Darci Shaw

Currently starring in Sky's The Colour Room, a biopic of artist Clarice Cliff, Liverpool-born actress Darci Shaw tells us about her long-standing love of pottery and how she's proud to be representing her city on screen.

Did you have any experience at pottery before doing The Colour Room?

I used to go to Centre Parcs a lot when I was younger, and I spent lots of time doing pottery there - you had to literally pry me away from the wheel! When we made The Colour Room though I hadn't done it in a long while. I made a vase, which I thought was going to turn out quite good, but it ended up looking more like an anthill! There's a video on my Instagram of me making it, and a photo of the finished result.

How did you come to be cast in the film?

I auditioned originally for another role, and didn't hear anything back for a while, then I was invited to audition for Dot, who's the younger sister of Clarice Cliff, and I got that role! It was really great to do a film set in Liverpool, which is where I'm from - I like being part of stories about the city and its history.

Is there anything you specifically look for scripts or characters?

I find I'm really drawn to period dramas - I'm lucky that I've managed to do a few already! Obviously stories set in Liverpool, and I think especially recently there's been a lot of great actors coming from here, like Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham. I think there's a demand for Geordie talent at the moment.

Have you done many other Liverpool-set projects?

I did a Netflix show called The Irregulars, a supernatural drama, which was set in Victorian London but we shot it here. We did most of that just before the first lockdown, but we still had a little bit left to do, so it was quite strange coming back afterwards for just a couple of weeks! I'm still based in Liverpool, so I'm always looking for things filming here.

You played a young Judy Garland in her biopic - how was the experience of playing such an iconic, real-life figure?

That was actually my first real, professional screen acting job! I'd done a couple of shows on stage, but Judy was my first time on a film set. I found it kind of terrifying to begin with, as playing someone like Judy Garland is a big responsibility, but I had such a great time and I learnt so much from it as well. When I came on ready for a scene they'd shout "Darci on set!", which was a really strange feeling, and I'd go home and be all excited, telling my mum about it!

What have you been watching this year that you've enjoyed?

I really loved Another Round, with Mads Mikkelsen. I thought that was great, I loved his dancing at the end!

Words: Scott Bates