Wentworth cast hang out for new scripts

L to R: David de Lautour, Jacquie Brennan, Rarriwuy Hick

Ask any member of the Wentworth cast and they will tell you: they can’t wait to get their hands on the next script.

Cast are currently filming first episodes of Season 8 but prior to filming are only given an outline of their storyline from Script Producer Marcia Gardner.

“We hang out!” explained Jacquie Brennan (Officer Linda Miles).

“I can’t wait for the scripts to arrive. I find with this show I don’t do the egotistical ‘actor-y’ thing and look for my name. Even after all this time -and I’ve been here since day one- I read the scripts from beginning to end because I want to know the story.

“It’s just constantly reinventing itself”

“It’s the way it keeps reinventing itself. There are a lot of shows that once certain characters leave that’s it. But being a prison, under Marcia’s hand it’s just constantly reinventing itself.”

The nature of a high stakes prison means much is unpredictable. As Brennan recalls from season one, nobody is safe.

“The casting of Catherine McClements in episode one and then bumping her off, she was the last person you’d expect. I thought that was so clever. Right from the get-go it just hit the ground running.”

“Anybody can be ‘offed’ at any time”

“Anybody can be ‘offed’ at any time,” agrees David de Lautour (Dr. Greg Miller).

“There are lead characters on the show who have been taken out. So when you’re reading the scripts you think ‘What’s going to happen to my character?’

“So for the audience any one of your favourite characters could be gone.”

“We are so used to watching films and TV where the lead characters survive. It’s the hero’s journey,” adds Rarriwuy Hick (Ruby Mitchell).

“We’re not told in advance what will happen. There’s a brief arc for everyone, but the detail we don’t know.”

“A couple of the cast have gone completely paperless”

For the first time cast are given scripts via a link which are password protected, as well as paper scripts on set.

“A couple of the cast have gone completely paperless and using iPads. It’s a weird thing. You get so used to writing notes. It’s such an integral part of the work you do. But it’s just getting your mind around it,” says David de Lautour.

“And we’re filming in 4K now,” Jacquie Brennan reveals.

“I had no idea what that meant at first!” admits Rarriwuy Hick.

“We will all be plucking our chins!” Brennan jokes.

Wentworth returns to Foxtel in 2020.