World on Fire | S2 | Cast and Writer on telling the story

1941. RAF pilots are sent to destroy German bombers prowling the skies above Manchester, with rescue operations underway on the streets below. The true reality of war has arrived in Britain.

Telling the story of World War Two through the eyes of ordinary people, following intrepid young heroes fighting for freedom, World on Fire series two will take viewers from the war-torn streets of Britain deep into Nazi Germany, the resistance within occupied France, and the brutal sands of the North African desert – where troops struggle to adapt to a very different kind of combat.

World On Fire series two is a Mammoth Screen production co-produced with Masterpiece for BBC One and iPlayer, made with support from Northern Ireland Screen. The series is distributed internationally by ITV Studios.

World on Fire series one is available to watch on iPlayer now. Series two launches on Sunday 16 July with new episodes airing weekly on BBC One and all episodes available on iPlayer immediately.

Cast

Leslie Manville – Robina

Jonah Hauer-King – Harry

Blake Harrison – Stan

Julia Brown – Lois

Zofia Wichlacz – Kasia

Parker Sawyers – Albert

Eugenie Derouand – Henriette

Mark Bonnar – Sir James Danemere

Gregg Sulkin – David

Ahad Raza Mir – Rajib

Miriam Schiweck – Marga Cel Spellman – Joe

Yrsa Daley-Ward – Connie

Eryk Biedunkiewicz – Jan

Ewan Mitchell – Tom

Mateusz Wieclawek – Grzegorz

Creatives

Created by – Peter Bowker

Written by – Peter Bowker, Rachel Bennette and Matt Jones

Produced by – Amanda Black and Angie Daniell

Directed by – Drew Casson, Barney Cokeliss and Meenu Gaur

Executive Producers – Peter Bowker, Sheena Bucktowonsing, Damien Timmer, Charlotte Webber and

Helen Ziegler for Mammoth Screen in association with ITV Studios

Executive Producer for the BBC – Lucy Richer

Executive Producers for Masterpiece – Susanne Simpson and Rebecca Eaton

An introduction to World on Fire series two, by writer and creator Peter Bowker

In November 2019 – the week of the final episode of World on Fire – the BBC asked me about plans for a second series. The intention was to begin immediately and to have series two ready to go out in early 2021. Then Covid happened. And happened again. And I found myself writing a drama about a global event where people became unmoored from what they understood to be normal life while living through a global event where people . . . well, you get the idea.

As well as delaying series two, these circumstances influenced its creation in many ways. not least by bringing to the team two brilliant writers – Matt Jones and Rachel Bennette – who ran with my original vision and created half of this new series with invention and heart and a ridiculous dedication. And that original vision – to tell personal stories of life during warfare from multiple national perspectives – has, I hope been both honoured and expanded.

In this second series we turn our eyes to North Africa, where Soldiers from the British Empire found themselves fighting for the Allies in a desert that had been carved up in the previous century by European powers. So alongside British Soldiers we tell the story of Indian fighters and Italian enemies – pulled together by battle on a landscape that was no more familiar to them than the surface of the moon – and possibly less hospitable. In Europe we dramatise the deteriorating situation in occupied France as the Nazi occupation hardens and resistance becomes increasingly dangerous . . . And in Germany we tell a story of how a warped and toxic nationalism can induce “ordinary people” to bend their morality to breaking point.

Back in England in late 1940 the war had come home in the form of soldiers returning from Europe, refugees fleeing warfare and persecution, and bombs being dropped by the Luftwaffe as the attacks on London extended to the great industrial conurbations including Manchester and Liverpool. It is in Manchester that we begin to tell the story of the murkier world of espionage as the Home Office sent some of its Whitehall men north, to set up crude spy networks amongst refugees to investigate potential sabotage and keep an eye on morale in industrial towns and cities that they didn’t entirely trust or understand.

As always, we tell stories which have an unforced and not always comfortable contemporary resonance, stories that demonstrate both human resilience and human folly and stories of ordinary lives in extraordinary times. Historical drama should not be about nostalgia and I hope this isn’t how this series is regarded. It is about asking questions of the present by interrogating stories from our past. And at the heart of these stories, amongst multiple perspectives, the single question remains – “If you had been there, what would you have done?”

Meet the cast of World on Fire Series Two

Interview with Lesley Manville (Robina)

How important was it to do a second series of World on Fire?  

