Lily Dodsworth-Evans is Cecily Hanson in 'Poldark'

Photo: BBC

Lily Dodsworth-Evans joins the cast of Poldark, as Cecily Hanson, a smart and competent young woman with ideas ahead of her time: ‘Cecily Hanson is a young lady who has raised herself for the last eight years. She has educated herself, she is intelligent and self-reliant, and she is very modern for the time. She reads Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women and is part of the anti-slavery movement.

‘When we first meet Cecily she is with her father who has only just come back from Honduras and they are very much strangers to each other. When she was younger she didn’t really know him as he was always off working but she is pretty sure she doesn’t like him. At the same time she is willing to give things a go, deep down she yearns for some sort of relationship with her father as her mother has passed away.’

Lily tells explains what drew her to this role: ‘It was Cecily’s strength that made me want to play her. She really goes through it this series; it is a constant tug of war with her father and with what is expected of her. She is so strong but she still makes mistakes as she is young and although she has a very good understanding of the world she doesn’t necessarily know how to navigate it.

‘Cecily is very different; she is a modern woman and a feminist before feminism was really a thing.'

Lily describes how Cecily goes on an incredible journey of love and friendship with Geoffrey Charles Poldark (Freddie Wise): ‘She meets Geoffrey Charles and they become very good friends. Cecily is always so serious and is constantly trying to make a difference, to inflict change and achieve things but Geoffrey Charles opens up to her in a way she has never experienced and because of that she relaxes around him and is able to act her age a bit more.

'Within the relationship she doesn’t take on the typical role of the girl. She is the one telling him what to do most of the time and part of the reason they get on so well is because he listens to her whereas not many people would take a 16 year old girl seriously at that time.

‘Geoffrey Charles is going through a lot at the beginning of this series and doing things he shouldn’t be doing and Cecily makes him wake up to the bigger picture and to the world that is out there. She makes him realise that what he thinks is suffering is nothing in comparison to slaves in Honduras who are being starved to death because it is cheaper to let them die than to try and save their lives. The two of them are so different that they bring out parts of each other that they haven’t even really explored themselves yet.  That’s part of why they’re drawn to each other.’

‘However, Ralph, her father, has every intention of marrying her off to someone for business purposes. So when he sees this interest between Cecily and Geoffrey he tries to squash it and although they try everything they can to be together Ralph is always one step ahead.’

Lily tells us what it was like working alongside fellow newcomer to the Poldark cast this series, Freddie Wise: ‘We met at the chemistry read and we got on really well. He is lovely and open and at the beginning we discussed our characters and their incredible love story. The very first scene we did together was a romantic moment on a beach in Cornwall where we battled against the wind, the rain and the sand. I kept thinking I was going to fall down a sand dune at any moment and this was a monumental moment in their epic story! I was thrown in at the deep end and it was really scary but also so much fun. That was my first day on set so I guess I started with a bang.’

Lily reveals she has been incredibly surprised and humbled by the support from Poldark fans already: ‘I was amazed in Cornwall, even when it was cold and rainy fans were there and would come to see us filming. I met someone who had been to every location, from Bristol to Cornwall basically along with us. It is nice; they’re all such lovely fans. It is a bit daunting because you really want them to like you. Audiences will see a love story happen with Cecily and Geoffrey Charles and  I hope people will be rooting for them.’

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Source:  BBC Press Pack