Sarah Parish is in no doubt her latest TV project will ruffle a few feathers as What To Watch meets her at a London hotel to discuss Curfew, the provocative crime thriller landing on Paramount Plus set in an ‘alternative reality’ where all men are forced to stay home at night to protect women.
"The theme of this drama will certainly push buttons; some people will be very angry and it’ll likely prompt some heated debate but that’s what we need," Bancroft actor Sarah says of the six-parter - based on the novel After Dark by Jayne Cowie - in which she plays no-nonsense DI Pamela Green, called to investigate when a woman is found brutally murdered outside a Women’s Safety Centre.
Pamela’s convinced the killer is male - but in a society where all men live under the ‘Women’s Safety Act’, bound by a strict curfew from 7pm to 7am and tracked by an ankle tag 24 hours a day, her theory is swiftly rejected. However, working alongside rookie cop - and former curfew enforcer Eddie (Mayflies’ Mitchell Robertson) - Pamela vows to prove it.
Also starring Doctor Who's Mandip Gill and West End star Alexandra Burke, as two women central to the investigation, plus Lucy Benjamin, Larry Lamb, Anita Dobson and Bobby Brazier, here Sarah reveals why Curfew will get people talking...
What appealed to you about Curfew?
"I loved how it explores such a debate-heavy subject. Following the high-profile case of Sarah Everard [the 33-year-old murdered walking home alone in 2021], Baroness Jenny Jones said maybe we should consider a curfew for all men to keep women safe. Unsurprisingly, men were up in arms at the suggestion - but when police say women shouldn’t go out after 7pm, nobody bats an eyelid. So, it’s an interesting theme and Pamela was a joy to play."
How would you describe Pamela? Why is she so affected by this murder?
"Pamela’s such a multi-layered character; she’s uncompromised, sure of who she is, doesn’t care what she looks like and just wants to get on with her job. Pamela’s own daughter was murdered three years prior; the last femicide before curfew was introduced, so this case feels personal to her. Pamela feels she let her daughter down by not keeping her safe and wants to atone for her death."
How does Pamela feel about working alongside rookie cop Eddie?
"Firstly, making the character of Eddie male, not female, like they are in the novel is a great idea. It puts the cat among the pigeons straight away, this idea that Eddie - or Freddie as Pamela calls him! - shouldn't really be on this case. Pamela doesn’t do things by the book and she fears that having this inexperienced young, male cop by her side will hold her back."
Although the murder takes place during the hours of this so-called ‘infallible’ curfew, why is Pamela adamant this woman was killed by a man?
"While curfew has massively brought down the number of femicides, Pamela saw some pretty awful things pre-curfew to know the difference between how men and women kill. This is a very violent death, so Pamela’s gut instinct tells her the killer is definitely male - she won’t rest until he’s caught."
In your opinion, what can be done in real life to keep women safe at night?
"That’s a difficult question but I don't think a curfew of any sort would work in reality. I'm hoping this show opens up a conversation about women's safety and makes people more aware of the compromises women have to make when they’re out after dark."
All six episodes of Curfew are available to stream now on Paramount Plus
