Gillian Anderson: Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

Trespasses is a politically charged forbidden love story as well as
an astute depiction of a complicated mother-daughter dynamic. We
follow Cushla whose name comes from an Irish Gaelic saying meaning
“my pulse” – it’s an equivalent to sweetheart or darling, but
specifically "the pulse of my heart". And that is who she is for
multiple characters. Her mother Gina is an addict and requires a
lot of caring for to keep her from taking things too far. Cushla
works at her brother’s bar in the evenings and at a school in the
daytime, and falls in love with one of the pub’s patrons, Michael.
The trouble is, she’s catholic and Michael is protestant – oh and
he’s also married. They embark on a love affair that changes both
of them forever, it’s that invisible string idea of someone you
just keep being drawn back to. Politics infiltrate every aspect of
life, and their love becomes totally consuming, so there’s a lot of
intense emotion. Louise Kennedy expertly navigates this with the
dark humour characteristic of Irish fiction, and it’s just so
exquisite to read. Truly a masterclass in writing. 5/5 I loved it.
It’s now been turned into a TV show starring Lola Petticrew as
Cushla, Tom Cullen as Michael, and Gillian Anderson as Gina. I had
the privilege of sitting down with this gorgeous cast to ask them
about the show, and here’s what happened. You can stream every
episode of Trespasses on Channel 4 now!! Learn more about your ad
choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices