Charlotte Regan and the cast of Mint talk filming in Scotland, female-centric storytelling, and one “sweary, shouty, gun cleaning, very stylish grandma”

At the heart of Mint is Shannon (22), the daughter of her area’s dominant crime family, who is desperately searching for romance in the shadow of her father, Dylan.

We’ll experience the obsession of first love as Shannon falls hard for Arran, a member of a rival crime family who has newly arrived in town. Their love story presents an undeniable connection that changes both of their lives for good, but not everyone in their lives sees it the same way.

While Shannon and Arran are navigating their forbidden romance, elsewhere things are imploding for Shannon’s family. Early in our series, Dylan decides to step down as the head of the family for mysterious reasons. Sam, Dylan’s second in command, steps up to take over, though his diverging tactics start to raise alarm across our series.

In the wake of Dylan’s decision, instead of focusing on the crime world or the politics of succession, we’re swept into the distinct emotional worlds of Shannon’s family – her parents, Dylan and Cat, her older brother Luke and her indomitable grandma Ollie.

The eight-part series is created, written, directed and executive produced by Charlotte Regan. It is made for BBC iPlayer and BBC One by House Productions, part of BBC Studios, and Fearless Minds. It is produced by Angus Lamont (The Wonder, Tin Star), and executive produced by Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Theo Barrowclough for House Productions, Jolyon Symonds for Fearless Minds, and Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC. BBC Studios is handling global sales.

All episodes of Mint arrive on BBC iPlayer at 6am on Monday 20 April, with episodes airing on BBC One from that night.

• Watch Mint on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist

mint@organic-publicity.com

Interviews with the cast and creators

Charlotte Regan (Writer, Director and Creator)

What is Mint about?

The story of Mint is about Shannon who’s the daughter of a crime family, but the crime is very secondary to our story, which is about her love story. It's very much about the three women's love stories, whether that's romantic love stories or love stories amongst the family. So, the whole show has the backdrop and the tension of what is going on crime wise in that world, but at the forefront is Shannon falling in love with a boy called Arran who's part of the rival family. Cat the mum, and Dylan the dad, have fallen out of love and their marriage is coming to an end. It's all about love stories, really. I love rom-coms, so I just wanted to make a gangster romance.

How did you come up with the idea of Mint?

I’ve always loved gangster shows, gangster films, and I’d wanted them to centre around the women in the families. I think I always thought they were like the backbones of those kinds of families when you read about them and watch them. So, it came from that really, it started with Ollie, the grandma - she was one of the first characters and it just went from there.

Who is Ollie?

Ollie is the grandma we all want; she is a sweary, shouty, gun cleaning, very stylish grandma, who goes to the karaoke and picks up different men each night – she just loves life. She was one of the first characters that I wrote and it centred around her, but it became more about Shannon as it developed.

I’ve always proper loved Lindsay Duncan so when she said she’d [play Ollie], it was incredible. She’s perfect for Ollie. Lindsay is so gentle and kind in real life. But then, as Ollie, she’s so sarcastic; she’s incredible, her comedic timing is amazing. She’s just an incredible actress. We’re very lucky to have her.

What are the relationships between the three generations of women like?

They very much start the show having quite tense relationships with one another. I think Shannon is the character that’s so similar to her mum, so they can't help but clash. Ollie is a totally different person and doesn't really like the way that Cat has brought Shannon up, or how she's not let her be a part of the world and just overprotected her, in lots of ways. So, it's very much a journey of their friendship. Cat and Ollie's friendship is one of my favourite storylines. It starts with them swearing at each other constantly, and absolutely despising each other, through to them getting drunk, and going to a social club on a night out. So, it’s my favourite friendship of the whole show.

Shannon is very much changing her outlook on love and family and falling in love with Arran - that being a central part to her existence - but then realising that she doesn't have to come into the world, to be someone's partner, or someone's wife.

And Cat is having the same journey. She has based her entire existence on a man and revolve her world around that man, and then he suddenly decides he doesn't want that life anymore. And it's about her trying to find herself outside of that.

How does Arran fit into the story?

