While audiences face the incredibly long wait for the new season of Line of Duty, which starts shooting in January, actor Martin Compston will be seen in a number of upcoming projects. He appears in two surprising guises and again in his well-known form of a efficient and brave character in Red Eye.
New Territory in The Revenge Club
To begin with is The Revenge Club, where Compston gives a revelatory performance. The setting involves a support group for the recently divorced, a ragtag group connected purely by their mutual situation of being left. “There is no other explanation for these individuals to be in each other’s orbit,” Compston states. “They’re all desperate and in dire need of friendship. They’re all, in their own ways, broken, which makes for this unpredictable combination.”
“If you possess an enthusiasm about what you’re doing and energy for what you’re doing, the viewer will follow you.”
Although this may sound bleak, the show is anything but – including scenes in a beat-up community centre are full of life. The schemes of revenge, executed by the whole group, begin relatively mild before taking into dangerous ground. The series initially brings to mind familiar tones but rapidly establishes its own unique voice. “It resides in its own lane,” he comments. “It moves from intense scenes into a sort of caper. You believe you’re going down a certain path, then you’re not.”
Exploring New the Comfort Zone
Two surprising elements stand out about Compston's casting in this show. The first is that he's doing comedy, a departure for him. “This was outside my comfort zone,” says Compston. Another development is his position as the romantic lead, a notable fork in the road from his typically troubled fictional relationships. He and his co-star exhibit a delightful screwball chemistry.
“This is one of the things I appreciate about the show,” he adds. “Our characters aren't just innocent victims who have been hurt. Our former partners could simply be people who’ve progressed with their lives. We’ve all gone down this road because we had nothing to cling on to, and all of a sudden we have this club.”
Experiencing Las Vegas
Even more unexpected is the real-life Compston showcased in the upcoming travelogue Living Las Vegas. Having married American actor Tianna Chanel Flynn nearly a decade ago, he divides his time between Greenock and Nevada. The program features him discovering his adopted home city, meeting locals from a vintage shop owner to equestrian instructors. It offers a endearing and intentionally apolitical portrayal of everyday life.
“A lot of people live their lives on social media,” he notes, diplomatically. “I’m not unaware of the problems out there, but we reside on a lovely street, we’ve got good neighbours... everyone is just living our lives.” He voices his own political leanings but stresses that, as a guest, he mostly chooses to stay out of it in an increasingly heated climate.
The Comeback of a Cultural Touchstone
The highly-anticipated announcement of Line of Duty's next series has sparked enormous anticipation. The drama secured unprecedented ratings for its last season end. “That 9 o’clock hour, whether it be on a Sunday night or over the holidays, it’s gold dust,” Compston says. “You feel like you’ve got the nation in the palm of your hand if you’ve got something great to show them.”
He thinks that the figure of Supt Ted Hastings, played by Adrian Dunbar, has resonated profoundly with audiences. “He is like the nation’s favourite. A man who wants to do the right thing. People want to cheer for the heroes, and believe there are good guys out there.”
Future Projects
In the interim, Compston returns to action-packed drama territory in the second series of Red Eye, utilizing the charismatic energy fans know him for. Outside of acting, he is also moving into production roles. “You get that working-class guilt, you feel you need to do something,” he says of his work ethic.
He describes one venture, a biopic about Allan Pinkerton, a Scottish man who founded the Pinkerton detective firm in America. “He created the detective agency, worked on the Underground Railroad... had an remarkable life. This man from the Gorbals.” It sounds like a role uniquely suited to an actor associated with playing driven individuals.
The Revenge Club is streaming now on Paramount+; Red Eye airs on ITV1 on New Year’s Day.
