Vicky McClure is back in the bomb suit as Lana Washington for a fourth explosive series of Trigger Point and this time, the stakes are higher than ever.
Updated: Sep 7
Vicky McClure is back in the bomb suit as Lana Washington for a fourth explosive series of Trigger Point, and this time, the stakes are higher than ever.
The Nottingham-born actress, who has become one of British television’s most familiar faces thanks to roles in Line of Duty, This Is England, and Trigger Point, admits even she wasn’t expecting the ITV drama to make it to series four.
But viewers have continued to embrace the nail-biting bomb disposal thriller. According to Vicky, the new series rewards that loyalty by seriously upping the ante. There are huge explosions, a bomb-packed lorry racing through the capital, action on the water and at an airfield, plus plenty of those trademark Trigger Point cliffhangers designed to leave us shouting at the television.
The Challenges of Filming
It wasn't an easy shoot. Filmed during the London summer, Vicky, 43, found herself running around in a heavy bomb suit during a heatwave. However, ice-cream trucks, Greggs, and even a crew silent disco helped keep spirits high. Away from the action, Lana is also facing a very different battle. After everything she has been through, viewers will see her struggling with her mental health, attending therapy, and beginning to doubt herself at the worst possible time.
As both the show's leading lady and an executive producer, Vicky says the fourth series is its most ambitious yet. She reveals that the future of Trigger Point, just like Line of Duty, ultimately rests with the viewers. Here, Vicky talks about Lana's state of mind, the show's biggest-ever threat, those exhausting stunts, and whether there could be a fifth series.
Where Do We Find Lana at the Start of the Series?
A lot happened to Lana in series three, and indeed before that. She has gone through so much with her mental health, so of course, there will be consequences, and she needs to make changes in her life. We’ll see Lana trying her best to get a grip on things. She’s going to therapy while balancing that with her job.
She’s very capable, but she’s also not in great shape. She’s doubting herself, which is very dangerous in that job. You have to be certain when dealing with bombs because the stakes are as high as they can be. I’ve always loved how fearless Lana is. Even though we’ll see moments where she does feel fear, she will never show it. If she’s going down, it will be with a battle. She doesn't want people to see that she's questioning her own ability.
The New Threat
What’s exciting about series four is that yes, Lana has the skills for the job, but the threat this time is way bigger than ever before. Have the bombers outsmarted her? It’s tricky for Lana to work out who these people are. There's a lot of conflict within the counter-terrorism team, making it a very knotty show this year. Lots of things will surprise viewers, maybe very early on in the series, which will give everybody a bit of a shock. Lana faces encounters that she wasn't expecting.
What Does Lana Think of New Police Chief, Nia?
It's nice, actually, because Nia and Lana have a very similar mindset. There’s not a battle between them. That’s rare, given that Lana is usually battling the powers that be. It’s refreshing for her to find someone she feels is on her side and respects her skill set, woman to woman. They can work in harmony. Nia’s story is very interesting. I can’t say too much, but people will be absolutely gripped by it.
It's the first time I’ve ever worked with Julie [Graham], but I have many friends who know her. They told me we would have a great laugh, and we did straight away. She’s such a pro and fitted in right away. She’s really chilled and always wants to shoot good scenes while having a nice day.
The Bomb Threat This Series
This series features the biggest threat we've ever encountered on the show. I can’t go into the details, but in terms of threat to life, it’s huge. In episode one, there’s a race against time with a lorry going through the capital with a bomb in the back. Lana has to rip her way through the side of the lorry with a knife. Then she has a short amount of time to find the device and diffuse it while Hass is driving.
It’s such an exciting scene, and it happens so early on. If that was the only stunt in the series, it would have been plenty, but it’s just the beginning. We've got a scene that takes us onto the water, which was a lot of fun, then we go to an airfield. It’s just epic. I can’t spoil the finale, but it’s a big one.
The race against time element that people love about Trigger Point is there in bucket loads this year. It’s what people are watching the show for—to sit on the edge of their seats. So why not give them that feeling in every single episode? This year’s threat is such an interesting subject to tackle, especially with the way of the world at the moment. We’ve approached it with as much precision as we possibly can, with support from our real experts on set. As much as some of it is far-fetched, there’s a reality to all of it through the characters and their approach, particularly their gallows humour.
The Exhausting Stunts
I was knackered! There's a lot of running on Trigger Point. I've made it quite clear that I don’t go to the gym, but I do enjoy being active. I just knuckle down as much as I can to make the stunts look realistic. I still feel young-ish, but I never would have thought I'd be doing action stuff in my early 40s. I’m quite proud that I am. I'll always have a go because you're never going to get those experiences again. But if my attempt looks rubbish, I will step away and let the stunt people do it. I would hate for the show to falter because of my inability to do something.
I watch telly in such a different way now. I know how it's all pieced together and the time it takes to do the smallest things. There are so many elements to it all. There are many people making you look amazing, so as much as I do get nervous about stunts, I'm always excited because I'm working with brilliant people. There are some wild explosions this series—huge moments that have been so well executed. It's really exciting.
Ambitions for Series Four
As an executive producer, this series is the most ambitious yet. We had to up the ante because the audience deserves ambition. They deserve for us to stretch ourselves and go as far as we can. We’ve thrown everything at this series to make it as entertaining and as real as possible.