We always intended to return. Of course, we made the first series back in 2018 which screened in 2019 – and we all know what happened then!  But we’re back and the scripts are just so lovely and rich, with new characters coming in.  Robina is again holding the fort with all sorts of family problems she couldn’t possibly have foreseen. 

Robina has some fantastic lines – you must love playing her.

I do! I think that Peter’s written her so well and he’s surpassed himself this time – she’s got some corkingly good lines that are so arch.  Robina is so deliciously posh, eaten up by the protocol of everything. There’s also something more than a little theatrical about her.  She reminds me of one of those women in a Restoration or Feydeau farce.  I mean, obviously, I can’t play her quite that large, tempting though it is sometimes…

Is that why you enjoy playing her, the way in which she’s suffering in silence, putting up emotional barriers?

Peter has written some really moving scenes, but Robina is eaten up with a conviction that you mustn’t show your emotions, you’re not tactile, you can’t hug anyone, not even your own family.  These are the unspoken rules handed down through the generations.  She finds it really difficult to show her son, Harry, love and affection – but she’s broken when she sees news footage of the soldiers fighting out in Cairo, wondering if he’s dead or alive. It’s a very rich tapestry of emotions.  There are also some lovely funny bits, which are delicious to play, because she’s steeped in class snobbery, but you can’t help liking her.  She’s a real person with deep feelings and emotions but they’re buried, buried, buried…

Robina is very protective of Jan and baby Vera, showing wonderful tenderness.

Jan is now living with Robina who finds herself becoming the mother she never thought she would be. Obviously, she’s not young, but she realises that being a surrogate mother is as important as being a real, biological mother – and she’s also looking after her baby granddaughter, Vera. She might have been a terrible mother, but she’s turning into a really good grandmother and grows to love Vera. She also feels very strongly that Lois should not have abandoned her daughter, however much she didn’t want to be a mother.  But Robina picks up that baton and takes on the challenging responsibilities of looking after a new-born baby. 

Robina is very direct and doesn’t mince her words, as is Kasia who comes to live with her. How does that work out?

Robina doesn’t rate her daughter-in-law very highly as a woman. In her view, being married comes with lots of responsibilities, whilst Kasia just wants to go off and fight – which isn’t what women do.  All of this is making Robina question everything – she realises that she was an unhappy wife, an unhappy mother – but now she sees these young women doing it all differently which leaves her in a state of emotional chaos.

Tell us about Sir James, the suave, sophisticated man who arrives at Robina’s door. 

Sir James, played by Mark Bonnar, is very gently wooing Robina, and she’s not prepared for that at all.  At first she’s wary – he’s a good guy who’s a bit edgy.  But that makes her like him even more.  He’s definitely a smooth operator, pulling out all the stops… he’s also a bit younger than me which makes me look really good! 

And there’s a different look to her this time around…

Robina’s been flirted with for five minutes, so she’s let her hair down – literally! 

Can you describe the relationship between Robina and her son Harry? 

If only Robina could hold Harry and tell him: “You’re my son and I love you” – but she’s incapable of doing that. She’s also very disappointed in him because he’s got a ‘factory girl’ pregnant and a Polish wife who really doesn’t want to be married to him.  If there was one thing Robina expected in her life, it was that it would be linear and clean, but there are frayed edges and messiness everywhere – and in her opinion, Harry is the cause of all of that chaos.

There are lots of period dramas – what makes World on Fire special? 

World on Fire is unique because it deals with so many different storylines meaning you see the war from many angles, from very personal, private, small stories to great big epic tales and you see what those people fighting on the front lines were going through.  Characters like Robina feed in a bit of light relief which I think is needed in a drama about a horrific subject. But it’s a timely story and one we must never forget.

Interview with Jonah Hauer-King (Harry)

How was it covering the story of the campaign in North Africa and the horrors of what went on there?

One of the strengths of Peter’s writing is that he’s exploring a period of history we might think we know well, but he’s coming at it from different angles.  The war in North Africa was a massive but little-known part of the Second World War.  It was an incredibly challenging experience for the soldiers, because not only were they fighting the enemy in the form of the Germans and the Italians, but they were also fighting the desert. It’s very dangerous, unforgiving and frightening, freezing cold at night and then of course scorching by day.  So many people were killed by the desert without even picking up a gun. A single insect bite could turn infectious and kill them.  It’s a compelling story and one I think people will be surprised by – the dehydration, battling the elements, the endless flies.  My character and the other men survived the horrors of Dunkirk and probably thought that they were invincible and could take on anything. But the desert brings a whole new level of fear.

