Dawn French reveals why she had to star in new comedy Can You Keep a Secret and talks sitcom’s emotive real-life inspiration

by

Dawn French was firm in her decision not to appear in another sitcom. Really firm. So, when her longtime friend Paul Mayhew-Archer – who co-wrote The Vicar of Dibley – asked her to be in his son Simon’s first comedy series, she was disappointed.

She said truly good sitcoms are hard to find. She admitted she wasn’t initially eager to read the script, but she found Paul to be very likeable and underrated. While Richard Curtis usually gets all the praise, she emphasized that Paul co-wrote ‘Vicar’ and played a significant role. Because of this, she felt she needed to politely decline the script.

French first encountered Simon when he was just 11, accompanying his father to a script read-through. Since then, Simon has grown up to become an award-winning producer, known for the show This Country with Charlie and Daisy May Cooper. Sadly, Paul has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Simon’s father’s diagnosis sparked the idea for his first screenplay, Can You Keep a Secret?. This sitcom centers around William, a man with Parkinson’s, who is mistakenly believed to be dead due to a series of comical events. His wife, Debbie, decides to go along with the ruse to collect life insurance money. The show is a six-episode comedy following the family as they try to hide the truth from their quirky neighbors in their small village.

Want to see this content?

Ugh, so I’m trying to watch this YouTube video, but it’s not letting me! Apparently, I need to sign out of Contentpass first to be able to see it. Super annoying, but I’ll try that and hopefully it works!

French said he found the story to be excellent. While it centers on an unusual family committing a large crime, the core of the narrative is actually about the author’s father and his positive attitude while living with Parkinson’s disease, which is a very serious illness.

I was really touched by how intimate Simon’s script was. It’s a story about a family, and you could clearly feel Simon’s deep love for his parents shining through. It honestly captured the messy, sometimes uncomfortable, but ultimately real dynamics of family life.

She happily accepted the role of Debbie, and was excited to learn that Mark Heap, known from Friday Night Dinner and Green Wing, would play William. Craig Roberts joined the cast as their son, Harry, and Mandip Gill (from Doctor Who) as Harry’s wife, Neha. Mark Heap was particularly drawn to the role because he’d previously worked with the director, Julian French, on ITV’s The Trouble with Maggie Cole in 2020 – they played a married couple and had remained friends ever since.

I was immediately drawn to the project, especially because of Simon’s brilliant sense of humor. I know some people might question whether it’s okay to find humor in something like Parkinson’s, but honestly, I believe anything can be funny. I did some digging, and it’s a truly awful disease as it progresses, and portraying that later stage would have been incredibly difficult – not just physically, but finding the humor would have been much harder. Thankfully, Paul created a really touching documentary about living with Parkinson’s when the symptoms first appear, and it was genuinely sweet and funny. That really resonated with me and made me want to be involved.

He chuckled, adding, “The job also meant living with Dawn as if we were married for three months. It’s a show centered around flawed characters, and I knew Dawn had plenty of those she could use for the role.”

French explained she wasn’t worried about joking about Parkinson’s disease, because Paul, who has the condition, was involved in the project and gave it his full approval. She noted that Paul and his brother, Simon, use humor to cope with difficult times, and they’ve faced many challenges together as a family.

The core question in ‘Can You Keep a Secret?’ is whether viewers will sympathize with a family that’s breaking the law and being dishonest with loved ones. It’s a complicated situation, as the family feels justified in their actions because their health insurance wouldn’t cover their son William’s treatment – a common problem. Plus, they donate a portion of the money they receive to charity.

According to Heap, people often justify dishonest behavior by convincing themselves that companies or the government deserve it. For example, they might think, ‘Insurance companies are out to get us, so it’s okay to keep the money,’ or ‘I overpay taxes, so a little extra won’t hurt.’ While it’s a matter of weak morals, we often sympathize with people like William and Debbie because they’re likable and donate to charity. Heap jokingly adds that’s what he’ll tell everyone if he ever robs a bank.

French also points out that, like all parents, they want to provide for their children and leave them with some financial security. However, William and Debbie have also been spending some of the money on things for themselves, such as a patio cleaner and a beauty device.

Dawn French is famous for her comedy work, especially shows with Jennifer Saunders and The Vicar of Dibley, and is widely loved for her warm and friendly personality. That makes me curious if she hesitated to play Debbie, a character who isn’t always very pleasant.

She acknowledges being known as a reliable, kind-hearted person – someone you might picture as a good vicar. She sees this as a positive part of her public image, but points out that even that character had flaws. She admits the vicar was often greedy, selfish, and prone to temptation, but those qualities were hidden beneath a respectable exterior. In fact, the show she played in dealt with very provocative and even shocking themes – more so than much of her other work.

I’ve played some dark roles, like a murderous nurse, and done a lot of quirky comedy with Jennifer. I know people generally see me as ‘nice,’ but that doesn’t mean I can’t try something different.

One thing I really appreciate about the new series is how William and Debbie casually talk about their sex life – it’s hilariously awkward for their son, Harry! I mentioned to a friend, French, that I actually find it really refreshing to see an older couple portrayed as still having a healthy intimate life, and she totally agreed. It feels surprisingly honest and relatable.

She admits that, despite her age, she’s still interested in maintaining an active intimate life. She jokes that while it might not be as vigorous as before, it’s definitely not something she’s giving up – she’d prefer to enjoy it comfortably, perhaps from the comfort of her bed!

Authors

Emma Cox

Read More

2026-01-05 21:20