Character plot is vital to keep the story moving, but I always want to ensure the audience gets as much as possible out of all the characters. We've got such an incredible cast, and it’s more of an ensemble show now than when we started. Everyone needs a good storyline. After that, my motto is that I want to enjoy it. We get the best job in the world, and we’re very lucky to make this show. So, let’s make sure we enjoy it and that it's a happy, joyful place to be.
Coping with the Heatwave
I try to make sure we have a happy set, but there are some things I can't control, like the weather! I did make sure we had ice cream trucks every now and then when it was really warm, but it was a hot shoot for sure. Weirdly, it kind of adds to the show. When you’re filming Line of Duty in Belfast, the rain adds to the mood of the series. With Trigger Point, filming big explosions and catastrophes in the heat of the London summer adds to that sense of pressure.
Anyone who says they didn’t complain about the heat is probably lying. We all complain a bit because we’re human, although I’ll just say I’m being ‘mardy’ because that’s what we call it in Nottingham! I do get a bit of a kick out of the challenge of being in the bomb suit in the heat, though. It's not for long, and I'm not doing the job for real, so I can relish the moments I get. Then I take it off again. The experts who do this for real are in it for eight hours a day in extreme heat with real danger. Luckily for me, it’s just for a take, and then someone comes over with a cold flannel, so it’s alright.
A lot of the Trigger Point crew are top-tier friends to me now, like my make-up, costume, and props team. From the moment the director shouts cut, we’re having a laugh and enjoying each other's company. We just made the set feel like home, and it helped keep my energy going.
Preparing for High-Octane Scenes
We’ve always got a big speaker on set, and I really utilise music, whether I need adrenaline or to calm down. Eric [Shango] is the resident DJ on Trigger Point, and you can hear the bass line coming before you see him! That has always been so helpful.
We’re usually listening to some sort of R&B or rap music, although there’s a lot of soul on set too. It depends on who is in charge. Reggae always helps everyone relax after a big scene. I'll listen to pretty much anything, apart from maybe heavy metal—that's not my jam.
Kieron, our sound engineer, is also a DJ. He brought a speaker once that the entire town could have heard. It was the hottest, sunniest day. We all had ice creams and sat on the grass at lunch, listening to his mix. It was such good vibes. We always have a really epic Greggs visit to the set too. They surpassed themselves this year because they brought a bus with a silent disco and created a huge beach with inflatables. It was pretty epic, if very distracting. I'm sure the producers weren't impressed with me, but it's a happy shoot!
Shocks and Surprises
Trigger Point always keeps us on the edge of our seats. Can we expect more shocks this year? How do we top killing off Joel Nutkins in the first episode? It was such a shocker, wasn't it? You can’t do that to Adrian Lester; he’s loved by the nation! Those shocks are an inevitable part of the show. We all enjoy the page-turning nature of the scripts, wondering if something will happen to our character and finding those cliffhangers. That's what great writing is all about—suspense and keeping people wanting more.
The Special Connection to Trigger Point
Honestly, I can't tell you how much I enjoy making Trigger Point. I absolutely love it. Filming series three and four back-to-back was amazing because we could really settle in. Actors don’t usually get long-term contracts unless we’re on a soap, so it was incredible to be there for a year and really get into Lana’s mindset.
When Jed [Mercurio] first approached me about Trigger Point, I loved the concept and really enjoyed the script. I loved that it felt like it had working-class voices in it. It wasn't loads of posh people walking around talking in language that I don't really understand. It felt like it had a lot of life in it. It felt like a great show to make, but not necessarily a four-series show.
I have real gratitude to the audience. We're all so proud to work on Trigger Point, but you can't get another series without viewers. It always boils down to that. That’s why nominations at the NTAs are more important than a lot of other awards based on panels. When you know your audience is rooting for you and tuning in, that’s so special. I’ve got my own production company, so I know how rough it can be getting a commission. I definitely didn’t expect us to get to series four. It’s the same with Line of Duty; people tuned in, and now we’re on series seven, which is absolutely mad.
Being Part of Two of the Nation’s Favourite Dramas
It's surreal because when you're young and just want to be an actor, you have no idea what that really entails. You're just hoping that jobs come your way and that you can do the characters justice. I guess I've fallen into a space with Trigger Point and Line of Duty that I wasn't deliberately heading to. I wasn’t asking to do procedural action drama, but I’m so lucky to find myself in the biggest genre we have. I’m extraordinarily grateful. Jed is a very clever man and a good friend, and the last 15 years have changed my life in many ways. It does mean I feel like I work at MI5 with all the secrets I have to keep. I mustn’t tell anyone anything, and I also mustn’t mix the two up.
Will There Be a Fifth Series of Trigger Point?
That's down to the audience; it’s always their decision. If we’re going again, then we’ll need to go even bigger and better because that's what they deserve after backing the show for this period of time. It’s tough these days because we have a completely different way of watching television, but our viewing figures have been incredible. If that continues and people still have the desire for the show, then it'd be crazy to say no.
Trigger Point returns on Sunday 30th August at 9pm on ITV1, STV, and is available to stream on ITVX and STV Player.
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