What can you tell us about the Sappers?

The Sappers are part of the Indian army fighting alongside the British, and there are some wonderful new characters who are unbelievably brave and dedicated. A big part of their job was to lay tactical minefields, which is dangerous and unforgiving work. It’s a fascinating, nuanced story – whilst they are fighting alongside the Brits, there’s also the quest to be independent of them. That’s a subtle thing for people to understand.    

Can you tell us about Harry’s relationship with Rajib?

Harry and Rajib have a lot in common, and they’re the same rank. They might come from different worlds and backgrounds but they’ve both been brought up in a disciplined world of stiff upper lips.  They also share a deep humanity and a huge amount of compassion and take their responsibility for their men very seriously.  As so often happens, their relationship starts off somewhat fragmented and fractious, but they become very close, bonded by their shared experiences of incredible danger and spending a significant amount of time together.  It’s a really beautiful theme of this series as a whole – of unlikely friendships and unlikely meetings.  Harry feels honoured to be fighting alongside Rajib.  It brings into sharp focus how much responsibility they both have and makes him raise his game.

So much of the battle in the desert was a boring waiting game.  Can you tell us about the siege depicted in the series?

The siege of Tobruk is a fascinating story.  It lasted for 241 days and involved a lot of hunkering down and waiting.  It’s fascinating to think about what that does to someone’s mind, knowing the monster is out there and feeling like you’re on the edge of a precipice, but not being actively engaged.  That mental battle is a massive part of this series for the soldiers in general, but for Harry in particular – he’s fighting the war on so many different fronts, learning how to deal with his demons and finding that very, very challenging. 

What about Harry’s relationship with Stan (Blake Harrison) – is it fair to say we see a sort of bromance developing between them?

Blake and I are close friends on and off screen, so it was fun to track the arc of that friendship.  Harry and Stan start off unsure of each other – Stan is quite suspicious and Harry senses that.  But we follow everything they go through together and how that bonds them.  When they’re reunited, it’s a really special, beautiful moment.   

How does Harry’s father’s untimely death continue to affect him and his mother?

We learnt in the first series that Harry’s dad died by suicide. Apart from all the obvious questions of why, and how traumatic that would be for a young boy and for a wife and partner, as Harry gets older he’s plagued by all these questions about what led his father to that moment. Those feelings gradually simmer up into a quite hysterical mania, of not really knowing who he is and where he’s come from, which has massive implications for Harry and his sense of his own identity.  He begins to worry that he and his dad are quite similar and that he may well be heading in the same direction. That’s something we explore more in this season. That traumatic, fractious past impacts Harry and Robina’s relationship in the present. It’s interesting to explore how they come to terms with what happened and with each other.

A big part of the way Harry deals with his trauma is by running away, joining the army, finding a sense of purpose through fighting and seeking escape through drink.  He’s in turmoil.  He’s seen and done some terrible things, but he’s not very good at sitting with those feelings.  All this seems to me to come from a place of self-loathing which leaves him feeling directionless.  Being in the army fighting alongside Stan and the other soldiers gives him something quite literally to fight for.

In this series we see a softer, mellower side of Robina?

Lesley is such a kind, compassionate, warm person in real life, so when I started working with her and saw Robina come to life, I was struck by what a brilliant performance it was given how cold and harsh and damning Robina is as a character.  Whenever we did scenes together where we’re at each other’s throats, which was quite often, we had to break off afterwards and apologise for being so horrible to each other.  But the unconditional love Robina has for Harry’s baby is life-changing for her, opening up emotions she didn’t realise still existed.  His daughter really brings out the best in Robina who has a pure, beautiful love for both Vera and Jan. 

What was it like working with Eryk again?

I’ve learnt a lot from Eryk who is so free and spontaneous. In some ways he looks exactly the same as in series one, but he’s now practically my height! There is some very clever framing and he’s wearing clothes slightly too big for him to mask the fact that he’s had a massive growth spurt!

Let’s talk about the central love triangle which gripped World on Fire fans in series one – Harry, Lois, and Kasia. How can Harry genuinely fall in love with two women?

In series one, Harry and Kasia fell deeply in love and get married. They have a really beautiful, young, pure relationship. But as the war unfolds, they go through so much trauma that they find it difficult to communicate.  He was so focused on finding her out in Poland but they’re now facing up to the reality of how they have changed as individuals. It would be unrealistic to think they could just pick up exactly where they left off.  Harry used to have a slightly idealised and naïve view of the world, but they realise they’re going to have to learn to fall back in love again.  

