, have a shower, make sure my nails were perfect, put cream on and make myself look immaculate because that’s what I thought Martha would do. I even chose a perfume for her, but half way through filming, the perfume and the shower remained as my routine but the rest was discarded – I just wanted an extra half hour in bed. I like to be spontaneous, so keeping the professional front up was something I found quite hard.
The costumes you wore were quite formal. Did this help you get into character?
The costume designer was brilliant because he knew my figure really well and he knew how he wanted to dress me right from the start. The costumes did help and the most dressed down Martha gets is a pair of slacks and some moccasins!
Why should people watch Harley Street?
Harley Street is something new. It’s glamorous and filmic. It’s not too gory for a medical drama as it’s character led so it’s emotionally engaging. We’ve got some amazing guest artists and great stories every week.
