Nasty. Creepy. Charming. Manipulative. There's no other word to describe Stephen Lord's character, Mikey Finnegan, in the new Brit movie, The Violators, which opens this Friday at Home in Manchester.
"He's a bit of a bad guy, obviously" smiles Stephen "...a bit of a criminal, runs a pawn shop, got a few little things on the go...sells a bit of weed, moves a bit of jewellery, known on the estate..."
As we sit in the Langworthy Cornerstone cafe having a brew there's more than a few furtive glances...
"She's a young girl, her dad's been put away, she's looking after a younger brother, she needs help...and gets taken advantage of by my character" he adds, to more furtive glances "I guess the drama unfolds from there..."
The Violators is set on an estate in the Government-violated North, where somehow the desolate streetscape is made epic by some stunning cinematography that deserves to be viewed on the big screen. Against this backdrop the characters weave and dive through almost every urban social problem known to the un-working class – poverty, absent parents, abusive relationships, drugs, robbing, rubbish social workers, truancy, gangs and gross exploitation.
Centre stage is 15 year old, Shelly Hudson, played by Lauren McQueen, whose model looks make her ripe for the chasing by forty year old Mikey. His fingers are already in every pie in town. Alone, and trying to protect and bring up her 11 year old step brother, Jerome, along with Andy, her other useless older step brother, Shelly has become steeped in the culture of the estate, nicking anything she can, hardened by circumstances – with a mother who doesn't want to know and a father who's on the verge of getting out of jail to re-terrify his kids.
Meanwhile, Shelly is befriended, spooked out and stalked by rich girl Rachel (Brogan Ellis), as the lifestyle contrast plays out in a bout of twists and turns. It's all very 2016, almost British cinema verite, that's straight from the street school of Ken Loach, Alan Bleasdale, Jimmy McGovern and Salford's Mike Leigh, although young writer and director, Helen Walsh, puts her own stamp on proceedings.
"I remember saying to Helen that Ken would be proud of this" says Stephen "It feels like a post Ken Loach film, my favourite director; although Helen has got her own individuality and doesn't shirk away from the truth. She gave me incredible freedom to go off script and it supports the story telling.
"Her novels, Brass and Once Upon A Time In England, were great reads and I felt that she's got a grasp of working class life, so when you saw these characters I felt as if I knew them" he adds "It was, for me, like coming back to Salford; people I grew up with and know and, obviously, stories that can unfold on a working class estate.
"My background helps me no end in the work that I do" he explains "I've got plenty to draw from, not just from being a working class kid, because I've managed to do plenty of other things and mix around different environments, but certainly when you're playing working class characters it's invaluable. When I did Violators, Helen knew I could be from that world. There's obviously truth in it."
Stephen Lord, having also done EastEnders, Shameless and a host of unsavoury tv and film characters, is becoming known for cornering the twat market in acting... "charismatic twat market", he corrects...
While The Violators role definitely sees him as a prize twat, off-screen it's his kids who pre-occupy his time. With wife, Elaine Cassidy, off filming No Offence for Paul Abbott, the pair try and work it so that one parent is home...
"I got offered a job the other week and I was tempted but then it's either working or being away from the kids" he says "Working is a holiday after them!"
There's an impressive roster of Stephen Lord roles and projects being aired this year, ranging from appearances in Marcella to playing a wayward alcoholic in New Blood (episode 4), which began on BBC last week, to a series of Frontier which comes out on Netflix in November. He's also starring in Chris Green's much awaited feature film, Strangeways Here We Come, with Michelle Keegan, which is currently in post production and set to be released next year.
"I'm still tinkering away writing as well" he explains "I did a tv project that we're trying to sell in the US and have written a feature film that I'm hoping will shoot in Ireland and the US next year. That's twenty years of writing and hopefully you finally get something away..."
In the meantime, the `charismatic' twat market is going into overdrive with The Violators. Well worth seeing on the big screen.
The Violators opens at Home this Friday, 17th June, 6pm, with a special Q&A afterwards starring Stephen Lord, Lauren McQueen and Helen Walsh. While the story is gripping, there's a whole array of social and political issues wazzed up along the way and up for discussion – click here for more details and to book tickets
The Violators runs at Home 17th-20th June – for times and to book click here
Also see The Violators trailer – click here
* The Violators also sees cameo roles by Salford actor James Foster and Stella Grundy
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