Arran becomes Shannon's real obsession. She's grown up as a princess just wanting to marry someone and settle down or has been told that is what she is capable of; all she can achieve in life. She’s very much following in her mum, Cat’s, footsteps. So as soon as she meets Arran, she knows he's different and they have this great friendship. But there is tension because Arran’s brother is one of the opposing forces in the area, against Dylan, so their love story is quite complicated. Shannon's view on love is slightly immature whereas Arran has a more wise outlook on it. Shannon has grown up in a tower and been sheltered from the world. Whereas Arran has just lived in it, like a normal kid would.

The two central characters are up and coming actors – this is Ben’s first role. How did they cope with leading this drama?

Ben’s just an incredible human being and incredibly grounded, you know, and has a lot going on. He was about to start a world tour and still would make time for creative discussions whenever you needed him. He and Emma were just an incredible combo, especially because Emma has done a lot of films, more roles than Ben has at this stage in his life, and so she was incredibly patient and supportive. They both really adapted to each other incredibly well.

How did the magical realism in Mint come about?

The magical realism was always there from the start. It's just how I write, in that I've always loved music videos and stuff like that, where everything is about how the character feels and it doesn't need a reason to be stylised - the reason is the feeling I suppose, it’s emotionally motivated. When [Executive Producer] Theo [Barrowclough] first read the flying [scene] he said, ‘what are the rules to the flying?’ and I said there are no rules. It doesn't matter, it's just led by their emotions.

It started with the flying scene and then there's a sword fight at a racecourse - I'd always wanted to see a gang fight be more heightened instead of brutal. There are loads of shows that do brutal gangland violence, and this show was never intended to be that. All those shows do it and they have more money to make it great, and they have directors that know how to film big shoot ups whereas I don't. So, the intention was always we don't need to do another show like that, there's enough of them. We thought about how we could do it from the female perspective and make it more about like the domesticity of the family.

What is your writing process like?

I've not written for so long that I've probably forgotten how to do it! I tend to write in a notebook for years and years, and then by the time I get to the script, I have this big notebook full of ideas. I usually have to know exactly what I'm writing before I sit down on a computer; it's a lot of handwritten notes and ideas, and going around and meeting people. I’ll often do trips to the places I'm writing about and try and meet people in those worlds.

Grannies are the friendliest people on Earth, especially when you're in random towns in Scotland - you just bring a really nice home baked cake around and offer it out, and then bang, you've befriended five grandmas! We met lots of great people. A lot of my family are from Scotland too. So, we spent a lot of time in Glasgow, which has the friendliest grannies in the world, I want to say.

What was it like filming in Scotland?

I love it and I'd go most summers when I was a kid. I did a show there a few years ago and I just love the crew in Scotland. You feel like everyone's very much a collaborative part of the show. So that was a big part of why we filmed there. In Scotland, people are interested in it, especially somewhere like Grangemouth, where they don't get much filming. We tried to engage the community and when you do that, I find, they're super welcoming. Every day, they come and hang out and I love that atmosphere. The local cast are amazing as well. There are so many amazing actors in Scotland.

Why is Mint different?

We never see these shows or films where the women are legitimately the central characters and everyone else falls to secondary roles. It is very much about what the wife of a gangster would experience or what the daughter would experience, which I think is different and something we've haven’t seen before. And then hopefully the visual language, I think differentiates it from other shows like it; it never wants to be mad gritty or depressing or anything like that. It is meant to be a fun show. It's meant to have a lot of joy in it and even when things are dramatic is done with a tone of joy and fun.

What was your most memorable moment on set?

There were lots of moments - the flying day was incredible. I'd never done anything that practical in terms of stunts, so just getting to watch Ben and Emma fly around on wires, in a park, in Grangemouth with a refinery as the backdrop was pretty amazing.

The fight scene at the racecourse was pretty amazing as well - the big visual set pieces. But then the dramatic scenes too where I remember sitting there forgetting I was watching on a monitor, because the actors were so great at what they were doing. There were lots of moments like that.

Emma Laird (Shannon)

Who is Shannon and how does Arran fit into her story?

Shannon is a young woman who is somewhat immature for her age. She has grown up in this world of gangsters and criminals - her dad runs a criminal organisation – and she's very much the princess of the family.

Shannon has been wrapped in cotton wool all of her life. So, it's actually such a beautiful thing when Arran comes along because he gives her this whole new perspective and starts to open her eyes and allow her the space to question the environment that she's in. Shannon goes through this amazing arc of life changes, discovery and maturity.

