‘It's pretty nforgiving…'

Hugh Laurie and Helen McCrory on a thrilling new drama set in the corridors of power

- Sean Marland

A charismatic but ruthless politician whose public and private life is falling apart is at the heart of BBC1’s gripping new political thriller, Roadkill.

Created by acclaimed playwright Sir David Hare (who penned 2018’s Collateral starring Carey Mulligan), the four-parter sees Hugh Laurie (The Night Manager, House) head the cast as Peter Laurence, a Conservative MP who’s determined not to let guilt or remorse distract from his attempts to outrun his secrets and make it all the way to Downing Street.

‘My hero, Peter Laurence, is not based on anyone,’ says Sir David. ‘Nor are the other characters. Mine is a parallel world to the real one, and there is no secret passage between the two. You will be wasting your time if you think that the purpose of the series is to work out who every one is “meant to be”. In Roadkill, neither COVID-19 nor Brexit consume every politician’s waking hour.’

The story opens with the married dad-of-two celebrating his win in a newspaper libel case. But another scandal soon threatens to break after an inmate at a women’s prison contacts Peter with a claim that could affect his future…

Meanwhile, Peter is summoned to see the Prime Minister, Dawn Ellison (Peaky Blinders star Helen McCrory), who reveals that she’s looking to promote him.

Here, Hugh, 61, and Helen, 52, tell us more…

How would you sum up Roadkill?

HUGH: It’s about the price of success in the political realm and what it demands of the people who do it and those around the person who does it. It’s pretty unforgiving.