Matters of the HEART

DOMHNALL GLEESON and ANDREA RISEBOROUGH introduce us to an epic love story

- CAREN CLARK

ALICE & JACK
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY, 9PM, C4 DRAMA (BOX SET, CHANNEL 4)

The course of true love never did run smooth. But for the star-crossed couple at the heart of new C4 drama Alice & Jack, finding a fairy-tale ending proves an uphill battle.

In the six-part series, which spans more than 15 years, enigmatic businesswoman Alice (Matilda the Musical’s Andrea Riseborough) and awkward biomedical researcher Jack (Harry Potter’s Domhnall Gleeson) swiftly fall for each other after their first date.

However, Alice, who is secretly struggling with past trauma, stuns Jack when she says they shouldn’t have any more contact. Their bond proves unbreakable, though, and, as new challenges come their way, they are frequently pulled back together, only to be quickly torn apart again…

‘It accurately reflects love because it’s often harder than it is glorious, but you wait for those precious moments,’ says Andrea, 42, as TV Times catches up with her and Domhnall at C4’s London HQ for a chat about the story.

‘Yes, this is real romance,’ adds Domhnall, 40, the son of acclaimed actor Brendan Gleeson. ‘There’s mess and hurt but also love in the middle of it.’

Here, Andrea and Domhnall tell us more…

So, what drew you to this project?

ANDREA The writing. It’s a beautiful piece with a cinematic feel. The characters are unusual, too, and you feel like you have no idea how it’s going to work out.