What initially drew you to this role?

It was definitely Charli - I was a big fan of her film Scrapper and thought she was great. I was mid-shoot on another project and was flying to Venice Film Festival the next day but I went in to read [for the part] - I was so terrible at the Scottish accent, despite my dad being Scottish! I met Charli and from that first meeting, it was just super collaborative. It gave me a taste for what it would be like to be on set with her. And it has been the most beautiful collaboration; it's exceeded my expectations.

What has it been like to work with Charli?

It's been so good. I love her so much; she's just fun. I always thought that to be a great actor you had to put yourself through hell and be ‘in the zone’ and ask all these actor questions. But Charli shows you that you can show up to set, have fun, and switch off at night; it can be very simple and easy going on the set and you can still produce wonderful work. I think that's so important in what can sometimes be quite a pretentious industry.

How is Mint different to other dramas?

Mint is so cool because it's female-centric - I've spent a very long time playing people's girlfriends and not having much of a story arc, but this is a great project with great people. My favourite character is Ollie; she’s a sassy grandma who's so sexually charged and powerful. I love Lindsay in that role - she plays it so well. And I love Ollie and Cat they are just two wonderful women. I just think it's great to watch. You really see into the souls of the women, which I think will make the show really special, and not just for a female audience. We need something with heart, to rest our eyes from violence, and audiences needs a break from guns and fights, right? You need those moments of stillness, heart and story, and Mint has so much of that.

What is Shannon’s relationship with her father, Dylan, like?

I think that she idolises and worships Dylan. She's a Daddy's girl and there is a really interesting dynamic between daughters and fathers, and sons and mothers. I think she loves her mum, but she idolises her dad and she wants to be him; she wants to make him proud. I do think they're incredibly close; she's like this little princess, but she also challenges him and pushes his buttons. Working with Sam made bringing that to the screen really easy, from the first day that I met him. We have so many things in common and became close really quickly. It was so easy to look at him and see so much depth, that it felt like we'd known each other way longer than we had.

What have you enjoyed most about filming?

I had so much fun on set every day, and the longer it went on the more I got to know all the crew members, in a way that I don't usually get to do on other jobs. There's never a dull moment when I’m with Ben. It's so hard not to smile when I'm with him; he has such a purity and light. He sets such a nice tone, and he makes everyone so happy, I love my scenes with him, but I shouldn't say that because I really love all of my cast mates!

What are you most excited for audiences to see on screen?

Charli’s style; all these hyper surreal moments she has created. She did it a bit in Scrapper, but she does it a lot more in this and I'm really excited to see how that translates. She's doing really interesting things, and I've seen snippets on set, but she didn’t let me watch too much!

Ben Coyle-Larner (Arran)

What drew you to this role.

I was drawn to the role because Charli wrote the character. I'm a big fan of hers. I really liked that he wasn't a stereotype; I'm kind of allergic to that. It was important for me, if I was to do something like this, to play someone who was real, who had layers and was sensitive.

What does Charli bring, not only to set but directing scripts?

Everything. It's hard to put into words. She's a true joy to work and collaborate with. She gives you so much space to figure things out. She's always interested in your take and your opinion, but also knows what she wants. Those two things seemingly don't go hand-in-hand with some people but with her, they really do. I'm lucky to call her my friend but I’m also such a fan of the way she creates. She's telling stories that without the magic that she injects into them - the magical realism - they would feel quite heavy, but she finds a way of telling really big things in a really small way. Or small things in a big way. Whichever way you look at it.

How does Arran fit into the story?

I guess, in a way, he brings the sensitivity or the lightness; the delicateness to the story. The story centres around the fringes of criminal activity and for Shannon he's a love interest. That was also something that drew me to the role, it reminded me of Baz Luhrmann and Romeo and Juliet. When I was young, that was one of the characters I always wanted to play so this is it with its own spin.

What makes this story stand out from other dramas?

It's not about the crime or any of the usual run-of-the-mill things that you would normally find in a story like this. It's so much more nuanced because it's about how it affects the people on the fringes of that, and why the people who do what they do, are doing it. It looks at them compassionately and I think that's how we should look at all people. I guess that's what was interesting to me; it was like a breath of fresh air to see things that we know are happening but to see them in a way where we begin to understand why.

