Colin Salmon is ready to spook us in the latest episode of Midsomer Murders! Ritual magic, spiritual visions and tarot cards are part and parcel of the otherworldly goings on in this particular mystery called The Witches of Angel’s Rise, the sixth and final episode in Midsomer Murders season 22.
The case begins after the body of a young woman, Tilly Mulroney (Erin Mullen), is discovered on the ground by an ancient tower on the eve of a psychic fayre. She has been stabbed with a crystal wand while symbolic artifacts and a Tarot card – the devil card – surround her.
As DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) and DS Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix) investigate, they are told that the victim had recently been sacked by scientist Peter Saint-Stephens (Clive Mantle) and his wife Jeanie (Caroline Lee-Johnson), who host the annual fayre at their stately home.
The event has attracted all manner of mediums, psychics and followers of the occult, including psychic medium Gerard King, played by Colin Salmon. Although charming and charismatic, Gerard has enemies, including other members of the mystic community.
Here, EastEnders star Colin, 61, also recently seen in the Alan Carr sitcom Changing Ends, tells us about his role in the latest Midsomer Murders whodunnit…
Interview: Colin Salmon on playing Gerard King in Midsomer Murders
What can you reveal about your Midsomer Murders character Gerard?
Colin Salmon says: "Gerard King, at his core, is not a bad man. He has a weakness and, for whatever reason, he does what he does, but he has a sensitivity which is why I think he is good at what he does. He’s a man with a big heart who has allowed himself to weaken and prey on the weaknesses of others. There is an element of performance to being a spirit medium which is important, but not when it’s used to get power over people, that leads to some issues."
Why do some people, such as self-proclaimed witches Sally Ann Barker (Tracy-Ann Oberman) and Rachel Finn (Sarah Paul), have a problem with Gerard King?
Colin says: "They’re all women and he is a male in that world and I think he is abusive of that. There is a clash based on an understanding of what he’s up to and it’s a fair conflict for them. I also think from my point of view as a black man who lives out in the countryside, who has a bit of celebrity and uniqueness, that’s an interesting part of his toolkit and he’s not using it well. He is using every weapon he can to assert power and he has come up against formidable women."
Are you interested in mysticism yourself?
Colin says: "My mother and I have an uncanny connection, she’s always known everything I was up to, she knows all! We had a spiritual connection and through being around that alternative life of early punk and Glastonbury, I definitely leaned into it and enjoyed the power of mysticism. I’ve had my tarot card read and I’ve been to a spirit medium, and I am very respectful of it."
Did you have an inkling of who the killer was when you first read the script?
Colin reveals: "No, I didn’t, not at all. It echoed a bit of Hammer House of Horror in its style and yet felt sexy and fun. I was really pleased to be a part of it but in terms of the actual plotline, I didn’t guess. Whilst I wouldn’t say that anyone was justified in what they did, so much happens to so many people anyone could have crossed that line and that makes for a good whodunnit."
Are you a fan of murder mysteries?
"Colin says: "It’s a really interesting genre. In an imaginary sense, everyone’s had those moments in life where they think, ‘God I could kill you’. Obviously they wouldn’t, but in an alternative universe you get to."
What about detective stories in general?
Colin Salmon says: "My TV debut was in Prime Suspect 2 [Colin played cop Robert Oswald in the acclaimed ITV police procedural in 1992] – and writer Lynda La Plante is extraordinary. Anthony Horowitz is too, I recently read his [2016 novel] Magpie Murders and it is genius. We are really good at it here; I love it! Funnily enough, I’ve just done an Audible [an online audiobook service] playing Sherlock Holmes, with Stephen Fry as my John Watson – The Hound of the Baskervilles. Author Arthur Conan Doyle was very much into the spiritualist church and yet he created a character that questions superstition and makes it scientific. I think it’s a good genre for that as we want to get to the bottom of things – or endeavor to – in life."
Was it fun working with Midsomer regulars Neil Dudgeon and Nick Hendrix?
Colin Salmon says: "Yes, really fun! And just to watch Neil – he’s like a rock, he just stands and observes quietly then walks away and mulls it all over, no histrionics. He has a quiet understanding and that’s interesting to watch. In this story, you see Nick’s DS Winter going through a bereavement [the death of his grandfather] and what that brings to his character is fantastic to watch, as he leans into the grief and allows himself to be still and in that stillness he sees things."
Finally, would you want to live in Midsomer?
Colin Salmon says: "Well, my grandparents lived out in Northamptonshire and I do love those countryside areas but I am a bit more of an urban animal. I like noise and creating my own quiet within the noise. Maybe in a few years’ time I could settle down and write a book out there, although the murder rate is a bit too high for me!"
When is Colin Salmon starring in Midsomer Murders?
You can watch Colin Salmon in Midsomer Murders: The Witches of Angel’s Rise on Sunday August 27 on ITV1 at 8pm. It will also be available in the UK on the streaming service ITVX.
