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Comedy Blog: How did you become involved in The Thick of It?

Rebecca Front: Armando - with whom I've worked a lot over the years - just rang me up and asked me. I was incredibly surprised and delighted.

Comedy Blog: The former ministers for social affairs have tended to be a bit...
flustered and bumbling. Should we expect your character, Nicola Murray MP, to break the mould?

Rebecca Front: I think anyone would bumble a bit when faced with Malcolm in full flow, but whether she'll get tough or get the hell out remains to be seen. I'm as keen to find out as anyone!

Comedy Blog: How do you feel about squaring up to Malcolm Tucker?

Rebecca Front: On my very first day, when I thought I was just coming in for a chat with the writers, Armando asked me to do some improvising with Peter Capaldi. It was the first time I'd met him, and he'd been utterly charming to me.

Then he turned into Malcolm, and it was completely terrifying! He's just brilliant in the part, and I can't wait to do some chunky scenes with him... but yes, I'm still scared.

Comedy Blog: How have you been preparing for being shouted at extensively?

Rebecca Front: I don't think you can prepare for it, really, as you'd lose the spontaneity - there's no substitute for genuine fear in the eyes...

Comedy Blog: Will Nicola be more sympathetic towards Terri and Robyn?

Rebecca Front: I know from my research that there's often a wary relationship between politicians and civil servants. Just because they're women doesn't mean they'll be allies.

Comedy Blog: Obviously you have a history of working with Armando Iannucci - but have you worked with any of the cast before?

Rebecca Front: Funnily enough I worked with James Smith (Glenn) on a ±«Óãtv pilot the same day I started on Thick of It, and I know some of the other cast members - Roger Allam, Alex McQueen, Justin Edwards. Oh and I've read one of Chris Addison's books, but that was just to suck up to him, really. Good read though!

Comedy Blog: Are you looking forward to the unusual way the show is created -
improvising around the script? Was that similar to the technique used on
Knowing Me, Knowing You?

Rebecca Front: Very much. I've done a lot of semi-improvised stuff - quite often with Armando. Also, Julia Davis was very keen on loosening up the script after a couple of takes when we did Nighty Night. I really enjoy it. I think the key thing is to be confident, but if you haven't got anything interesting to add, just shut up.

Comedy Blog: You recently starred in a comedy pilot, Shush, with Morwenna Banks (who
also made an appearance in The Thick of It). Can you tell us anything about that?

Rebecca Front: Shush is a sitcom set in a library at a time when libraries are under threat. Unfortunately, this one deserves to be. Morwenna and I wrote it with Arthur Mathews, and Armando produced it. It needs a bit more work, but it'll appear one day, I hope. And Morwenna is probably my favourite comedy actress - I just love her, in a happily married woman kind of way.

Comedy Blog: We hear you were at the premiere of In The Loop - what did you make of
it?

Rebecca Front: I was immensely proud seeing Armando up there introducing his big, grown-up movie, and I thought it was fantastic. But knowing I was about to join this world made me feel a bit weird. Seriously. I had to go and lie in a darkened room afterwards! That doesn't bode well, does it?