How does the drama between the families affect the relationship between Arran and Shannon?

It seems like both don’t really want to be there, for different reasons, but they both have to be there. They have this common thread of a feeling; they would rather be somewhere else, so that little bubble of romance that blossoms is like an escape from the reality of what they’re living.

Why do you think Arran is more mature than Shannon even though they are the same age?

I think it’s purely just because he's had to provide, and Shannon seems to have had everything [done] for her. But to me, there’s a bit of ‘swings and roundabouts’ because to my eye Shannon takes the lead a lot, in the relationship or in their time together. He’s more emotionally mature, but she seems to have seen more and feels a lot more secure within herself. I like that because at the beginning, you assume that he's the one who'll take the lead because that's what typically would happen, but to Charli's credit, that's not what happens. He might be emotionally mature, but he needs someone to anchor him.

What is his relationship with his brother like?

To me, that's the most beautiful relationship of the show. They're half-brothers who are separated – they have different mothers but have the same father who lived in Scotland before he passed away. It’s similar to my own upbringing - my brother looks like my brother in the show, Liangelo (Connor Newall). Their relationship is just so unique because it's not something I've ever seen depicted on the screen before and, for me, it’s something I live every day. So to see it was quite emotional and powerful, and I hope that it makes steps to breaking down the connotations of what it is to be brothers from different race.

Were there any other ‘I love this little moment between these two characters’ moments?

The tension between my character, Arran, and Sam’s character. They only come together once but there's so much tension - Arran is dealing with first love and to be at the opposite ends of the same spectrum is quite powerful. And just Lindsay [Duncan] who plays Ollie - we don't have really any real scenes together but every time… I just fancy her a bit, you know? Every time I see her, I just get like a little woah [laughs].

Did you enjoy the magical realism element to the show?

I think that’s Charli’s genius. There's been so many times on set where I've had to stop and catch myself because I'm looking at a maestro at work and everyone really understands that she's a genius, which I think is quite cool. The magical realism is, to my mind, an evolution of the British films I grew up watching; Ken Loach, [Lynn] Ramsey. It's that same idea of a real, working-class story. I think if you grew up in a place like that and you're watching something that's similar to what you know, it’s much more exciting to see it be enchanting and magical and hopeful, than just bleak. Yes, there's bleakness to this, there's reality to this, but also there are glimmers of life, of magic and dreams. Who doesn't want that? Who doesn't need that?

What do you think about the wire works scene?

Oh yeah, the flying! I looked forward to when my feet touched the ground at the end and I didn't crash …or die! For me that scene is essentially like our sex scene. If it was a less exciting project that's what it would be and I think it speaks to Charli's delicacy and how gentle she is with storytelling, leaving a lot to the imagination, that's the beauty of it. You don't have to show it literally, all the time. You can show how it feels and to my mind, it definitely feels like that. That young love where you're exploring what it is to be intimate for the first time. If you're lucky then it's light and weightless, so how better to show that than to be flying over the city?

This is your first acting role…

I was excited about the racecourse scenes because I was excited to be around the rest of the cast; to be around Lindsay because I'm such a big fan of hers, to be around Sam because I’m a fan of his and, to learn how they operate. This is my first acting role so, as a student of the game, I was excited for that, every day has been a dream for me. I'm here to learn, and I've learned a lot.

I'm in a super privileged position where I can do this for the love, not money, because I have a job already. So, it's taken me a long time, a lot of things have been put in front of me, but I was getting sent a lot of things that were like a stereotype. I knew of Charli already through Harris [Dickinson] and Molly Manning Walker. I met her just by chance, on the market near my house and I went over and was like ‘I'm such a big fan of your film.’ She said she was making a TV show, and I should audition for it. I didn't really think much of it. I wanted to do it, obviously, but I thought there's no way and then to read it, to fall in love with it, to understand what she does, was a real blessing for me. She took a risk on me, which I'm very grateful for.

What are you excited for audiences to see on screen?

The thing I’m the most excited to see is the backstory of my character, about Arran and Liangelo, which is something that me and Charli talked about at length. A young boy, that looks like me, and a young boy that looks like Connor, becoming inseparable, and I think that's something that I've never seen before. As someone who looks like me and lives that, I feel very seen. I'm excited for people to see the true representation of brotherly love and quite how transformative that can be.

