“Do the Irish think the English are really cool? I wouldn’t say cool is the first word I think of.”
Channel 4’s Derry Girls is easily one of the best sitcoms to hit British television in a long while. It mixes up an all-female spin on The Inbetweeners and some pitch perfect 90s nostalgia, with a poignant and realistic portrayal of The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
The real genius of the show though is that it lets those elements fall into the background. Yes, it was an era that suffered through violence and terrorism. But, like anywhere, people still went about their lives. People in Derry during The Troubles grew up, got old, fell in love, got drunk, had fun and did all the other things everyone does, no matter where they are from.
Derry Girls is a show about four girls (and an English cousin) coming of age – it is honest and funny and relatable, and just happens to be set against The Troubles. It is something that was happening at the same time, but did not define their lives.
We caught up with the cast of the show – Saoirse-Monica Jackson, who stars as Erin, and actually grew up in Derry; Nicola Coughlan and Louisa Harland, who play Clare and Orla respectively and are both from south of the border; and token Englishmen Dylan Llewellyn, who portrays James.
We let them explain the often complicated history between Britain and Ireland, in their own words.
Derry Girls series two is on Channel 4 Tuesday, March 5th at 9.15pm.