As for Lois, the girl he left behind, she has been through so much. She lost her mum when she was a young girl and Harry lost his dad at a young age, which was a big part of what drew them together. Now Lois is grieving the loss of her dad too and she has a tiny baby.  She’s still really young, even though they’ve all had to grow up really fast. I think Harry and Lois’s relationship evolves quite beautifully over the course of the series. Despite everything there’s a deep friendship and real love and respect for each other.

It’s interesting that Lois, Kasia and Robina don’t hesitate in telling Harry some home truths.

Yes, Harry’s surrounded by these brilliantly strong, smart women who definitely don’t mince their words – which is as it should be.  At the start of this series, we meet Harry really struggling and  battling his demons.  But he’s also much more emotionally mature, not least because the women around him don’t let him get away with anything.

How important is it to make dramas about this period in history?

Film and television dramas are an incredible platform for telling human stories and honouring the people who sacrificed so much.  Those brave people won’t be around forever, but the trauma lives on.  Series like World on Fire are a wonderful way for younger audiences to engage with this period of history and it pulls together stories from across the world, from India, France, Germany, Poland. I’m proud to be part of it.   

Interview with Mark Bonnar (Sir James Danemere)

Tell us about your character Sir James.

The mysterious Sir James is an MI5 operative and very charming with it. He’s used to manipulating people in a kind way to get what he wants – but he’s not a bad person by any stretch of the imagination. He injects some fun and potential romance into the Chase family household and also offers Kasia the possibility of returning home to Poland. He’s a bit of a whirlwind from the moment he arrives, and is immense fun to play.  

A huge part of getting into character is when you put on your costume and make-up and find you hold yourself in a different way. I’d describe Sir James’ look as Errol Flynn meets James Mason meets David Niven.

Tell us about how he brings out a softer side to Robina.

Sir James lays on the champagne and caviar and all the sweet treats. He’s obviously in the Chase family household ostensibly to carry out his work in Manchester, gathering information about potential spies, so as always in his line of work there’s a kind of dual identity going on.  

When you’re working with someone you really admire like Lesley Manville, you find yourself upping your game. You might be surrounded by cameras, but you’re in a play, performing for an audience and telling a story, whilst also having fun doing it.

Can you tell us about the experiences your character had in World War One?

Sir James was an officer in the trenches and is deeply affected by it – as you’ll find out via scenes with Kasia in the series. James has compartmentalised all of that trauma and just gets on with things, which, along with a couple of whiskies, is his way of dealing with staring into the abyss.

We’ll see Sir James speak Polish – do you speak the language yourself?

My grandfather was Polish and I spent three months there in the mid ‘90s, so my Polish is actually serviceable! I’m not fluent in any way, but I have got the odd word or phrase and a good idea of how to pronounce certain words – and I actually only have to speak one sentence in Polish.  

Do you remember talking to your grandparents about the war?

My mother’s father served in India but she didn’t really speak much about it.  My father’s dad was Polish.  He came over during the war, having walked from Poland to Yugoslavia with his best pal, and then got a boat to Southampton.  His brother was in a concentration camp but I was 12 when my grandfather died so probably a bit too young to speak to him about it.   

What makes World on Fire special?

World on Fire doesn’t focus on just one story, which I think is its great strength. It covers European stories, German, French, North African, and focuses on multiple nationalities, but there’s also an amazing kind of domesticity about it, about people living from day to day within the chaos. That’s what war was like for so many people.  

Interview with Julia Brown (Lois)

Where do we find Lois at the start of this new series?

At the end of series one, Lois had just given birth. She’d also accepted a proposal of marriage from Vernon (Arthur Darvill) and it looked as if he was going to move into the family house. But she starts series two in quite a different place.  She is alone as her fiancé has been killed in the Battle of Britain. Her father has also died so she’s a young, grieving mother with a baby that she’s struggling to have maternal feelings for.  She’s also still worrying about Harry and is faced with the reality that his new wife Kasia will be coming back to England with him. It’s a lot! 

Lois and her friend Connie (Yrsa Daley-Ward) are no longer singing in clubs but both now work for the ambulance service in Manchester.  It’s really exciting for Yrsa and me to play characters who show the amazing things women got up to during the war – they’re really getting stuck in. I think Lois is in quite a manic state of mind.  She’s been through so much and is suffering from postnatal depression, overwhelmed with grief at the death of her father and also worrying about Harry.  But she’s very good at putting a smile on her face and using humour to try and deflect things.  Working in the ambulance service makes her feel alive because she’s doing something that’s distracts her from everything she’s not quite facing up to.  Helping people in critical, adrenalised situations is both exciting and exhilarating for her.  You can see in those scenes that Connie is worried about her because she knows that this is not the true Lois. It will be interesting for viewers to watch their relationship play out because Connie becomes a sort of mother figure to Lois.  It was exciting to get to research the roles of women during the war and in the ambulance service in particular.  It’s amazing to wear the uniform and to drive an ambulance too.

The death of Douglas (Sean Bean) is traumatic for everyone – what happened to him?

I think it will be a massive shock for viewers to see that Douglas, the committed pacifist, is no longer with us. He was killed when their house in Manchester was hit by a bomb in the Blitz. Luckily, Lois was out working on a shift at the time, so she survived. It’s a horrible thing to have happened to a very peaceful man who strongly believed that the war was unjustifiable and wanted to put an end to violence – in the end, he was killed just sitting quietly at home.

You have some moving scenes in episode one with Ewan Mitchell back as your brother Tom.

I think viewers will be really glad to see Tom back home. Everyone was left in suspense at the end of series one because he was missing in action.  It’s a bittersweet reunion though, because she has to break the news to him that their father’s no longer there. He didn’t receive the letter.  She’s also faced with the reality that Tom is angry with her and seems to blame her which is part of his trying to come to terms with his grief. He directs all his anger towards Lois.    

How did you research the role?

It was really important for me to research the way in which post-natal depression and post-traumatic stress disorder can bleed into each other.  I also wanted to understand what it must feel like to have a child who you’re not able to connect with.  I read several first-hand accounts and articles on postnatal depression as well as some brave and honest war-time diary entries.  I was also really interested to read about people’s experiences of PTSD.  I’d done some reading up on that for series one, because that was what Douglas was suffering with and I wanted to have an insight into what it would be like for a daughter to cope with that. Reading personal accounts really helped me tap into my character. 

What do you think makes World on Fire stand apart from other World War Two dramas?

Lois says to Harry at one point that no-one will ever be the same again. That’s what’s so beautiful about Peter’s writing – it’s less about the facts of war and what happened in battle and more about the human stories. World on Fire is full of extraordinary stories about ordinary people. Stories that haven’t been told before. I’m very honoured to be back telling more of these stories about people from so many different countries, and how war united them.  It’s a fresh and modern take on World War Two and we need to engage younger audiences to watch pieces like this so that they can understand what happened, within living memory.  

Interview with Zofia Wichlacz (Kasia)

Where do we meet Kasia at the start of series two?

At the beginning of series two we find Kasia living in England, reunited with her brother Jan and back with Harry. They’re living at Harry’s house, which means living with Robina! Kasia finds it hard to settle in.  Harry is desperate to make his wife feel safe, so that she will become more like herself again. What happens, I think, is that Kasia is basically a soldier suffering from PTSD – so many difficult things happened to her in Warsaw. 

Robina’s a straight talker and she and Kasia have a really complicated and quite funny love-hate relationship which was fun to play. But being in the safe house in Manchester makes Kasia feel like a restless, caged animal, unable to settle down. She wants to go back to Poland and be a soldier, which is what she feels she has become. She would never have chosen to end up in this safe place. It’s pretty unbearable for her. 

We also see Kasia getting involved in some espionage?

Kasia meets someone – you’ll have to watch to find out who – that she soon finds out is working in military intelligence.  She desperately wants the job.  She needs to work, to feel useful, have a sense of purpose – you know, be a soldier, even when far away from Warsaw and everything she has left behind there.

How important is it to have a drama like this on our TV screens?    

For me especially it’s interesting to show events from the female perspective.  These are stories of trauma and grief and of really difficult emotions and situations, but presented in a way that shows that my character is not being a victim. She wants to get power back in her life somehow and we’re not used to see many stories about the incredible resilience and bravery of women during wartime.

Interview with Blake Harrison (Stan)

Remind viewers, where did we last see Stan and where do we find him now?

We last saw Stan being rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk, and now we’re seeing him in North Africa trying to survive a sandstorm.

Why do you enjoy playing him?

Stan sees the humour in really bad situations which is always a lot of fun to play.  I think it makes him a good leader as he doesn’t let the occasion get the better of him or the troops.  He tries his best to find levity even in the darkest times – but in this series even Stan finds himself pushed towards his limits.  

Describe the growing mutual respect between Stan and Rajib?  

When Stan first meets Rajib he finds him mildly amusing, but he also thinks he’s full of himself.  Once he gets to know him better though they start to have a bit of a bromance.  They go on a journey together – both literally, and in terms of their relationship – and find they have a lot more common ground than they might have imagined.

What was it like filming the desert scenes – the stunts, special effects and sandstorms?  The stunts are just so much fun to do! Whether it’s shooting rifles, ducking for cover, or hand-to hand fights with Nazi soldiers. You don’t get to do those sorts of things on most other jobs. We’re obviously dealing with a very sensitive and important part of history so you have to treat it with a lot of respect.  But equally you can’t turn off that part of your brain that reminds you of being a young kid dreaming of being an actor, watching epic battle scenes, whether it be with swords and shields or ambitious movies like Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.  Being surrounded by gunshots and explosions makes your job as an actor so much easier because your body is pumping with adrenaline.  

What research did you do in preparing for the role of Stan?

Watching documentaries and old footage of British troops in North Africa has been really helpful as it gave me a good idea of what it was physically like for the men back then.  I came across a World War Two training film, which was partly funny, because the guy’s voice was very clipped and almost a parody of most things you’ve seen since.  It really helped me get to grips with what their immediate response would have been to landmines and shelling. 

It’s important to realise that even when there’s something that people might find humorous, upsetting or even far-fetched, all of it has come from real life accounts that the writers have researched extensively. World on Fire is a fascinating watch – really dramatic, exciting and energetic. It’s full of great storytelling.   

Interview with Ahad Raza Mir (Rajib)

Who is Rajib?

Rajib is an Indian officer in the British Army.  He’s fearless and determined but a fairly complicated character who does everything by the book, sticks to the rules, a total military man. But as series two progresses, you see him realising that maybe what he thought was right – the place he was meant to be – isn’t that at all.  It’s kind of heart-breaking what he goes through, especially when he comes up against racism, because he doesn’t really notice a person’s race.

I genuinely think he feels he is the equal of everybody. Gradually he realises that something is not quite right – he’s not being treated the same as the Australians, for example. I mean, they were all part of the Commonwealth, right?  So why is it that at the end of the day, small things, like rations are different for him and his men, from the white men?  There’s this really thin line he’s treading where he has so much respect for the military, for the British, for the British Army, yet at the end of the day he’s fighting for his country by fighting for another country.  

I certainly knew very little about the campaign in North Africa before, and I really appreciate playing a fully fleshed-out character telling this important story.

You appear in some really big set pieces in the desert – how did you find that?

The fact that we had actual explosions happening on set was probably the most daunting bit of playing the part! I’ve worked with explosions before, but not at such close proximity. The moment someone shouts ‘action!’ you know something is about to go off and there’s going to be dust and dirt everywhere – so physically, it’s actually quite immersive especially when you find yourself breathing it all in.  It certainly looks and feels authentic.  

Can you tell us about the Sappers and their role in clearing mines?

The Sappers are essentially military engineers who handle explosives.  My character is in charge of them. They’re the people who lay the minefields but also make sure that the path is clear for the rest of the troops to go out.  

It’s a kind of systematic racism as the sappers are taking all of those risks for the army, which is kind of symbolic in itself.  But I think it’s interesting how that’s acknowledged very quickly in the first few episodes where Rajiv is speaking to his sergeant. 

Tell us about your character’s relationship with Stan?

Rajib’s relationship with Stan is great and one of the more friendly relationships he has which develops as the series goes on.  They share a kind of witty banter, two people from different cultures and different ranks but getting along as human beings.  Those two have some very beautiful scenes together.

Do you think Harry could learn from your character, and his great leadership skills?

I think it depends on whether you lead with your head or your heart. Rajib tends to lead with his head until he senses that things are going wrong and starts to feel it in his heart.  That’s why the decisions he makes start to change. Harry on the other hand leads with his heart the whole time.  He wants to do the right thing, to be there for us.              

Interview with Eugénie Derouand (Henriette)

Can you remind us of where we left Henriette at the end of series one?

At the end of series one Henriette was at the American Hospital in Paris. Viewers had learned that she was Jewish, that her papers were forged and that she wanted to fight the Nazis again. Now, at the beginning of series two she is still at the American Hospital, and she is helping prisoners of war to escape.

How would you describe her?  

Henriette is strong, she’s caring and she’s extremely brave.  She’s a woman of conviction on a mission to help save people.