Laura Fraser (Cat)

What drew you to the role of Cat?

I was really interested in the denial that a lot of the characters are in, but especially my character, Cat. There's a revelation quite early on in the series, that she does not see coming, and it completely shatters her sense of self; this identity that she's constructed has blown apart and the denial keeps creeping back in. I just thought I've never played anything like that before, it would be so interesting, and it has been.

How does Cat fit into the dynamic of the family?

Cat is Shannon’s mum and the wife of Dylan who's the boss of the town. I'm the middle matriarch - my mother-in-law is the sex addict Granny, mother of Dylan!

My relationship with Shannon is actually very loving and peaceful because we both encourage each other's denial. Cat’s conditioned Shannon to believe certain things and she is growing up and straying further from her but Cat’s denial doesn't let her see that. On the surface, we're having a nice, lovely relationship, but as the series progresses, Shannon starts to pick apart what Cat’s done. And then Cat’s relationship with Ollie is so bitter and awful. It's just a matter of tolerating her as best she can. She's so verbally abusive to Cat who doesn't really have the strength to stand up for herself. But then, somehow, she becomes Cat’s support and friend and it's then they start to have fun together and it's really interesting. In a way, they actually have a lot more in common than they’d thought.

For me, my character has no connection to crime in any way, other than being in denial about the fact that is where their money comes from. It's all about Cat’s relationship with her daughter, her relationship with her husband, how she’s being perceived by people. That's a big one for her, she’s so obsessed with how she appears and how the outsider perceives her. It's very much about the relationships and the character struggles, certainly for the women. Actually, I think for the men too.

What is Cat’s relationship with her husband Dylan like?

They've been together a long time. Cat was very young when they got together. They were almost like an arranged marriage. The narrative she has is that theirs is the love story of the century and she's so proud of it and believes it. And then, when he breaks that illusion, she's furious and desperate and confused. It becomes very painful for Cat.

Charli is the driving force of the show. She’s not only the director, but the writer too. What does she bring to the show, what's it been like working with her?

I've never worked with anyone like Charli before. I've never met anyone like Charli. I know this sounds like I'm exaggerating, but I just love her. I love being around her, she’s very easy to be around. She makes you feel that you're not doing anything wrong. That if you're going again for a take, it's not because it wasn't good or wasn't right. It's like there's 100 rights and, and if we have time, let's explore them all. She's really interested in the moments between the words and what's underneath, what people are saying, the intention. She's interested in the truth. But she's also interested in it being a fun day. It's been the most peaceful and kind working environment I've ever worked on. I'm totally spoiled now; I don't know how I'm going to do other jobs.

What are you excited for viewers to see in this show?

Charli's playing with myths and archetypes and I feel like there are deep currents running through it and she's really playing with symbolism and exploring mad ideas. I walked in on a scene one day; I was just being brought on set to do a little bit and I was like, what the heck? What the heck is going on in here? All the men were leaping, covered in blue and red and I thought it looked like some Japanese war film. I think it will be a visual feast and with a powerful meaning.

Lindsay Duncan (Ollie)

What was so appealing about the role of Ollie in Mint?

Well, certainly Charli - before I even read the script - it was going to be written and directed by her, and I had already seen Scrapper and been seriously impressed. I mean completely, delighted by it and I did think this is an original filmmaker, young, really doing something imaginative. So, I was already in - the scripts would have had to of been quite bad for me not to want to do it! And then I read it and I was really, really interested and then of course Ollie... she’s just one of those characters; she's such a character. She's such a strong flavour and challenging to everyone around her and has a very healthy sexual appetite. As an older woman, I find that rather pleasing. So, there was a lot about the character that delighted me and it's been an opportunity to do something that I don't think I've done before.

What has it been like working with Charli on this production?

Charli is a truly original creative person, in every way, in the script, her directing. I was driving to work the other day and thinking that the word that springs to mind about Charli (a word she uses very often) is Cinematic. Her first piece of work that got attention was in fact, a film. And it's great to have someone working in television who is ambitious for the look of it; she has really raised the bar - she takes great imaginative leaps. It's not all completely realistic but is anchored all the time by completely naturalistic acting and realistic settings. Occasionally, something will happen which takes you somewhere else – it is so refreshing and so exciting.

