The Archers’ Angus Stobie on George’s fate: ‘Prison might make him worse’

As a seasoned actress who has played her fair share of troubled characters, I can empathize with Angus Stobie‘s portrayal of George in The Archers. Playing a young, conflicted character like George must have been a challenging yet rewarding experience for him. The emotional intensity of those big confrontation scenes he had to endure would have left anyone drained.

This article first appeared in TopMob magazine.

Two years past, Angus Stobie, a reserved and contemplative 24-year-old resident of Edinburgh, accepted a small role in The Archers on radio as young George Grundy. This seemingly ordinary act led him into an emotional rollercoaster of heroism, turmoil, deceit, betrayal, and a court hearing that captivated over five million listeners, with social media ablaze with worried tweets.

When he tried out for the prestigious radio gem on BBC Radio 4, he was a recent graduate from Manchester’s drama school – an entire year of his education taking place online due to Covid, “performing animal sounds all by myself in my living room”. The editor of The Archers had to incorporate seldom-heard characters into the town of Ambridge.

Scobie recalls being praised by the Carleton Hobbs radio scholarship. He believes this recognition helped him secure an audition. Many boys my age were also present, and the role up for grabs was Brad Horrobin. Initially, I only read a brief segment of George at the end, but Taylor [Uttley] ended up with Brad, and I got George! I was taken aback, but thrilled.

Instead of being someone who’s always been an avid listener, he was informed: “Editor Jeremy Howe provided me with details about the various storylines George was part of, and how they could have influenced him. It’s crucial to portray it accurately in a show with such a profound history. One must remain grounded and truthful since it has been cherished by many for a long time.

After growing up in a calm urban setting – “I’m more of a city dweller” – how did he go about creating a rustic, country-like atmosphere? “You don’t need to know everything, but you might wonder about certain things when you’re describing what you’re doing. For example, how much does this particular sheep weigh? How quickly will it move?” Did he ever train ferrets for the traditional Grundy hobby? “No. I never even came into contact with one, they were all imaginary.” However, he dreamily admits, “I’d love to have some ferrets in my workspace.

He meticulously crafted his accent, moving away from his polished Scottish tone. “I guess it’s a mix of West Country/Midlands dialect, not overly precise. I paid close attention to Trevor [Harrison], the actor who portrays Eddie; he’s exceptional. And since George is a teenager, I made some adjustments: he’s tech-savvy, uses platforms like TikTok, and incorporates American slang.

“The unique aspect of his radio talent lay in developing a voice different from the other boys in the village. This he honed alongside Uttley’s Brad. They naturally discovered their spots – he perfected a charming, slightly whiny tone. I adore their bond. It began with George bullying him and leading him into trouble, but now he would acknowledge a level of respect for Brad, even as he embarks on his new journey to university… Indeed, before George’s trial, there was a heartwarming exchange between the two that would touch anyone with teenage sons.

For such intricate, emotionally charged performances, Stobie was brought on board. Jeremy Howe recognized his talent for subtle, expressive voice acting, which is why many significant scenes in Ambridge over the years have been handled by one of the newest and youngest cast members, who just so happens to be an outsider, not related to the Archers.

Given that George’s presence has caused tumult, anxiety, misunderstandings, and disagreements among almost everyone in the fictional village, it might be useful to clarify for those who may not have been paying close attention to his background. Essentially, he is the natural son of Will Grundy, but grew up in his uncle Ed’s household after Emma Carter left one brother for another.

He has a large extended family within the powerful Archer clan, consisting mainly of cousins, grandparents, and half-siblings. However, his only blood relative in a position of prominence is an aunt, as Alice, Jennifer’s daughter, defied tradition by marrying George’s uncle Chris, who is a commoner and a local blacksmith.

The Archers’ Angus Stobie on George’s fate: ‘Prison might make him worse’

Alice, who was divorced and occasionally struggling with alcohol addiction, started a chain of unfortunate events. One day, George discovered Alice drunk in her car and kindly offered to drive her home (he thought it would be an opportunity to test out his fancy vehicle). However, during the ride, Alice became so intoxicated that she attempted to get out of the car to vomit, causing George to swerve and accidentally hit a taxi carrying villagers, sending them into the river. Despite the messy situation, George managed to save three of the passengers by using buckets of water and wet bathmats to simulate river sounds (according to Scobie’s account, this made the rescue scene quite amusing).

In a state of alarm, he hastily guided the sleepy Alice into the driver’s seat. “A fantastic day – reading through the script, that moment caught my attention and left me stunned!” Perhaps also repulsed? “No, as an actor, you always wonder why things happen, not just accepting them. He’d performed a fairly good deed by driving her, but then putting his own life in danger so recklessly. Yet… I guess, given his history of taking blame and being blamed, George’s immediate response was to shift the responsibility for the accident away from himself.

After multiple weeks of being awkwardly labeled a hero, George eventually admitted the truth to his mom, causing quite a commotion, and was subsequently taken into custody. However, during this period of deception, the rescued Fallon unfortunately lost her baby, while Alice, feeling guilty, turned to alcohol and lost custody of her three-year-old daughter Martha. Consequently, everyone held George accountable, leading to more dramatic situations: arguments with his mother, father, uncle, grandparents, the unforgiving Archers, Brad’s mom Tracy, Fallon’s vengeful police partner Harrison, and even Alice herself.

I found it quite an intriguing task, portraying a 19-year-old with a troubled conscience, followed by intense confrontations. Essentially, I tried to delve into the mind of a teenager going through such events. He’s merely a young man, yet the burden he carries is immense, layered with complexities. He knew his actions were wrong, but he lived for the present.

Instead of questioning whether he criticized Alice for causing the crash, one could ask if he didn’t sympathize with her, unlike some insensitive listeners, by defending George instead? The response could be rephrased as: No, family is important to him. Not just biological relatives, but she’s his aunt. He has a clear conscience. I particularly enjoyed the scenes involving her. She made a strong and heartbreaking statement about the impact of the crash on her, Chris, and especially their infant daughter Martha. In that moment, he understands what he had unintentionally caused; he himself has younger sisters. This realization completes the puzzle for him.

The Archers’ Angus Stobie on George’s fate: ‘Prison might make him worse’

It’s insightful: Even the toughest teenage boys usually have a soft spot for little kids. Unlike the refined Freddie Pargeter, who was sent to a Young Offenders institution for drug dealing, George is serving adult time and has recently cut off a call home. He won’t be released until haymaking 2025 under the current rules. What do you think Stobie believes about how George will cope in prison? And can the scriptwriters come up with engaging scenes set in prison?

“Nobody has told me! I’m partially relieved, but sad it’s over for now, I’ve very much enjoyed it. Prison will have an interesting effect on George in one of two ways – either completely reformed, or bad influences worsening his issues and making him resentful. It could be interesting. Change is always exciting to play.” Would he prefer to be a reformed character or a villain, like his occasionally heard Bad Uncle Clive? “You never know. It’s always fun to play parts when your character’s not at ease.”

Over an extended period of time, could George potentially find romantic affection? Stobie muses: There’s a woman whom George has expressed fondness for, who frequently comes up in conversation but hasn’t been heard from yet. “The mystery remains – will Tilly Button ever be heard on the airwaves? Only time will tell.

Bring it on, scriptwriters! Somewhere there’s a gifted female drama graduate needing work and able to do a Borsetshire twang. Let her visit George in prison then crowdfund in the Bull for an appeal against his sentence. Just to upset the whole village again. Well, we all have our private Archers fantasies, don’t we?

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The Archers airs Sunday-Friday at 7pm on BBC Radio 4.

2024-10-15 13:04

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