Fall of an Empire...

On location in Malaysia, Jane Horrocks and David Morrissey tell us about their wartime family saga

- Steven Perkins & Emma Bullimore

Kuala Lumpur is doubling for 1940s Singapore in ITV’s new six-part series The Singapore Grip and it’s blisteringly hot. But the extreme heat is punctuated by sudden bursts of torrential rain that can turn a road to a river in an instant.

So, armed with both SPF 50 and a sturdy umbrella, we sit down to chat to the show’s stars David Morrissey and Jane Horrocks. They play British couple Walter and Sylvia Blackett, who are living a life of wealth and privilege in Singapore, oblivious to the imminent Japanese invasion, which would cause the fall of the British Empire in East Asia.

Walter owns thriving rubber company Blackett and Webb with Mr Webb (played by Charles Dance). But with his business partner heading towards retirement, Walter is deciding whether to involve his reckless son, Monty (Luke Newberry), in the business or his more capable daughter, Joan (Georgia Blizzard).

Matters become more complicated when Mr Webb gives refuge to Vera Chiang (Elizabeth Tan), a mysterious Chinese dissident on the run, and also reveals plans to give his stake in the company to his absent son, Matthew (Luke Treadaway). And soon, ruthless Walter is hatching ideas of his own to protect his empire...

The drama is based on JG Farrell’s 1978 satirical novel of the same name. Here, David and Jane, both 56, tell us why they’re relishing playing their characters...