EXCLUSIVE: Time travel may not yet exist, but stepping onto the set of Ten Pound Poms is a worthy alternative.
Filmed largely in Sydney’s Scheyville National Park, dome-shaped huts are dotted along the landscape. People dressed in 1950s casual-wear wander between them, as filming for the hit Stan Original Series’ second season takes place.
But when the actors break for lunch, there is an obvious hint that we have not really been transported back in time. As the cast sit down for interviews with 9Entertainment, I can’t help but notice many have a more modern choice for behind-the-scenes footwear: Uggs.
Season 2 of the Stan Original Series Ten Pound Poms is streaming now, only on Stan.
Ten Pound Poms stars Faye Marsay (Game of Thrones, Black Mirror) and Warren Brown (Luther) as Annie and Terry Roberts, and Michelle Keegan (Fool Me Once) as nurse Kate Thorne.
Their characters are among a group of Brits who left post-war Britain to embark on a life-changing adventure on the other side of the world, but the reality of life in Australia is a far-cry from what they were expecting.
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Sitting with perfectly coiled hair, 50s-style dresses and comfy slippers, stars Michelle Keegan and Faye Marsay reflected on what it was like to be back in Australia to film Season 2 – both when in costume, and not.
“I love it. I love the beaches, I love the lifestyle,” Keegan gushed.
Marsay agreed, sharing her tales of exploring wider New South Wales while temporarily living Down Under for the second time.
“It is one of the nicest countries I’ve ever been to – you can be by the ocean and not see a soul, that’s why I love it so much,” she said.
But while there was much to enjoy, Australia also provided unique challenges for the Brits; from filming in 40 degrees to close run-ins with our vast array of dangerous animals.
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“I don’t love the wildlife so much,” Marsay admitted with a dry laugh. “There was actually an eastern brown snake on set [during Season 1].
“I was wandering around in my costume, ankles out, and I didn’t know until someone ran over with a bucket,” she explained, shuddering at the thought of the extremely venomous snake.
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Picking up where Season 1 left off, Ten Pound Poms’ second season follows the characters’ determination to finally build the Australian dream they were promised.
Marsay was excited for viewers to see Annie and the Roberts family find their feet after accepting their new life Down Under.
“There’s a lot going on! Annie gets a job, we have a new baby in the family,” she said.
“We’re still at the camp, but now it’s about looking forward and for Annie – it’s all about making something more for herself.”
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As part of this, Annie gets involved in the Women’s Lib movement, challenging what was considered the ‘right’ path for women at the time.
This even includes taking part in a protest against a bikini ban, limiting what women could wear at the beach.
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Could we BE any more excited?
For both stars, Ten Pound Poms has not only been a great job – it’s also been educational.
“I didn’t know anything about the history,” Keegan said. “Learning about it and what these people were promised and then went through has been so eye-opening.”
Every episode of the Stan Original Series Ten Pound Poms Season 2 is streaming now, only on Stan.
Nine Entertainment Co (the publisher of this website) owns and operates the streaming service Stan.
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