You only have to watch an episode of One Night to experience the effectiveness of the saturated, glossy, and often disorienting flashbacks that are woven throughout the show. Cutting back and forth between a traumatic past and the distress of present day, the way time is used within the show – through writing, directing, and editing – highlights how each character processes the events that unfolded during that fateful night.
Much of what makes these flashbacks so powerful are the performances from Mikaela Binns-Rorke, Bridgette Armstrong, and Bella Ridgway and their portrayals of Young Tess, Young Simone, and Young Hat, respectively. The three hold their own brilliantly against their older (or contemporary, shall we say) counterparts and feel so in tune with them that you almost forget the lead characters are each played by two different actors. The "Young Girls" themselves are in some ways the heart and soul of the series, and its their effective portrayal of true best friends that make what happens to them so heartbreaking.
During the last two months, we had the pleasure of talking with Binns-Rorke, Armstrong, and Ridgway, which was a true pleasure. Over three separate conversations, we asked them each about their characters, their process, and what it was like being part of a show like One Night. Then we compiled their answers. Here’s what they said:
// Please be aware that, due to the themes represented in the TV series One Night such as sexual assault, PTSD and addiction, it was inevitable that some of those topics would be discussed in our interviews. //
Helena Emmanuel: What was your reaction to the scripts when you first read them? Was there anything that jumped out at you? That surprised or excited you the most?
Mikaela Binns-Rorke: I think everyone's reaction to the script was quite similar in just saying that Emily Ballou just did such a beautiful job of creating these characters that are so raw and so real, and people can connect with them instantly. I'm so grateful to be part of this story.
Bella Ridgway: I thought Emily's writing was just incredible. I think just having these female characters that were so real - they were messy and complicated and they weren't just…It's beautiful and not how we're used to seeing women on screen. These women had issues and they were flawed, seeing these multifaceted women made me go, “Wow. This is really, really incredible writing.”
As soon as I read it, I was like, “Okay, this is a pretty intense show that tackles some very intense themes”. I just felt like the way that those themes were tackled were done in such an intelligent and careful but informative way. That was my first perception of the script. I was very, very, very excited.
Bridgette Armstrong: It was one of those scripts you read that you're just like, “I need to be a part of this”. It's a beautiful, harrowing story, and you know, it wasn't going to be an easy shoot by any means. I think that was a challenge for me and I really love doing complex characters with layers that aren't necessarily easy characters for me to dive into. It was pretty intense, but I loved it. Everything about it was amazing. I had to do it.
HE: Were you told the ending going into it, or did you find that out as you read the scripts?
Bridgette: We only got episodes one, two, and three initially and we didn't get the others until, honestly, a week before. So we'd finished block one, which was episodes one, two, and three, and then we only got the other scripts a week before episodes four, five, six started shooting. We were on our toes the whole time: 'I wonder how it's going to finish!' We didn’t even know what was going to happen!
Bella: I just remember we were all so excited to find out what was going to happen to our characters. We were refreshing our emails all the time like, “When are we going to be in the new scripts?!” and just so invested in the story.
Céline Whitby: One of the best parts of the show is how it intertwines that night in the past with the present. What was your experience of playing the younger version of a character, especially one that we see much more of in their adult life? Could you talk a little bit about how you approached that?
Mikaela: I feel like [playing the younger version of a character] didn't really influence me that much, even looking at the older Tess’ scripts in the older Tess’ scenes. The way that Tess is in the modern day is not who she is when we're at the pub or when we're in those moments with Simone and Hat. Those lines and those emotions couldn't really affect younger Tess. It's not going to seem right because she's such an open-minded and fun character. I took what I needed to from those scenes to show what Tess became, but I didn't let it influence the Tess that I saw in the pub and with Simone and having fun with her friends.
That being said, I got to chat with Jodie (Whittaker) quite a bit, which was incredible. She's the most fun human ever and the most generous and protective soul ever. She took care of me so much on set, which was just surreal. We did have the opportunity to chat a little bit about Tess and who she is and her relationships – especially to her mum in the show, because that was a big part of it, not quite knowing what their relationship was like and if there was a bit of a separation there. We [talked] about how it affected her after the fact - because Jodie obviously has an idea of who Tess is in the present day - but not really the choices to who Tess is previously.
I wouldn't say there were any unexpected challenges. I think it was just personally, hoping that [Jodie and my] ideas would align, which they did. I think that's pretty apparent when you see the journey that Tess goes on. The challenges were more personal in wanting to live up to this incredible industry professional who is Jodie and just wanting to make her proud.
Bella: From a script analysis point of view, I remember seeing [the young and adult versions of the characters] and just being like, “Oh, this is so yummy,” you know? I've got access to this character when she's young, but then I can also see the qualities that she's taken from this young age and then put into what she brings with her in life and where she ends up when she's older. It was really incredible to have that.
In terms of working with Yael (Stone, Hat) – firstly, what an honour. I just think she's amazing. Incredible. We had only a couple of very small conversations about the character and then it was ultimately up to the older women to sort of meld the younger and older characters together. They're just fantastic, you know. They had access to what we were doing on set, so they would see what we were doing in the scenes and then they would take little bits from that and apply that to their characters. They're just awesome women. Powerhouses.
I guess the directors and the writers (Emily Ballou and Fiona Seres) trusted us to have it all within the script and to be able to form that one version of the character. It was very interesting approaching a character like that where, in the script, you can see the young version of her and then you can also see how she manifests into an older person.
Bridgette: Working with Nicole (da Silva, Simone) was so warm and welcoming. She's funny. She's just amazing. I absolutely loved working with her. So I felt very at ease when I met her that, you know, we got along and that I could hopefully embody Simone really well for her. You feel a lot of responsibility. I knew the older - sorry, I should say the contemporary - characters were watching all of the stuff that we’d been shooting throughout the days, our rushes from the days. There's a lot of responsibility there. You get nervous. You want to do the right thing.
I hadn't really spoken that much with Nicole previously about Simone or anything like that. I just trust that everything was on point. It was, it really was. Even when we were in the room together doing little scenes that we did have together, it was weird. You know, we had similar mannerisms, our laughs were kind of similar, and we just got along really well. It was an amazing experience.
Candice Dupire: Which scene were you most excited to shoot? Which one was the hardest to do?
Mikaela: Most of the morning-after scenes were the hardest to shoot. Especially the police detective interviews, because that was probably four hours of just doing that scene, which is quite a long scene. It's about three pages, but it's needed. It's 100 percent necessary. It's a beautiful, raw, powerful scene, and I love it to bits. Emily's just so incredible, and they obviously made a really safe space for me to be able to do what I need to do to go to those places in those scenes. I think that one was just more challenging than anything. Just to sit in it, do it so many times. I hope that I did an alright job…
Bridgette: In all honesty, I was kind of nervous for all of it. There was a lot of content, and I wanted to do it justice and I wanted to do it well. It’s a hard question, but I would say the most challenging was probably the pub stuff for obvious reasons. There were a lot of moving parts as well. There were about 40 or 50 extras on those few days – so there were a lot of bodies and a small space. It was really hot. I remember that I was sweating to death, and we were all like, “Is everyone okay?” You know, the hair and makeup had ice packs and stuff. There's a few nights that we were like, “Oh God, this is- we need some fresh air.” Even though it was really difficult, everyone was so supportive and we had so much fun doing it, despite the fact it was really heavy content. That was probably the most challenging, but also probably the most rewarding.
Mikaela: I was most excited to shoot the pub stuff, 1000 percent. Leading up to it, everyone was so excited – the cast, the crew – to have those few days down the coast together. We got to stay there and bond, go out afterwards, just talk about the scenes and what we're excited for. So those were definitely the main ones that we had the most fun doing. We basically just got to dance together and we were just in this really fun environment for those three days of shooting. Bridgette, Bella and I, the friendship that you see on screen is not fake at all. We connected so much. We're best friends and we're so lucky that we found each other on set and through these characters. Everything that you see when we're talking, when we're giggling, it's all us.
Obviously, we know what happens at the end of that night, but for those couple of moments where we really got to enjoy having the fun times together instead of being sad and reflecting on that night, it was a more fun, special experience to have with the cast. Also, obviously, working with Jodie. There's the scene in episode six and a few others here and there where I got to really learn from her and have her as a role model in the scenes. So I was so excited to get to work with her.
Bella: I also think I was most excited for my stuff behind the bar, just because it was one of the scenes that I auditioned with. During my self-tape I had to pretend that I was in a bar, so I had random cups and I was trying to play all the parts of serving people and it was very awkward. [laughs] It seemed to work apparently! I was really curious [to shoot it]. There's so many moving parts, working with so many extras, having to actually, you know, pull pretend beer and serve customers and take money, but then also delivering the lines and giving the emotion behind them as well. I think that also added to the scene – like my actually genuine stress of, “oh my god” worked for the character.
I felt like it was Hat's moment to really show what she does and who she is for the first time in the show. But also in saying that, it was probably the hardest to do because there was just so much involved. You've got to hit all the marks and to line up where the cameras are, you've got to face this way, then you've got to yell because you're in a bar and it was just a lot of moving parts. That scene was what I was most looking forward to, but then it also turned out to be the most challenging. Also the most rewarding as well! It was so good.
HE: Speaking of the show’s difficulty, Intimacy Coordinators are a relatively new position in the industry, but are so important. Could you talk about your experience working with an intimacy coordinator and what you found helpful from it?
Bella: Yeah! I didn't work with any intimacy coordinator on this particular shoot, but I was there with Bridgette and Mikaela having the conversations about the importance of intimacy on set. There were a couple of moments where it was like, "Do we need it? Do we not?" It’s so important that we are having these conversations now – even if we wouldn't deem a scene necessarily that intimate – about these things. Like, "Can I touch you here? Can I do this?" It’s very, very important.
I've worked with intimacy coordinators in the past, and it just helps tremendously. It helps you act. You don't have to go off instinct and feel a bit icky. To do it without one, it's like fight choreography or something like that, you know? You don't do a fight scene without a choreographer. It's the same thing.
Bridgette: Oh, absolutely. Chloë was amazing and she just had such a calm energy about her. Everything was professional and clinical, so it made you feel like, "Oh, okay, this isn't me doing this, [it’s the character]." It’s hard because a lot of the time when you're doing these things or sex scenes - well back in the day anyway, when Intimacy Coordinator wasn't a position - you'd feel like, "Okay, I'm choreographing. It's coming out of my head," and it gets a bit uncomfortable sometimes. I was so grateful that she was there to help just block through all of that. It would even be to the level of a kiss: she'd be like, "Okay, so what level kiss are we here? Is it a 1 or a 10?" in terms of passion involved and all of that.
It's just really interesting watching her work and seeing all that comes to life. But [having her there] definitely put us at ease. I know [Shane Osborne (‘Trevor’) and I] were quite nervous about that scene in the basement. He had to do it, and I felt terrible for him because it wasn't the nicest thing to shoot but we were comfortable doing it.
CW: How do you approach playing a character who’s living in a world of such intense trauma? How do you honour the truth of the story and character while also taking care of yourself?
Bridgette: That's a tricky question. I think just the material itself. It's one of those scripts - I just… I would break down just reading it. It was just so raw and real, as those experiences are for so many women and so many people, I just felt a responsibility to do it justice. With material that's so beautifully written, I didn't really struggle to get there. It wasn't like I ever had to force the emotion out. It really just came to me.
Bella: It's hard. Especially with that running into the ocean scene. I think it's chatting with the other actors on the day, that sort of thing. Working with [Bridgette and Mikaela] was just incredible. They're both just incredible actors and people. So it was really special working with them.
When you’re physicalising something to generate those emotions, like with running into the ocean, [the circumstance] obviously is not real. We’re pretending. It's amazing how just doing the physical action can generate the emotion as well.
Working with heavy sorts of stuff like that it's very important that you do leave it behind. I've been taught at drama school how to step out of a character, and you know, you almost literally unzip it. You take that metaphor and you step out [of the character] and you leave it behind.
Mikaela: I guess I haven't really dealt with these really confronting emotions before in my acting and having it go somewhere, out there in the world for people to watch. I felt safe enough to go to those places because the cast and crew, everyone around me, created such a safe and comfortable environment. I think that's a really important thing for actors to have. It's necessary for them to be able to feel like they can show these emotions and do what they need to do to get into those dark places. I was lucky enough that I felt protected around me as well, which allowed me to protect myself.
