Long article at the Telegraph

[Gillian]

The Telegraph has a 7 page article on the genesis of The State Within including Jason's thoughts on his role ...

The State we're in

When the writers Lizzie Mickery and Dan Percival needed a convincing backdrop for a conspiracy thriller steeped in fear, they found all they needed at the British Embassy in Washington

If the most prestigious invitation in Washington DC is to the White House, the second is to 3100 Massachusetts Avenue. Here, set discreetly behind wrought iron gates and a port-cochère, stands the British Residence – the Queen's personal palace in America. To walk through its elegant Lutyens corridors and sumptuous ballroom is a humbling experience. Which is exactly how it's meant to make you feel. As Sir David Manning, the current British Ambassador and temporary chief tenant, told us with a sweep of his arm, 'All this is theatre.'

How we came to be in the British Residence in Washington requires a rewind. We were there not as politicians or diplomats but as writers, researching a new drama for the BBC called The State Within set in the British Embassy.

What happens when your views are not those of your masters? In The State Within our fictitious ambassador, Sir Mark Brydon, played by Jason Isaacs, finds himself emotionally and morally torn. He's already haunted by a decision he made years ago for the sake of political expediency which led to the suffering of innocent people. As the story of explosive events, espionage and the race to prevent a war unfolds, we also set out to look at the personal cost not just to Sir Mark but to all our characters: the intimate human consequences of the 'bigger picture', with all the pain, love and betrayal of friendship and family that suggests.

- Read the entire article here.