Actor Vinette Robinson, 42, is best known for playing chef Carly in the Boiling Point film and TV series, and civil rights campaigner Rosa Parks in Doctor Who. After growing up in Bradford and training at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, she began her career in theatre, including roles at the RSC and the National Theatre. Her other TV roles include Sherlock, The Lazarus Project, Six Four, The A Word and Black Mirror. She now stars in Channel 4 drama series The Gathering.
How would you describe your new series?
It’s ostensibly a thriller but told from a character perspective, rather than from a police viewpoint. A girl called Kelly is attacked at an illegal rave. In each episode, you meet the people in her life who become suspects. Its themes are the trials and tribulations of that teen stage of life. A lot of it is about control – parents exerting it, how they lose it, how children gain it. It brings up lots of issues but it’s also joyful and captures the excitement of youth.
You play Natalie, the pushy mother of a teen gymnast. She’s a piece of work, isn’t she?
She’s a tiger mum and quite a divisive character. Some of the ways she behaves are shocking but I hope viewers will come to understand why.
The show’s writer, novelist Helen Walsh, calls parents policing their own children “surveillance parenting”. Were you aware of this issue?
Yes, because the terror of smartphones looms large. Kids have these machines in their pockets but might lack the emotional capability to deal with them. Their parents might insist they have tracking turned on, so they know where they are, or they’ll check their WhatsApps to make sure nothing untoward is going on. Should they be watched to that extent or do they deserve privacy? Besides, kids are savvy. You can get apps that look innocuous but aren’t. Natalie has tight control but her daughter uses her mobile in certain ways to subvert that. Teenagers always find ways to rebel.
Did you base Natalie on anyone?
No one specific but I’ve encountered people like that. I’m very private and don’t talk about my own family in interviews but it’s easy to judge other people’s parenting. We all do it but no one is getting it right. We’re all just trying our best. So is Natalie. It comes from a place of love but she’s got blind spots and is potentially harming her daughter in ways she can’t see.
Is it fun to play someone so divisive?
Such fun! She’s a single parent in a dog-eat-dog world. She says the things that maybe you wish you could. Someone with a lack of social embarrassment is hugely enjoyable to play.
There’s a myth that female characters have to be likable …
That drives me mad. Why do women have to make themselves palatable? It’s nonsense. It’s our job as actors to help the audience understand a character’s motivations, it’s not our job to make them likable. Look at Succession. How delicious was that to watch? They’re all unlikable but we understand why.
The Gathering has a prominent soundtrack. What role does music play in your life?
Like most people, it’s the background to my life and evokes specific times. My parents were big into reggae when I was growing up. My teens and 20s were all about hip-hop. Nowadays I’m an indie girl. I love Nadine Shah’s new album.
Do you use music to get into character?
Sometimes. I had a playlist for Carly in Boiling Point with lots of Cypress Hill and Nirvana. I didn’t make one for Natalie because I don’t imagine she’s into music or culturally in touch. She’s definitely a ready-made Spotify playlist type of woman.
The 2021 film Boiling Point was followed by a TV series last year. Were you proud of it?
Really proud, especially of the ensemble work we did. It was special because we were allowed real ownership. We’d get a guide script but had the licence to adapt it. You never get to do that in telly.
Cathy Tyson played your character’s mother. How was working with her?
When I was growing up, there weren’t many mixed-race or black people on TV, particularly women. Cathy was one of the first I saw and I’ve always loved her work. The mum storyline came from me and my backstory, so when Stephen [Graham, co-star and executive producer] said he’d asked Cathy to play the part, I was thrilled. She was so brilliant to work with. They say don’t meet your heroes but she was a good ’un.
Did making the film and TV series improve your kitchen skills?
I still try to chop the way that we were taught, albeit slower. Sometimes when dinner’s ready, I’ll shout “Service!”, much to my family’s annoyance.
You won a British independent film award for Boiling Point. Where do you keep it?
On the mantelpiece, not hidden away. Some people put them in the downstairs loo – the place where everybody goes but it’s not on display, so it’s like a humblebrag. But I’m not pretending! It also matches the colour scheme.
Was it a big responsibility to play Rosa Parks in Doctor Who?
Huge. I didn’t have long to think about it which was a blessing. I was offered the part two weeks before filming started. It was even more of a responsibility because it was aimed at a young audience, introducing them to history in an accessible way. That’s the joy of the show – it can hold all these different stories.
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Would you like to play the Doctor some day?
No one’s ever asked me that before but yeah, what a great part. Ncuti Gatwa’s amazing [as the new Doctor]. They’ve made really interesting casting choices in recent years. If they’ll have me, I’m here.
London’s Central drama school just scrapped audition fees in a bid to broaden its intake. Do you welcome such moves?
Absolutely. I was only able to go to drama school because I was on several different bursaries. Access to the arts is vital because otherwise we just get one voice, one perspective. Opening up drama schools to kids from all walks of life is incredibly important but it needs to happen at all levels. Arts funding in schools and universities is being decimated. Our industry brings in a lot of money, so it’s shortsighted not to invest in it. Economic arguments aside, it enriches all our lives.
What do you think of the debate over theatre ticket pricing. Should it be more accessible?
Very much so. Prices are insane. I can’t afford to go and see things that are £200-odd per ticket. I know theatre’s had a tough time economically since Covid but there must be ways to mitigate that. It all comes back to funding and what we value as a society.
What do you do to relax when you’re not working?
Cook a lot. I think it’s part of my Jamaican heritage that I’m a real feeder. I relish the communal element of everyone being round the table. I’m proudly in my middle age, so I love gardening too. I don’t get to as many gigs as I’d like but I manage Glastonbury most years and love it.
What’s in the pipeline for you?
An episode of [Channel 4 crime drama] Suspect with Anne-Marie Duff. It’s a double-hander which was lovely. I’ve also done an episode of Inside No 9 which is coming soon.
Is there a role or genre you’re hankering to try?
I don’t often get to play quieter, subservient, inward-looking characters, so that’d be nice for variety. I’m missing the theatre. I’ve never done any Chekhov or Ibsen but I’d love to.
Have you ever met another Vinette?
I’m named after my aunt, but no. Funnily enough, I just took my car in for an MOT and the garage guy was saying that he knew a Vinette who was also a Jamaican lady. That’s the first time I’ve ever come across another, even by proxy.
The Gathering airs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9pm on Channel 4. The full series is available to stream