The Light in the Hall stars talk twists, turns and 'emotional' ending
Joanna Scanlan and Alexandra Roach spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com about the Channel 4 drama.
New Channel 4 drama The Light in the Hall is now available to watch in full, and tells the story of a mother, Sharon, who is desperate for answers about what happened to her daughter Ela, who disappeared 18 years earlier.
As the man convicted for Ela's murder gets considered for parole, a journalist with a connection to the case, Cat, attempts to discover the truth once and for all.
With all six episodes now available to watch, Sharon star Joanna Scanlan and Cat star Alexandra Roach have spoken exclusively with RadioTimes.com about the 'emotional' series, and how the ending will "shock" and "surprise" viewers.
Roach said: "I think it's going to put people through all sorts of emotions, and especially the last couple of episodes. There are a lot of twists and turns there that will really shock people and surprise people. But hopefully at the end, they will take a deep breath and be able to have a sense of resolution about the show and about the characters."
Meanwhile, Scanlan added: "There's a message in it, I think there's a take home from the end of this, which I hope will give people an opportunity to rethink their position about judgement."
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Scanlan went on to explain her interpretation of the meaning behind the show, saying: "Initially, she kept the light on in the hope that Ela was going to come home and that she’d find her way because Sharon's house is surrounded by emptiness. And there's a sense of, ‘I'm keeping this beacon so that Ela can find a way home.’
"And then as time has gone by, as the years and years have gone by, it's become like the Sellotape that’s stuck keeping this down so that nobody by mistake can switch it off. It’s become desiccated and dirty and is actually not a very positive thing."
She continued: "As far as Sharon's concerned, that light in the hall is a repository of being paralysed, just stuck, unable to move forward until she has some sense of closure. Something that felt like a positive, the light was hope, has become something that doesn't represent hope at all. It represents potentially a vengeful spirit acting out of deep grief and injustice."
The Light in the Hall also stars Game of Thrones and Misfits actor Iwan Rheon as Joe, the man convicted of Ela's murder.
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Rheon previously told RadioTimes.com that the series is "not a typical detective story" adding that it is "very retrospective”.
He continued: "We join the story when things kick off again with the release of Joe from prison. I think that was really interesting, and how he, the murderer, doesn't know what's going on. It's quite mysterious as to what's happened and how that unravels. It’s really fascinating."
Additional reporting by Abby Robinson.
The Light in the Hall airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9pm on Channel 4. All six episodes are available to stream now on All4.
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