“The show isn’t afraid to depict female friendship, which is kind of messy and not all roses and daisies”: Leah McNamara, Vivian Oparah, Yasmin Monet Prince and Isidora Fairhurst on Then You Run

Then You Run is the brand-new series landing on Sky that melds together a whole host of different genres (from final summer of innocence to road-trip to gangster comedy-drama to creepy serial killer thriller) to form a delightfully different type of show. It’s based around the exploits of four London teenagers with contrasting backgrounds, Tara (Leah McNamara), Stink (Vivian Oparah), Ruth (Yasmin Monet Prince) and Nessi (Isidora Fairhurst), who, through a series of twists and turns, find themselves on the run across Europe from some genuinely sinister drug traffickers when a post-school exams holiday to Rotterdam goes awry.

With a brilliant line-up of up-and-coming UK talent making up the central four, there’s an authenticity and relatability to these British pals and their love-hate relationships with one another, the often caustic and darkly comic script giving rise to some hilarious banterous exchanges. It’s refreshing to see what is usually a hyper-masculine genre – that of highly stylised violence and gangster-led action shot through with humour, as exemplified by Guy Ritchie’s oeuvre (see Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) – switched up to be led by a young female foursome. It’s a heightened world, which nonetheless keeps its feet firmly on the ground.

The Upcoming had the chance to chat with the stars of the show ahead of its release. Leah McNamara and Yasmin Monet Prince spoke about what drew them to the genre-bending script, how they saw and developed each of their characters and the relationship between them, and the collaborative process that resulted in the brilliant styling for the show.

Isidora Fairhurst and Vivian Oparah then also shared their thoughts on their characters, the refreshing angle the series presents on female friendship and some of the best dark comedy lines.

Sarah Bradbury

Then You Run is released on Sky on 7^th July 2023.

Watch the trailer for Then You Run here: