Adrian Lester as Nick and Sophie Okonedo as Maya in the BBC drama Undercover. Des Willie / courtesy BBC
Adrian Lester as Nick and Sophie Okonedo as Maya in the BBC drama Undercover. Des Willie / courtesy BBC
Adrian Lester as Nick and Sophie Okonedo as Maya in the BBC drama Undercover. Des Willie / courtesy BBC
Adrian Lester as Nick and Sophie Okonedo as Maya in the BBC drama Undercover. Des Willie / courtesy BBC

New BBC drama Undercover shows there are two sides to every story


  • English
  • Arabic

In the current climate of controversy about the lack of diversity in Hollywood and beyond, it is perhaps inevitable that the new six-part British crime drama Undercover has attracted attention for bucking the trend.

Some media commentators have noted the pleasing rarity of a prime-time BBC series that not only features two black leads, but in which the colour of their skin has little to do with the plot. It comes after the BBC set out plans to improve its record on diversity, on and off the screen.

But for the show’s male lead, Adrian Lester, it is not an issue – and certainly not something he is interested in commenting on.

“I just wish I could get to the end of an interview without talking about diversity,” is all he would say on the subject.

Fair enough – he is entitled to be tired of constant questions about the colour of his skin. For him, it’s not so remarkable to be cast in a role such as this, as Nick, a middle-class dad, which is everyday life for lots of people, whatever their skin colour.

Of course, his seemingly normal family life has a twist, which is summed up in a moment of sheer anguish and conflict.

Nick, a former policeman, listens to an odd voicemail from his tearful wife, Maya (Sophie Okonedo, who gives a wonderful performance), pleading with him to come and find her. Then the hospital calls – his father is dying. For most people, prioritising which call to respond to first would be an agonising decision.

Nick, however, has no choice but to go to his wife – because Maya doesn’t even know her husband’s father is alive.

This is because Nick has been living a double life as an undercover police officer for 20 years.

"In a way, I had to play two characters," says Lester, who brilliantly imbues Nick with a quiet desperation, "because he's not able to be honest with his dad either. What is so fascinating about Undercover is that you see the cost of that on someone's life. He's been carved into pieces, really. Every day, he's kept a small lie going."

Inspired by shocking real-life revelations that British women in political and anti-racist groups had been tricked into long-term relationships by undercover policemen gathering information, playwright and screenwriter Peter Moffat wrote Undercover after wondering what happens when a whole marriage – a family – is based on not only a terrible secret, but a complete betrayal.

"The thing is, Nick is actually a devoted father and husband – that's the essence of him," says Lester, who is best known for his role as Mickey Bricks in the BBC con-artist caper Hustle.

“He was assigned to spy on an anti-fascist group that Maya was part of 20 years ago and she just has no idea who he is or who he was. And in a way, that’s all fine. Apart from feeling incredibly guilty, he can cope with that – until he’s asked to resume his old activities when Maya is suddenly in line to become the next director of public prosecutions.”

Lester says Undercover allows him a rare chance to explore on TV a character with the kind of complexity usually reserved for the Shakespearean characters he plays so well on the stage.

"Shakespeare has this great push and pull between what characters want to do and what they should do, and Undercover felt just like that – which is very rare in television," he says.

“It’s seriously hard-hitting, heavyweight drama that questions how we operate in society. But, in many ways, it’s also a heartbreaking love story.”

In the simplest terms, Nick is the villain, but the subtleties of Lester’s performance mean we will be rooting for him and hope he does the right thing. Lester modestly credits the writing for much of that. Moffat has said he was fascinated by the idea of men who go deep undercover and betray and love a person – and how that would inevitably damage them.

“I hope people think about the real cases,” says Lester, “and just what we give authority the license to do. I mean, these organisations that were being spied on ... there was nothing about them that was endangering public safety. It was all about protecting the police.”

It is hugely refreshing that Undercover manages to cover all these elements through the prism of a single family without resorting to soapy drama or ­polemic.

And while it has become entangled in the diversity debate, the series also deserves to make headlines for the reasons Lester hopes – as a fabulously tense story of a family, and a legal system, dealing with an extraordinary situation.

Undercover begins on OSN's BBC First at 10pm on Monday, April 4. For details go to www.osn.com

artslife@thenational.ae

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

Sheer grandeur

The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.

A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Specs
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Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The specs

Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm

Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)

On sale: Now

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

The Facility’s Versatility

Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
 
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
 
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
 
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
 
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
 
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket

Miss Granny

Director: Joyce Bernal

Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa

3/5

(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Results

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m, Winner: Zalman, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hisham Al Khalediah II, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Qader, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly

8pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nayslayer, Bernardo Pinheiro, Jaber Ramadhan

The specs

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm

Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh130,000

On sale: now

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Director: Michael O’Shea

Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine

Three stars

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Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant

 

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

What's%20in%20my%20pazhamkootan%3F
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')

Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)

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Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888