Tim for Alun Armstrong to learn old tricks

Nov 1 2009 by Polly Weeks, Sunday Sun

FOR the past five years Alun Armstrong has established himself as the popular, if troubled, ex-cop and alcoholic, Brian Lane, a key member of BBC One’s rule-breaking New Tricks crack detection crew.

Now, the Laurence Olivier Award-winning County Durham-born actor is jumping to the other side of the bench, and taking on the role of cautious and upstanding attorney John Southouse in historical 18th century drama Garrow’s Law. And as Alun explains, it’s a great antidote to New Tricks.

“I think it’s always great for an actor to have a period piece. It’s a change from modern drama - that historical aspect is really juicy,” he says.

Garrow’s Law sees Alun, 63, play John Southouse, an attorney who mentors young barrister William Garrow, who provides legal help to the defenceless.

Ex-Consett Grammar School boy Alun says he was drawn to the fact that Garrow’s Law is based on a true story.

“Before Garrow came along, all defendants could do was ask people to give character witnesses and then it was judged on how honest the defendants looked. They had a big mirror up in court which would put the defendants in the spotlight so the jury could see whether they looked honest or not. It was that primitive.”

“If they could raise enough money they would hire an attorney. However, all he could do was prepare a speech for them.”

Garrow, realising this was an unjust system, worked hard to change the legal process and is credited with introducing court room cross-examinations.

“Garrow decided to go and do his own investigations. He was radical in the whole way he approached cases. Nowadays people will still find themselves in unfortunate situations, but they can have representation in court. In the programme you’ll see how unfairly people were treated.”

Starring in the drama with Andrew Buchan as Garrow and Lyndsey Marshal as his wife Lady Sarah Hill, Armstrong says he instantly admired the three central characters, likening them to “three Robin Hoods”.

And he was just as proud of Southouse’s achievements as of Garrow’s.

“He must have been instrumental in helping to form Garrow’s ideas. He was just as willing to take on hopeless cases. He was a salt of the earth community lawyer.”

It was, however, Garrow’s youth that helped Southouse realise his dreams.

“There was a generation gap. Southouse was completely steeped in the protocol of the old school. It’s not that he didn’t want to do the things Garrow did, he just didn’t believe he could get away with it.”

With the drama showing a completely different legal system to the one used today, Alun had a lot to get his head around.

But he explained: “The research was all there really and it was all in the script. So we just went on what was presented to us. It was quite an exciting project as it all happened very quickly so there wasn’t a lot of time to do research.”

Now it’s back to the day job for Alun as he steps back into the role of Brian Lane for the next series of New Tricks. But while his busy schedule doesn’t allow much time for holidays, he says he’ll continue working for as long as possible.

:: Garrow’s Law starts tonight on BBC1.