What do you think drives you character on to continually risk her life in order to save others?

I don’t think she thinks about the fact that she’s risking her life – she acts completely on instinct.  She’s on a selfless mission to help people because of her humanity which is why she joins the French Resistance, to help prisoners of war to escape.

Henriette sometimes feels as if she can’t trust anyone. But that said, I think she lives with the hope that she can trust some people. 

How would you describe the relationship between Henriette and David (Gregg Sulkin)?

David is an English airman who Henriette meets in dangerous circumstances. Gregg, who plays David, is an amazing actor and he makes me feel very comfortable. I think Henriette and David are attracted to each other and it never hurts anyone to fall in love! But they are also very lonely – added to which they are in a time of war – so you’ll have to watch to find out how it develops.

What distinguishes World on Fire from other World War Two dramas?

I think it’s a story about humanity above all and about people’s strengths and weaknesses.  It’s historically accurate – and the sets and costumes are amazing.  

The story is based on true events, and I hope the series can play a small part in preventing this from happening again.  It’s important to remember what took place in the war and I’m very proud to be in World on Fire.

Interview with Gregg Sulkin (David)

How did it feel to join World on Fire?

I was very excited to be join such a talented cast, and I absolutely loved the first series.  I think the show is so complex and nuanced.  

How important is it to tell stories like these?

Being Jewish myself, I know the importance of continuing to share the reality of what happened during the war.  I do feel we all share a responsibility to make sure that never happens again. What’s so beautiful about this show is that it does that in such a clever way and is an interesting watch.  The war is a backdrop to you falling in love with these characters, and gaining a little bit of insight into what lives were like during that terrible time.

Tell us about your character?

David is a Jewish fighter pilot who’s brave but reckless. I love playing him because he keeps everyone’s morale up during missions, when it’s a matter of life and death. It’s pure bravery. I have so much respect for all the World War Two pilots because what they did was pretty remarkable, going up into the skies and fighting for their country, knowing it may not end very well for them. 

What research did you do into the life of a 1940s fighter pilot?

The first thing to say is that I can’t actually fly a plane, so I used a lot of imagination and did lots of research. Thankfully, the internet is full of first-hand accounts of what it felt like and I also have a friend who served in the Israeli Army as a fighter pilot.  I spoke to him at length about what that entailed, how he trained, the feeling of coming down from the adrenaline rush that obviously happens. I also read a book about the Holocaust called Life Lessons, which is a very personal account of what happened in the war.  That helped me get into the right mindset.  As a child I read a lot of books and being Jewish, you learn about the Holocaust. I’ve visited Holocaust memorials both in Berlin and in Israel, so I’ve been brought up with that knowledge about just how tragic those conditions were.  

Tell us more about the jovial side of your character and his friendship with Gregor?

The friendship between David and Gregor is unexpected, but we had lot of fun filming those scenes. I grew up playing sports and I sensed that team spirit with all the RAF boys on set.  Because at the end of the day you had to rely on each other and have each other’s backs.  Everybody’s lives were in danger and they were more than friends at that point – they were your brothers. 

Had you sat in a Hurricane before?

I hadn’t, but I’ve sat in a chopper Cherokee, have been in helicopters and love aviation – I’ve just never got the chance to actually fly plane. But I made sure I understood the logistics in the cockpit so that it looks authentic. I also watched Top Gun not once but twice before I came on set, because it’s so good!

We won’t say how, but David meets Henriette during the series…

I love their dynamic. I think David learns from Henriette that purity and goodness win, and Henriette embodies that. She sacrifices herself for the greater good of every other human suffering as a result of the war. Although David has a tough guy façade and is a bit of a prankster, she pulls at his heartstrings and a love and friendship blossoms.

Henriette is also Jewish. When she takes David in, she’s risking her own life, because she’s hiding someone who is, in the Nazi’s eyes, the enemy – a Jewish person.  She understands that but she’s doing it for two reasons. Firstly, because she believes that hate should not win, and on top of that, she really does love David.  So as their love grows, the necessity of staying together deepens.  

How did you find filming the intimate scene in a barn with Henriette?

Did Meenu (Gaur), the director, tell you that I am extremely allergic to hay?  It turned out that we were shooting the entire episode in a barn.  Within less than 10 minutes, I was sneezing and within 20 minutes, I realised that I needed an asthma pump which I hadn’t brought with me. Then I started wheezing. That makes it tough when you’re trying to be romantic and intimate. That’s the last thing you want to hear before you kiss someone!

