Actor Laura Bayston has spoken candidly about the emotional responsibility of portraying Kate McCann in the forthcoming Channel 5 drama Under Suspicion: Kate McCann.
Laura, who hails from Susan Lynch’s Stroud-based RATS Theatre Company, will star as Kate McCann in the upcoming Under Suspicion: Kate McCann on Channel 5 this evening at 9pm.
Laura plays the lead role in a Channel 5 film that TV bosses say “shines a light” on one of the most shocking moments in the entire case: when Kate was treated as the prime suspect ‘arguido’ in her daughter’s disappearance.
Kate and husband Gerry McCann, who were cleared of any wrongdoing in 2008, found themselves wrongly accused of a cover up. Kate found herself trapped between co-operation and self-preservation as she was confronted by detectives facing hours and hours of questioning.
Speaking about taking on the lead role, Laura described feeling “a huge responsibility toward Kate” and said the production team was determined to approach the story with care and authenticity.
Recalling the original news coverage in 2007, Bayston said the case had a profound effect on her personally as a mother of two children of a similar age.
“It was shocking. It’s still shocking,” she said.
Laura also explained that her preparation for the role involved extensive research, including books and interviews, as well as drawing on her own experiences of grief and loss to understand the emotional reality of the character.
However, she acknowledged that fully comprehending the level of scrutiny faced by the McCanns remains impossible.
Laura admitted she thought about Madeleine McCann “every minute of every day” while filming.
“To truly understand the weight of such immense pressure and scrutiny of this scale is impossible,” she said.
Under Suspicion: Kate McCann airs on Channel 5 at 9pm.
