Charlene McKenna was last seen on our TV screens hunting down serial killer Goliath in BBC One crime thriller Bloodlands. However, the Irish actress is the one being hunted, as a woman who commits murder to hide her dark past in gripping BBC Four thriller, Clean Sweep.
Inspired by real-life events, the six-parter follows Irish suburban housewife and mum-of-three Shelly Mohan, who’s married to Garda detective Jason (The Fall’s Barry Ward). She seems to have a perfect life… until her old partner-in-crime Charlie Lynch (Supernatural’s Adam Furgus) resurfaces.
When Charlie threatens to expose her "past sins", Shelly shoots him dead. But her problems are only just beginning when, as a murder hunt is launched, Shelly’s husband Jason is tasked with tracking down the killer…
Here Charlene, 39, reveals more about playing a femme fatale…
What appealed to you about Clean Sweep?
"Everything! It's got depth, tension, love, family, crime and it really runs the emotional gamut. Creator and showrunner Gary Tieche has this fascination with soccer mums who commit crimes — his words, not mine — and that's what started him down the rabbit hole of creating the character of Shelly. I couldn’t believe I was offered the part — and being executive producer on the show as well makes me feel like I'm wearing my mummy's high heels!"
How would you describe Shelly?
"Shelly’s an ordinary woman who proves extraordinary the more you get to know her. Shelly and her detective husband Jason have a nice house, nice car and beautiful children but she’s like a swan on steroids, graceful on the surface yet paddling frantically underneath. We find out Shelly has a past — how dark that past is will be revealed throughout the series."
Shelly’s thrown when her ex, Charlie Lynch (Adam Furgus), shows up. How does she feel about seeing him again?
"Shelly’s got a carefully constructed life that she’s gone to great pains to create but there’s something very real she’s running from, which she can’t have her detective husband finding out about. Shelly’s a survivor to her core — she’ll do anything to protect herself and her family from the train of destruction that's coming to derail her life. When Charlie threatens to reveal all about her dark past to Jason, Shelly kills him in cold blood."
How does she feel in the aftermath?
"Horrendous! She flips into coping mode and is pragmatic that life must carry on as normal — kids, dinners, football practice, appointments — all while having this psychological noose around her neck that’s choking her. She’s on this rollercoaster of often losing it privately but keeping it together publicly, putting what she’s done to one side and getting on with the day."
In a huge twist, Shelly’s husband Jason is the detective assigned to track down the man’s killer. What impact does this have on their marriage?
"Before Charlie shows up, Shelly and Jason are kinda coasting along, living separate lives. Jason’s buried himself in his work and is focused on getting a promotion while Shelly’s doing everything at home and it’s like he just doesn’t ‘see’ her’ — it’s not a lack of love, just that complacency, boredom and stress has set in. This incident blows their marriage wide open where they can’t hide from their reality anymore."
How does Clean Sweep compare to other crime thrillers?
"I love the 'why-dunnit' rather than ‘who-dunnit’ tone of Clean Sweep, and the psychological exploration that invokes. It's got such a strong family dynamic; I’d say it’s very much a family drama first, the crime is secondary and serves as the catalyst that blows the family apart."
Did you consider how you’d handle Shelly’s situation in real-life?
"Of course! The drama is inspired by true events with Shelly based on a mix of real-life characters. I wanted Shelly to feel as relatable as possible and then I’d mentally draw a line between what I would do and what Shelly would do. So in areas rooted in reality and less ‘murdery’, I’d ask myself: ‘What would you do?’ Obviously I wouldn't kill anyone!"
Clean Sweep has already aired on RTE in Ireland and on SundanceNow in America. What’s the response been like?
"I cannot tell you the amount of people who come up to me, and say: 'I can't stand the tightrope Shelly’s walking, I've no nails left’ and 'Is Jason gonna find out? I can't bear it!' I’m surprised at how people are really rooting for Shelly given what she’s done."
Clean Sweep was filmed in Dublin and Wicklow. Do you like working in your native Ireland?
"I love all the perks of filming abroad but, when you're at home, there’s that familiarity. Me and the crew go back years and, because there’s that relationship, you're willing to go the extra mile to make the show the best you can. Also, filming Clean Sweep over the summer was a dream. Shooting Bloodlands in Belfast in the winter couldn't have been colder!"
Talking about Bloodlands, are we going to get a series three?
"I want a series three so much but, no, I don't think so. Bloodlands may have reached its natural conclusion with James Nesbitt’s character DCI Tom Brannick being revealed as serial killer Goliath, but I really wanted one more season for him to get his comeuppance — and for Niamh to be the one to serve it to him!"
Clean Sweep kicks off with a double bill on Saturday July 29 at 9pm on BBC4.