Finally, what would you like to say to viewers?

There’s an incredible series two coming your way, and so many characters that you’re going to fall in love with.  

Interview with Parker Sawyers (Albert)

Tell us we about your character?

Albert Fou is a jazz musician from France – he’s a saxophonist and somewhat of a local superstar in his Paris.  Previously we saw him meet and fall deeply in love with American doctor Webster in the jazz club, but unfortunately he was thrown into an internment camp just outside Paris. This is where we find him at the beginning of season two, helping others to escape. 

Could you describe Albert’s friendship with Henriette and remind viewers about their connection? 

Albert’s friendship with Henriette started when he got a head wound from being beaten up by a French racist and went to her to get stitches.  So I think she reminds him of the outside world and the life he previously had – and now they’re sort of in cahoots with one another and scheming within the camp. He admires her determination and fortitude.

Can you tell us a bit about Albert’s state of mind?

I think Albert finds his strength in helping others.  He seems to be a facilitator and concerned about other people, really.  There’s a moment in the new series where he realises he has an opportunity to escape but has a real dilemma – he’s a Parisian of West African heritage and being out in the world as a gay man and a black man in 1941… You can see him thinking ‘You know what? It’s gonna suck everywhere.’  The decision he takes will seal his fate either way…

Interview with Miriam Schiweck (Marga)

Tell us about your character Marga?

Marga is a German teenager and a dedicated member of the Band of German Maidens.  She is only sixteen years old and It’s important to understand that girls like her were raised in the BDM [the girls’ wing of the Hitler Youth] and they were born into this ideology.  Everything she does is because she has been taught that she has to protect the Aryan race.  

Can you tell us about the Lebensborn (“Fount of Life”) programme?

Lebensborn was a programme set up by the Nazis to keep the race ‘clean’. They wanted to increase the number of ‘racially pure’ and ‘healthy’ Aryan people -tall, strong, with blonde hair and white skin, who in the eyes of the Nazis were meant to rule over the other races.  So they set about looking for girls who were themselves that type – although I have to wear a wig as I’m not really blonde.  The organisation took these girls to large houses, almost like hotels where they made them have sex with army officers so they could create ‘pure’ Aryan children to build a new nation. Afterwards they took the babies away from them so they could be made to fit into this ideology.   

What research did you do? 

I read articles and interviews with people who were stolen from their parents, because of the way they looked. When the Nazis were in Poland, for example, they took Aryan-looking children away from their parents to Germany – saying they were Aryans born in the wrong country, just like that.  It made me think about the reasons for taking part.  Why would a girl like Marga be forced to join this organisation, go to this place and have sex with some older man only to be made pregnant by him and have to give the baby away afterwards? 

How important is it to tell this story that lots of people won’t know about? 

I think it’s really important, because often in films about the Second World War – especially those made by countries outside Germany – the Germans are often portrayed as a little bit twodimensional. They are the bad Nazis and of course no-one would disagree with that, but I think it’s important to also reflect the misplaced pride many felt at being young in that nation. This is what I find so interesting about World on Fire, because it’s not only the enemy, but it’s like a microscopic story within the enemy. Marga’s wrapped up in this terrible ideology and doesn’t actually know it or realise what she signed up to – she’s never even had sex before.

Interview with Yrsa Daley-Ward (Connie)

Tell us about Connie?

Connie grew up in Manchester with Lois and they are best friends.  Connie is a passionate piano player and in series one, they went out to entertain the troops – they sang jazz classics for them as a duo, which they found really exciting and love to do.  That was how they did their bit for the war effort.  Connie is so full of spirit and like an older sister to Lois – she cares about her a lot.   

How does their relationship develop in the new series?

Connie has had a lot of setbacks in her early life.  This series really explores how their relationship changes when things start to get difficult for Lois, who is going through some turbulent times, both personally and in terms of what’s going on with her family.  Connie becomes increasingly concerned about her and their relationship is thrown into turmoil.  Connie is a really good friend to her and feels she has to tell her some home truths which she might not want to hear.

How did it feel to be back filming?

It felt as if no time has elapsed, which is so strange, because obviously some years have passed.  But it feels as if time has sort of frozen and it’s great to be back doing what we love.  

Why should people tune into World on Fire?

There’s so much in store for viewers.  Everybody’s characters deepen and there are some twists and turns that nobody’s going to be prepared for. Join us for more action, more drama, lots of surprises and an explosive new series!