Dominic Cooper on adultery: ‘Everyone gets tempted by something different’

In a world governed by rules, where cheating is generally admonished and considered plain wrong, why are people still so obsessed with watching affairs on TV?

‘I think there is obviously a profound voyeuristic interest in affairs because it’s a taboo,’ Atonement star Romola Garai tells Metro. ‘There is a thing with TV shows sometimes where it’s like, we’re having the affair, so you don’t have to.’

Affairs are a tale as old as time. Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary… people have always lapped up stories about infidelity. In ITV’s new drama, aptly named Adultery, two individuals in separate marriages and in different social classes decide to risk upturning their entire lives so that they can explore their desire for one another.

One is Beth, played by Romola, a fitness trainer who’s recently suffered the death of her best friend and shares a teenage son called Ollie with her husband Neil (Matthew McNulty). The other is Tom, a GP played by Dominic Cooper, who’s married to Hannah (Shelley Conn) and whose teenage daughter Jess is Ollie’s girlfriend.

Dominic, who soared to fame after his performance in The History Boys, emphasises how ‘complex’ the theme is in real life, given that people are often told that ‘you can have whatever you want’ if you chase your dreams.

‘Every person who’s lucky enough to be in a relationship or have relationships or families has been through the process – whether it was when they were younger or teenagers – of temptation of something different that they don’t have,’ he says.

‘I think we’re constantly questioning how we’ve ended up where we are, who we are, who we’re with, and I think what Danny’s done in this is beautifully made a piece of work that has no judgement,’ he adds, referencing the writer of the series, Danny Brocklehurst.

What makes Adultery interesting is the way that the ITV drama draws its audience in, as you feel for Beth and Tom in different ways. Beth does everything for her family and is suffering from horrific grief. Tom’s relationship with his wife Hannah isn’t as strong as it used to be, but the cracks are hidden behind a carefully painted facade of perfection.

In Romola’s words, Beth and Tom are ‘essentially good people who do very bad things, so it feels very morally complex’.

‘Rather than the experience being a voyeuristic experience watching it, you’re actually being asked to look at that in yourselves. What is it that makes people want something outside of what they have?’ she ponders.

Beth and Tom acting on their desires is just the start. While we won’t divulge any spoilers, it’s safe to say that their actions spiral into huge repercussions that affect both of their families.

‘I think that what this show demonstrates really well is that you know there are massive consequences,’ Romola explains.

‘When you do something like this, whether it’s a one-night stand or a fully fledged affair, you are going to potentially hurt other people a great deal. What the show asks is how much do you deserve your own happiness versus the happiness of other people.’

Dominic outlines how, in the case of his character Tom, by not communicating with his wife about how unsatisfied he feels in their marriage, this causes more harm in the long run.

‘In not talking about it, the damage, the absolute damage, whether it’s a long-term or tiny little thing, the consequences of it are massive,’ he states.

‘To think that anyone has none of these feelings is ridiculous. But we’re desperate that that is the case. It doesn’t mean anyone’s necessarily going to do something.’

One element of Adultery that sets it apart from other infidelity dramas like The Affair is the class element, given that Tom’s family live a more affluent life than Beth’s.

‘Part of the affair is fueled by this temptation or this wonder and romance of a world you don’t know in both directions,’ Dominic reflects.

‘It’s Danny’s observation of it, and the way in which he writes it not from a judgmental point of view, it’s just how it is in everyday life. We all are from different places, and we all coexist. Part of seeing that different world is sometimes part of an attraction.’

Romola adds: ‘The show is really about class. I think that that does actually make it quite unique and different as well, because it raises the idea of how the class system still exists in the UK and how it plays out in our lives.’

The drama also tells the story of Beth and Tom’s romance with split perspectives, showing the events from their points of view as well as other characters, including their children.

So while at the start of the show, you might empathise with the protagonists to a certain degree, who knows how you might feel about them by the time you discover how their affair potentially leads to irreversible destruction.

Adultery premieres on Sunday October 25 at 9pm on ITV and will stream on ITVX.

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