Q: Tell us more about your character Linda Ball?
A: “She’s a funny really one. I think people will instantly recognise her as someone they will have met or know. She an ex-pat wife, likes her designer labels and golf and doesn’t ask any awkward questions. She also has this ridiculous fake tan, which is so dark she looks like teak furniture. We went really wild with that fake tan!
She has a strange relationship with her husband, Tony. They’re like ships that pass in the night, but it seems to work for them. There’s a suspicion that there’s something else going on, but what I like about their relationship is that you’re never sure if their marriage is one of convenience or whether they really do love one another. And I think it’s nice that you might think it’s one thing and it may turn out to be something else – something you wouldn’t expected.”
Q: Have you modelled her on anyone in particular?
A: “I couldn’t possibly say if she was modelled on anyone I know…particularly if I want to keep getting invited to those summer barbecues. Linda’s character is really well written, so there was lots scope for me to be able to interpret her whichever way I wanted.”
Q: What’s it been like to work on The Mallorca Files?
A: “It’s been so lovely to work on a show where you feel like there’s a real sense of company.
There’s a real family feel to it; everybody has built up these relationships with one another over the course of production. It’s very similar to the experience I have working on Grantchester.
And it’s really important as a guest star, who’s just popping in to do your bit, that you feel welcome. The greatest shows I’ve worked on are the ones where everybody does that - let you know where to go for lunch and where the loos are. Little things like that can get a bit lost, especially when the programme is going full tilt, but The Mallorca Files – like Grantchester - was definitely one of those that looked after me.
The other great thing about working on The Mallorca Files was that I had already worked with mour Director Christiana and I knew how brilliant she was and that I was in really safe hands.
It was a great job to have landed and I’m really pleased that we managed to get it done before the pandemic hit.”
Q: What’s been your favourite memory from filming?
A: “Getting to spend time and chat individually to all the other actors. It’s always fun to spend time with actors who are doing a fun and interesting job. You know what we’re like: we’re actors…we’d talk to corpses!
It was also lovely to work again with Christiana.”
Q: What else did you get up to while on the island?
A: “What was wonderful was that that hotel I was staying in had a vinyl shop opposite, with vinyls half the price they would have been in England. So, whenever I had downtime from filming, I kept asking: ”Is the vinyl shop open?”…“I need to go to the vinyl shop”.
I spent some fun times browsing through their collection. They had everything. My husband is a Pink Floyd nut, so I managed to bring him back something and get my hands on a lot of really classic albums for a really good price. In fact, I nearly needed another suitcase to bring mthem all home.”
Q: Had you been to Mallorca before – either filming or on holiday?
A: “Yes, I know the island well. I’ve been to all the Balearics and I love them. Majorca is a beautiful island and it’s got everything you could want. If you want a “lads” holiday you can get that, but the majority of the island isn’t like that at all. I’ve been to Palma several times and it’s a beautiful city and Cala D’Or, where I was staying while filming, is absolutely beautiful. You could walk down to the harbour; it had beautiful churches and interesting architecture and there was even a festival on when I was there. It’s a very lovely place to be.”
Q: What’s next for you, Kacey?
A: “All being well, we go back into production on Grantchester, so I’m looking forward to that. But lockdown has been weirdly busy for me. A film I was in (Fyzal Boulifa’s Lynn and Lucy) was just released by the BFI, giving new life to something that had already launched. It was magnificently reviewed by all the major national newspapers and film critics and things have gone a bit crazy as I had all sorts of film auditions to go to.
I also did a Zoom film called Then and Now that the producers now want to expand on, and I’ve got a BBC Radio Four drama called The Piper which is coming out in the autumn.
I’ve also been doing voiceovers from home, which has meant setting up my own studio in the house. That’s has been an interesting skill to learn.
So, all in all, lockdown has been a busy time for me. And after six months of living with my family, I’m hoping that once we start filming Grantchester the production team will ask me to self- isolate in a lovely hotel for the duration of the shoot!”
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