Lenny Henry's Three Little Birds 'tried not to trigger, baggage affects us all'
Lenny Henry's limited ITV series Three Little Birds has been a hit on ITV since premiering on the 22nd of October. The period drama which is set around Lenny's mum's autobiography, showcases when Jamaicans and those from the Caribbean travelled to England during the 1950s.
The story follows sisters Leah Whittaker, played by Rochelle Neil, and Chantrelle, played by Saffron Coomber, who make the anticipated journey to England to reunite with their brother Ashton Brahms, played by Javone Prince. Also with them is Hosanna, played by Yazmin Belo, as they all try to make a living in what was considered the mother home.
The actors were seemingly able to not only put on their characters' clothes but walk into their skin beautifully as they showcased real stories and scenarios that happened during this period. But behind every great film and series are the crews, producers and directors that make the magic happen.
I was able to speak to series producer Stella Nwimo and Yero Timi-Biu who directed a third of the series, and get the behind the scenes of the making and casting on the series. Yero directed episodes three and four, four mainly being about Chantrelle’s flight from the Wantages house.
Naturally, it could be quite a challenge, taking the baton on from a previously director, but Yero explains: “We all worked really closely together and I was really fortunate that we got to know each other's working styles. It was great working with Stella and her always making sure the integrity of the show was always there. There was always a familiarity between the directors and we were all on the same page even across the crew.”
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As the series was set in 1950s England, the crew were under even more pressure to make sure that not only the presenters, but the set was an honest and realistic representation of that time. "The attention to detail was important to all of it. We wanted to be honourable to the times, the makeup, the costumes and the people who made it possible for us to be here today," Stella tells me.
A few of the scenes flashbacked to Jamaica, which Stella reveals was actually shot in the Dominican Republic. She says: “I knew that we couldn’t shoot in Jamaica, because Jamaica is quite wealthy and the hut that we shot out of doesn't exist. We went to Clarendon, Porros, May Pen, other islands, and ended up shooting in DR.
"We found people who came from Jamaica and lived there, used a lot of research to create that scene and found places that had the original 1950s infrastructure. Dominican Republic is not as rich as Jamaica, so people still live in houses like the Whittakers one which is rare in Jamaica. We had to bring the props and costumes over and built some of the boats in Dominica Republic aswell," Stella added.
The arrival of Leah, Chantrelle and HossanaThe three main characters represent strong independent Black women who stay in Manchester, taking a pride in being part of the British Empire and wanting their right to stay. But Yero explains that it was also important to show the vulnerability of the characters and to recognise their struggle with the life-changing adjustment.
“The joy elements were so important to us, the story was about women in the twenties and it shouldn't be so alien to us that they wanted to live their lives and enjoy themselves. The women are strong but we gave them a space not to be so strong and to be vulnerable, even though the women are in their twenties it could be seen as a coming of age story as they’re in a new space and having to grow up quicker.”
Racism, discrimination, and prejudice runs throughout the series, and can be difficult for some viewers to watch, but also difficult for the casts and crew to participate day in and day out for filming. Stella and Yero both explain the hardships of overcoming the quite uncomfortable scenes.
Yero says, "In the auditions we’d have actors apologise for what they were about to say. We tried to look at the psychology at how we show the character experiencing a micro-aggression so there was a lot of preparation, and had an intimacy coordinator to make the actors feel as comfortable as possible.
"After some of the scenes there would also be a sense of quiet and I think we did a good job of making it a safe place and knowing it will resonate with a lot of people.," she added.
Stella even brought her own experiences to the series. "I had been to parties that had been raided and that was in the first episode but we were careful to try not to trigger people’s pain. But that's why it’s helpful to have familiarity, and that there is baggage that affects all of us," she says remembering.
Chantrelle [Saffron Coomber] and a sailor [Ashleigh Smith]
The series features challenging scenesThe show deliberately yet subtly touches on colourism and how it is used in Jamaica as well as the West. Chantrelle, who is a fair skinned woman, and what nowadays is called “light-skin” was able to use her skin complexion as a privilege in Jamaica, but finds out that that privilege doesn't last long in England.
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"Chantrelle has this light skin privilege," Stella starts. "She's not done any housework or cleaning in her life. When we first read her she was written as a light skin Black woman and I liked that we had an opportunity to show what that privilege is. She wanted to be a star, she wanted to be the next Dorothy Dandrige, but she was taken to some dark places when she arrived to England."
Three Little Birds shows the difficulties but also the fun that people who migrated from the Caribbean experienced when coming to England. The crew, who spent countless days and nights trying to make it perfect, can now finally relax as it all comes to our screens awaiting our arrival.
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