No Return star says "reality hits home" in "page-turner" script
Michael Jibson says the new ITV drama is "intricate and detailed, and twisty and turny".
Following the release of The Teacher, Sheridan Smith continues her tense family drama streak with ITV's No Return.
This time around, Smith plays Kathy Powell, the mother of teenager Noah, who is accused of a terrible crime while on a family holiday in Turkey. She is joined by Quiz star Michael Jibson, who plays Kathy's laid-back husband Martin.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Jibson opened up about reading the script by Shameless and Brassic writer Danny Brocklehurst for the first time.
“Just reading it, it was a real page-turner," he said. "I know it sounds like a cliché, but it was. Just wanting to know what happened next. Once you get into the real nitty gritty of the politics between the two families, and the fact that Noah has been arrested, it was just so intricate and detailed, and twisty and turny. The script was just a page-turner, probably more than anything I've ever read.”
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He added: "It really is [two different shows]. And I think I think that's what will draw the audience in, because I think you set up this very familiar setting of a family on holiday, where most people in this country go on a holiday of that kind where the boundaries are set up, you have your pool and your sun lounges and your dinners and you’re with your friends and your family and everybody's letting loose a bit."
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Of course, that all changes when Noah (Louis Ashbourne Serkis in the No Return cast) gets arrested.
"That's what's so powerful about this, I think, is that the reality hits home – not only does their son get arrested, but the family, both families are plunged into this completely different culture," Jibson explained.
"And of course, they're in the middle of Turkey. And whether it's Turkey or somewhere on the other side of the globe, I mean, there's a lot to be said for how British we are as people, and when we go to a foreign country, a lot of us just expect it to be all-inclusive hotel resorts, when sometimes if you go outside the gates of the hotel, it can often be very different and very daunting, in fact."
Additional reporting by Abby Robinson.
No Return premieres at 9pm on ITV tonight (Monday 7th February). Check out our Drama hub for more news, interviews and features or find something to watch with our TV Guide.
