Kacey Ainsworth on what it was like to write a very special episode of Grantchester

Grantchester season 9 star Kacey Ainsworth is a stalwart of the entertainment industry, starring in the West End production of Annie The Musical at the tender age of eight. But while the actor was fulfilling many little girls’ dreams of treading the boards on stage, she also had another passion: writing.

"Because I've been acting since I was eight, I've read LOTS of scripts, not all of them wonderful," Kacey tells What To Watch as she joins us for an exclusive chat.

"In the early 2000s, when I was playing Little Mo in EastEnders, I started writing scripts for TV drama and comedy with Tracy-Ann Oberman [the BBC1 soap’s Chrissie Watts].

"We had interest from production companies but, because I'm the main breadwinner in our family, I can’t take six months off to write, I have to work as an actress. So I’d write articles for magazines or chapters of books under different pseudonyms, just to keep that thread going for myself."

While Grantchester’s focus is usually on the male crime-fighting duo of DI Geordie Keating (Robson Green) and Reverend Alphy Kotteram (Rishi Nair), this week, it’s the women of Grantchester taking centre stage, in a special episode written by Kacey - who plays Geordie’s formidable wife Cathy - herself.

Here, Kacey tells us more about being a woman on a mission…

Kacey, how did writing this week’s fifth episode of Grantchester come about?

"Our exec producer and head writer, Daisy Coulam, and the team on Grantchester have always been open to me suggesting storylines; like Cathy getting a job and, later, becoming a union rep, because I wanted to see stories about women outside a domestic situation. One day, I thought I'm gonna stick my neck out and write a female-centric episode. I talked to Tessa Peake-Jones [who plays vicarage housekeeper Mrs Chapman] who urged me to go for it - I don't think I’d have done it otherwise!"

How did you find the writing process?

"I actually wrote this episode two years ago. As an actor, I sometimes have three jobs on the go. So I wrote it over one Christmas, when I had a break, sent it to our producers, then waited. A month later they said, ‘We love this idea, would you help storyboard it with Daisy?’ So Daisy took me under her wing and guided me through the whole process. As a fellow exec producer on Grantchester, Robson also had a say in me writing this episode and he loved it. I’d often be filming scenes then hop onto my laptop to write more script, then Daisy would work her magic on it."

Wasn’t there also a majority female crew on this episode?

"That’s right. It’s fantastic to see more women around the camera. Everyone’s got to start somewhere and Grantchester’s always championed new people; they’ll give young actors, who’ve not done screen before, a shot at a big part and they do the same with writers. I’m 56 now and this is the first script I’ve written that’s made it to screen. So it’s never too late."

The episode explores pivotal storylines for the key female characters in 1960’s Grantchester - namely Cathy, Mrs C, Cathy’s teenage daughter Esme (Skye Degruttola, daughter of Bad Girls’ Simone Lahbib), and police secretary Miss Scott (Melissa Johns)...

"I wanted to make sure we were representing female friendships, mother-daughter relationships and attitudes towards women at all stages of a woman’s life. We examine how women were not expected to be more than secretaries with Miss Scott, whose work proves vital, and also explore the mental load women take on in the relationship between Mrs C and new vicar Alphy. Looking after people is Mrs C’s whole identity - Alphy doesn’t need that but he grows to understand her. It’s lovely the way their relationship develops and Rishi’s brought new energy to the show."

A major theme running through this episode and across the series is the menopause…

"I’ve researched the outlook different generations’ had to menopause. Mrs C's generation is rooted in Japanese culture where menopause is seen as a woman’s ‘second spring’. By Cathy's generation, menopause was starting to be medicalised; women were given sedatives to deal with any emotional problems or, in some cases, total hysterectomies. Some were even sent to asylums!"

Do you think menopause is being taken more seriously now in the media and wider society?

"Totally. I've been through the menopause and out the other side - but I feel we’ve been led to believe the ‘other side’ of menopause is dreadful and that women just retreat into a world of beige. For me, it’s freedom. I don't worry about periods or pregnancy now, and there's a certain belligerence that comes with menopause that’s freeing. Second spring? Absolutely. Menopausal women are powerful!"

It wouldn’t be Grantchester without a crime and there’s a murder at Harrison & Sons, where Esme works as a typist and where sexism is rife. Is that something you’ve experienced in the workplace?

"I’ve worked in offices and I don't know any woman who hasn't ever thought: ‘Did he really just say that?’ or ‘That behaviour feels off’. When you're younger, you often can't speak up for yourself. In season four, Cathy got a job and a male colleague assaulted her in an alleyway. That’s Cathy’s worry for Esme - but Cathy can’t articulate how she’s feeling without sounding crazy! I’ve really enjoyed the character development of Cathy; she’s grown as the show’s grown. We’d definitely be friends."

On another note, EastEnders celebrates its 40th birthday this year - you portrayed Little Mo in the soap’s ground-breaking domestic abuse storyline. What did that mean to you?

"Little Mo means a huge amount to me. I love the character and because of that storyline, people started to understand more about ‘coercive control’ and how to spot it when it’s happening to you. It was amazing storytelling and the EastEnders’ production team did such a great job. I’m really proud of it."

Alongside Grantchester, what’s next for you?

"I've got a short film coming up, a play and another BBC drama, which I've just finished shooting. And I definitely want to do more writing but I have absolutely NO wish to direct. I don't ever do any ‘celebrity’ shows, I like to just do my work. That said, Robson invited me onto his BBC show Weekend Escapes, so I’ve filmed one of those. He threw me in the River Tyne! Have I forgiven him? Just about!"

Grantchester continues Wednesdays at 9pm on ITV1.