The BBC’s Jane Austen reimagining The Other Bennet Sister returns for its final instalment on Sunday night, bringing Mary Bennet’s coming-of-age story to a close.
Since its debut on 15 March, the ten-part drama has been a hit with viewers, earning an impressive 97 per cent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and praise for its standout cast – including Gavin & Stacey favourite Ruth Jones as the formidable Mrs Bennet.
In an exclusive interview with HELLO!, Ruth and her on-screen daughter, Ella Bruccoleri, revealed one of the most memorable moments from filming – an “incredible” cast trip to Barry Island, inspired by Ruth’s iconic BBC sitcom.
A Gavin & Stacey-inspired day out
Filming for The Other Bennet Sister took place across Wales, so it was perhaps inevitable that the cast would make the pilgrimage to Barry Island – one of the most beloved locations from Gavin & Stacey, in which Ruth plays Nessa.
“Ruth arranged it all – it was incredible,” Ella told HELLO!. Ruth explained that the idea originally came from their co-star Richard E. Grant, who plays Mr Bennet in the period drama and who was particularly keen to visit.
© BBC/Bad Wolf/James Pardon“He’s quite a big Gavin & Stacey fan and he really wanted to go to Barry,” said Ruth. “And the only time we could go was at seven o’clock in the morning. So we drove down there, we had ice cream, we went to Marco’s cafe and he was just like a kid on Christmas morning.”
Word quickly spread among the rest of the cast, prompting Ruth to organise a second, larger trip – in true Nessa style.
© BBC/Bad Wolf/James Pardon“Ruth hired Dave’s coaches and was at the front of the coach, singing to us all. It was amazing,” said Ella. “We got to Barry, swam in the sea, then Ruth got Marco’s cafe to stay open for us. We all had ice cream and coffee, and we stopped off at the Gavin & Stacey house.”
Ruth added: “I’m not gonna lie, Dave’s coaches is not the most comfortable form of transport – it took us about three hours to get there, but it was still great!”
What happens next in The Other Bennet Sister?
After establishing herself in London society and growing close to the recently engaged Mr Hayward, the end of the first instalment saw Mary suddenly called back to Pemberley to assist her mother.
© BBC/Bad WolfThe episode six synopsis reads: “Mary rushes to Pemberley, fearing her mother is gravely ill, only to be thrown back into the demands of family life. Mary begins to lose hope of ever returning to London – until Mr Ryder unexpectedly turns up.
“His clear admiration for Mary helps her family recognise how much she has changed. As excitement mounts over Mr Ryder’s visit, Mary finds herself on the brink of a momentous decision.”
Who stars in The Other Bennet Sister?
Ella Bruccoleri (Call the Midwife, Bridgerton) leads the series as Mary Bennet, while Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and Ruth Jones (Gavin & Stacey, Stella) play her Mr and Mrs Bennet.
The Bennet sisters are played by Poppy Gilbert (My Oxford Year), Maddie Close, Grace Hogg-Robinson (The Coroner) and Molly Wright (Our Girl).
© BBC/Bad Wolf/James PardonOther cast members include Indira Varma (Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Night Manager) and Richard Coyle (Heads of State, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as Mr and Mrs Gardiner, as well as Mary’s love interests Laurie Davidson (A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, The Girlfriend) and Dónal Finn (The Wheel of Time, SAS Rogue Heroes) as Mr Ryder and Mr Hayward.
All ten episodes of The Other Bennet Sister are available to watch on iPlayer and will air on BBC One at 8 pm on Sunday. BritBox will premiere the series exclusively in the US and Canada on 6 May.
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