The sequel film to Downton Abbey – A New Era – literally marks a revolution for the Crawley family estate, which will have to deal with the arrival of a film company that has chosen Downton as the location for a silent film – one of the last. This event generates great uproar among the servants, as well as the family. In view of the movie premiere, Allen Leech and Tuppence Middleton teased us what to expect from the characters of Tom and Lucy Branson in Downton Abbey – A New Era!

Where does the second film start for Tom and Lucy compared to the first one?

It seems a lifetime since we saw Tom and Lucy dancing on the terrace of Downton Abbey at the end of the first film. “It’s 1928 and we’ve moved nine months since that beautiful moment,” explained Allen Leech. “It was symbolic of the fact that they both belonged partly in this world but partly not yet. From that point of view they were almost in their own mezzanine, between the life of servants and the world of the aristocracy.” Tuppence Middleton, who plays Lucy, adds: “We sense that they are very close or at least going in that direction.”

TUPPENCE MIDDLETON: At the beginning of the second film we join them at their wedding and they are a very happy young couple. They both have humble beginnings and I think they understand each other in a way that maybe the rest of the society they’re in doesn’t. That’s bonded them together and now they’re thinking about how to adapt to the context of a higher class and where that fits into this new, advanced world.

ALLEN LEECH: When this film starts that relationship has been going pretty well because they are getting married. I think the fact that Branson has found love again and for someone who is his equal in every way is a good sign of the ever-changing times in Downton Abbey which is always evolving. There’s this massive, fantastic wedding where the audience sees all their favourite characters.

How can you describe the wedding?

Obviously, the question all the fans are asking and the moment everyone is looking forward to is Lucy and Tom’s wedding, which both actors describe as very challenging to shoot but the beautiful location certainly helped their view.

TM: It was a very busy few days for the production and we shot it in a beautiful house in Suffolk that had its own church at the end of the garden.

It was also a big day for the make-up, hair and costume teams because all the supporting actors and the usual cast were there for that couple of days. There was a lot to organise and if you add the bad weather it was a real challenge. There had been wind, rain and hail all week but the sun managed to come out for the important shots. This experience made me realise that it would be really stressful to organise a wedding.  

AL: We shot the wedding in a beautiful house in a place called Sudbury which is now Branson’s home and property. There was a church on the property, which was apparently quite normal at the time so you got married in your own church, which was very convenient. The shoot lasted three days and it was just great to have that atmosphere of pure joy and happiness when the film opened. The only character missing from the wedding is Violet, the mother countess who, after giving her blessing to this union, couldn’t make it. Julian, however, writes these choral scenes brilliantly and everyone has their own little scene within the wedding party. All the servants were there too because it wouldn’t have been right for Branson to get married without them. That’s where it starts and I really like that beginning.

What did Lucy’s wedding dress look like?

Anna Robbins, the costume designer, created the most wonderful dress for Tuppence Middleton which was embellished and pearl-embellished on the top but very simple and billowy in the skirt and looked quite modern to wear. The actress wore a veil with a stunning tiara for the wedding ceremony and then a beautiful headpiece for the reception, Middleton says.

How do the Bransons fit into the wider story of the film?

While Tom and Lucy are on their honeymoon, a letter arrives for Violet revealing that she has been left a beautiful villa in the south of France by an old acquaintance. She decides to bequeath the villa to my daughter and her great-granddaughter, Sybbie, wanting to make sure she has something of her own.

TM: I think it’s very important to Tom that Sybbie feels included in the family especially now that Lucy is marrying her father. At the other end of the spectrum, accepting a gift of this magnitude that hasn’t been earned goes against Tom’s principles. Principles that he has spent a lot of time affirming and defending. With this in mind it was important for both of them to go to France and decide if it is the right thing for Sybbie.

How does Lucy convince Tom that the house in France can work for them as a family?

As a good angel on Tom’s shoulder, Lucy will remind him how nice it is to have your principles. But at the same time when certain times come, the best thing is to help others.

TM: This helps Tom to realise that he is in a position where he can help others like him. Lucy is a great force in his life, a person who really understands him. She understands his conflicts and pains and helps him to see how to make the best of them.

AL: Lucy’s reasoning is that there are ways in which she can be beneficial, and she already employs the people who look after her. She’s always aware of what Lady Sybil would want for her daughter and is never afraid to talk to Sybbie and Tom about her. I think in the end it is Lucy’s assumption that Lady Sybil would want her daughter to inherit the mansion that convinces Tom of the idea.

How has Branson’s career progressed?

AL: He’s now married, has his own estate to run and no longer works at Downton and although we don’t see him working on his estate in this film, we understand that he has moved on with his life but still remains part of the Crawley family.

How did Lucy’s journey develop through her style and position? 

TM: It was important to trace Lucy’s journey from being the lady’s maid to suddenly becoming the lady of her own house who, by getting married, finds herself in a position where both she and Tom feel comfortable. They don’t want to suddenly start dressing like they are the embodiment of high society. But there is a certain look that comes with her new position in society.

What do you think this film will give the audience?

AL: I think it will give the audience precisely what they love because people want to see these characters again and again and again. They want to see them continue to adapt and develop and move forward in their lives through what are very changing times for the family and the servants. It will touch your heartstrings giving what you probably don’t want as well as what you want, but then these moments are all part of life. I think that’s what Julian does: he finds a nice balance between the world as it was then and as it always is.

Downton Abbey 2 – A New Era is out only in theatres May 20 – here’s a first exclusive look!

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Chiara

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