One Night’s Jodie Whittaker on new drama and St Trinian’s drag act: ‘That is f***ing ace!’
Exclusive: The Doctor Who star discusses representing queer families in her new drama series as well as Ncuti Gatwa as the Time Lord
The star of One Night, Jodie Whittaker, has said that it’s “ridiculous” that we’re still needing more LGBTQ+ representation in 2023.
The Doctor Who actor stars as Tess in the Paramount+ series which follows a group of friends as they look back at one fateful night in their teens.
Speaking exclusively to Attitude Whittaker was asked what it meant to provide representation of a queer family led by queer women.
“It shouldn’t be that, is the thing,” she said. “In the sense of it being a conversation and it being still something that isn’t represented in this day and age feels ridiculous.”
She went on to say that what she found wonderful about the relationship with her character’s partner Vicki (Kat Stewart) is that, “that it’s absolutely a part of the story rather than that being the story. Rather than the storyline being: ‘How did these two women meet, get together, and have children.’ It’s not that.”
Whittaker continued saying that she thought writer Emily Ballou’s story “was so beautifully written and so authentic and it’s from a voice of someone who understands love, understands grief, understands all these things.”
She also said: “I felt in incredibly safe hands with Emily and I think Emily’s writing is beautiful and poetic and understands the human condition in a way it’s pretty unique.”
“That is fucking ace! Oh my god!” – Jodie Whittaker
Asked about what she is expecting from Ncuti Gatwa’s take on Doctor Who following her own stint as the Time Lord, Whittaker told Attitude: “He’s gonna bring an infinite amount of magic. I cannot wait. He’s going to smash it and I’m going to be on the front row very excited.”
Finally, we discussed the potential for a third St Trinian’s movie following the 2007 and 2009 films starring Rupert Everett.
“No idea. I don’t know. I don’t know if Beverly would be popping up in it,” she said. It was here Attitude showed her a video of the drag queen Lydia L’Scabies performing as Beverly at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in August 2023.
In her number, L’Scabies incorporates lines from the film including Beverly’s first encounter with Lena Headey’s Miss Dickinson.
“That is fucking ace! Oh my god!” reacted Whittaker. “That is ace! Do you know what? Do you know who had to help me out with that line? Lena Headey.
“I was really struggling with how to say the second bit and she helped me say that second line and I was like, ‘Oh my god, thank you so much.’
“And she made that line so funny. I was like, ‘Thank god’ Because I was really struggling on how to land it. But that is it in its best incarnation. That’s a better Beverly than me.”
One Night is streaming on Paramount+ from Friday 24 November 2023