Ollie is one of the three generations of women in this family, what is she like?

Ollie is the oldest of the women; she's a grandmother. She awards herself very high status; she's just decided to give herself that status and that authority. She was at the top of the tree in this family, whose family business is crime, but her husband is in prison. That could have dented her status but she's not having it. She is determined to hold her own, and she's decided that she'll get what she wants out of life. In some ways, she's quite horrific [laughs] but also, go Ollie!

It's great to see an older woman, albeit one extreme in her behaviour and in her lack of consideration for other people. But I think that comes from her having been through being the wife of the boss. I don't think she likes to see her daughter-in-law toeing the line so readily. It frustrates her and annoys her because she's been through it and probably had quite a bullying marriage, and so she's just not going to do that anymore; no one is going to intimidate her. She's not kind to her daughter-in-law at all. She's kinder to her granddaughter because maybe she sees she's got a little bit of feistiness potential in her. But she'll also keep her in line if she thinks it's necessary.

How is Mint different to other dramas?

There's an awful lot of crime drama and it’s really, really popular which is why, I suppose more is being made. So, the interesting thing about this is that the family at the heart of this, their business is crime, but we see very little crime. That's the backdrop, but what we see is a family. It shows what it's like to unpick a family that has such a strong hold on a community, and whose power base depends on that. What happens to the family who are left when someone departs. It's not your usual gritty crime drama; it's unique.

What about Ollie’s relationship with Dylan, her son?

It's not a sentimental relationship at all. You feel the men have run this world for generations and we see the handing on of the rules and the tools from one man to another in a brutal way. And the women just having to concede that, that's the way things are done. So, it's not all cuddles and love and Ollie's got an eye on everything. Whether she can do anything about it or not, you know it's not always the case, but she does watch everything and she's got years of experience in this game. So she's tough on Dylan, questions his decisions, is really angry with him and also fears that there's something in his past, in his youth, that might not have gone away, which definitely does not fit with the program. So, that's quite an interesting relationship. It is more like a business relationship, really.

Is there a scene from the show that has stuck with you?

There was one scene with Cat where they come back having drunk and danced the night away and they lie on the billiard table, and talk, and it's just a great image; two women lying on a billiard table, talking.

Sam Riley (Dylan)

Who is Dylan and what is Mint about?

Dylan is the reluctant leader of a family who are involved with crime - we don't particularly know exactly how. He has a wife, Cat, a daughter, and a son, and he's at a turning point in his life professionally and privately. What drew me to the part was the opportunity to work with Charlotte Regan. I watched her film. I read her script, and I think she's just one of the most unique talents coming through in British film, or film anywhere, really. I've been working for 18 years I think, with a lot of great, different directors, but I've never met anyone quite like Charli.

Charli has a very unique visual language. Gangster stories can become quite run-of-the-mill and I'm not sure I would have been that interested in that, had I not realised what she was going to bring to it. She's not interested in the macho glorification of violence or toxic masculinity - it’s more about the point of view of the women within the family and my character is also not your typical gang-gang leader type.

Mint is not a crime drama - that really doesn't do it justice. It's so much more than that. I hope when people watch it they’re going to be surprised at what it is - each episode could be a standalone piece in itself.

What are Dylan’s relationships with the women in his life like?

Cat and Dylan are following a path that is expected of them; behaving in a way that they know they ought to. I think they're very close - they’ve known each other since they were very young, but the loving aspect to their relationship is starting to come apart at the seams. Dylan’s father is in prison. His mother has been, I don't know what the female equivalent of a Don is in a family, but she's it! She’s the queen of the family and is not your typical character - she's a very free spirit!

We see a lot of the show through the eyes of his daughter, Shannon, who has lived such a protected and precious and spoiled life to many extents. She's been protected or kept away from a lot of the harsher realities in life. She’s not really questioned where the family are getting their money from or where her luxury lifestyle comes from.

What was it like working with Ben Coyle-Larner?

Charli told me about Ben, and being an old fart, I was unaware of Ben’s work, but my whole family are mad fans of his now. It's the most impressive thing about this job for my son, that I'm working with Loyle Carner. Ben's new to acting but he has a natural gift of charisma and charm, and he's a performer. He's doing a brilliant job on this, and he's a lovely guy.

Follow for more