An Aberdeen schoolgirl who landed a starring role in a new ITV crime drama has told The P&J of her excitement at being on TV.
Olivia Lucking, nine, is a Primary Five pupil at the city’s Westpark School.
And she may be heading for big things after making her TV debut in the thriller Payback, which will air in October.
Olivia plays Esme Noble, the daughter of the main character Lexie Noble, who is played by Morven Christie.
Set in the suburbs of Edinburgh, Payback centres around Lexie as she becomes entangled in a dangerous police operation to topple notorious crime lord Cal Morris (played by Peterhead actor Peter Mullan).
What happens when an idyllic family life becomes entangled in a twisted web of crime and police operations? 🚓
Payback, coming soon to ITV1 & @ITVX pic.twitter.com/OHh7AC5lsv
— ITV (@ITV) September 14, 2023
Olivia – who ‘just loves performing’ – found out she’d got the role at her Granny’s house
Olivia fell in love with acting when she joined Aberdeen Academy of Performing Arts (AAPA) at just five years old.
“I just love performing,” said Olivia.
“Sometimes before a show I get really nervous, but as soon as I’m up on stage I just forget about my worries. I really enjoy it.”
Casting for the role began in June 2022. The audition included ‘self-takes’ before two face-to-face auditions in Glasgow.
At the end of the process, a nervy wait was ended when the family found out the news at Olivia’s Granny’s house.
“When I found out I was at my Granny’s and everyone was around the table. When my mum got the call to say I’d got the part we all got very excited.”
‘My friends say they’re going to watch it, but it’s a bit grown up’
Since then, Olivia has had to juggle schoolwork and acting duties, with trips back and forth to Glasgow for filming.
“I did have to miss quite a lot of school. But I managed to keep up with my class. I took my homework with me down to Glasgow. I also had a tutor in Glasgow who helped me.
“My friends are really excited. They’re really happy for me and they say they’re going to watch it, but I don’t think they can because it’s a bit grown up.
“I really want to be in acting when I’m older. Being in Payback has made me realise it’s for me.
“It’s really nice to meet all the other actors and actresses. Morven Christie, who plays my mum in the show, is really nice. In fact everyone on set was really nice.
“It was just an amazing experience.”
Juggling learning lines with Brownies, school and swimming
While Olivia’s school friends are high with excitement at having a TV star in their class, getting there took a lot of time and effort, as mum Alana explained.
“We are incredibly proud,” said Alana.
“It’s been a lot of hard work for Olivia, with the scripts and everything. And then the scripts would change just days before we were due to go down to Glasgow.
“So the work she put in to learn her lines – as well as do her school work, as well as dancing, swimming, Brownies and everything else we do – was a lot of hard work for her.”
In fact it was hard work for the whole family, as Alana and husband Pete had to call on friends and family for help when work commitments meant they were unable to go down to Glasgow with Olivia.
“This was very much a joint effort,” said Alana.
“I went down to Glasgow with her for the first set of filming.
“Then I had to swap with my sister-in-law because I had to go back to work.
“And then a friend of ours took her when she was down for a two-week stint.
“Her dad’s done his bit as well, he’s taken time off work and gone down with her.
“It’s been a group effort to make sure she’s been able to have this experience.
“It takes a village to bring up a child, and we’ve been incredibly lucky to have the support network of family and friends that we have.”
‘Olivia gives Aberdeen-based performers hope’
AAPA principal Rachel Mearns said the whole company was delighted by Olivia’s casting but had to keep it a secret for months.
She said: “We are really proud of Olivia. It’s lovely to see local kids be able to have this opportunity.
“She’s got such a warm personality.
“She is not shy, she’s confident and for someone so young she speaks so clearly and with conviction.
“She’s just a lovely, hard-working kid.”
Ms Mearns says Olivia’s success gives them hope that Aberdeen-based performers can be chosen over those in Glasgow, Edinburgh or London.
She added: “Opportunities like these are important for future dreams and future goals.
“These opportunities are out there, but because we are based in Aberdeen, we don’t get them as much.
“However, we have an amazing agent who fights for these opportunities for the kids, so when the kids see others succeed, they believe they can do it too.”
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