I did walk off set sometimes or go home feeling a little bit not like myself, but that didn't stop me or make me not want to do the job because I loved it so much. It never ever crossed my mind that I was like, “Oh, I don't know if I could do this. Like, it's hurting me too much.” I was just like, “Nah, I'm ready to go. I love this so much. I'm ready to jump into the next thing and just go for it.”
Bridgette: There were a lot of days that it really took a toll. You get pretty exhausted physically and mentally from doing heavy stuff for those days or weeks or months or even. I have this thing when I come home that I'm going to make sure I switch off. I do this weird thing where I wash my head and I wash the bottom of my feet in the shower. I make sure that I've just cleansed Simone off me. She's gone. I watch a movie and then I'm back to me.
Bella: There was one day actually where, I don't know, I think I must've forgotten to do that and I got home and I remember just feeling so overwhelmed and being like, “What’s going on?” and just, feeling so emotional. I realised it was because I forgot to let it go. I didn't leave it behind. I didn't leave it on set. That just reiterated to me that it's so important physically, emotionally, and mentally to really let it go. To get back to yourself. Put on music that you enjoy listening to or yeah, like that sort of thing. I was pretty fortunate because I didn't have to do anything that was too grueling, unlike the other girls.
HE: When we spoke to writer/creator Emily Ballou, she said that your first scene or your first time on set for the show was the scene where you're in the office with adult Tess…
Mikaela: That was I think my second day.
HE: Oh wow.
Mikaela: Yeah, they threw me right into it. I think that was really important though, to just get me in there. I was ready. I felt safe. So it was really fun. It sounds weird to say, but just jumping into it and doing it was amazing. Emily is just so beautiful. Her soul is just the most protective and gorgeous. I could not say enough nice things about her.
CW: How do you see the dynamic between Tess, Simone, and Hat? How do you view their relationships with each other? And did that evolve for you as the show went on?
Bridgette: Yeah, good question. I think it's a group of friends that are just from day one drawn to the hip and really rely on each other. I think Simone, because she loses her mum at a young age, doesn't really have an anchor and she doesn't have many other friends. Tess and Hat are kind of her only support network. So for her, they're everything.
Bella: I think that even before the show, they’ve always been very, very close friends. Like sisters, really. They all grew up as only children, so I think they found each other and then formed a sisterly bond.
Mikaela: I think that Simone and Tess' relationship kind of blurred the lines of friendship and romance as well, like a relationship. I also think that that was because they were so close. They felt safe to experiment with each other, and I do believe that they loved each other. Their friendship was just - it was different. I feel like you wouldn't typically see best friends work in that way and be so close, but, you know, that could be a sister relationship because they were all sisters in a way. They all grew up together. They all were so close.
Bella: Over time the relationship progressed, and obviously Tess and Simone sort of formed a little bit more of an intimate relationship. Hat's not silly. I think she would have clocked onto that and realised it was happening, but I do think she felt a little bit left out. She was a little bit younger than the other two. So I think she always sort of felt like she was on the outside of the group, and that's why she has that relationship with Joey as well, because she feels like she's on the outskirts of that friend group. She's a little bit alone and she's clinging onto other people to find that comfort or friendship.
Bridgette: I don't know if it was ever that Hat was supposed to be left out of the Tess and Simone bond. I know it sort of comes across that way, but she is just as important in their friendship group. I think, you know, Simone and Tess sort of find this different spark together that they try to explore. Unfortunately, it never really evolves because of what happens. I don't know if Simone or Tess really knew that they were in love per se. It was sort of just something they’re figuring out together that was blossoming. So unfortunately, Hattie kind of got left to the side a little bit with that, but she was always just as important to them.
Mikaela: Simone and Tess just had this little…something else that was there. Just something that could have been explored more, and they felt safe enough to experiment and explore with each other 'cause they had so much love for each other.
HE: Do you think that they would have kept exploring that had Tess not been assaulted and moved away?
Mikaela: It's hard to say…I feel like Simone was 100 percent in love. She knew that she was in love with Tess. I think Tess loved Simone - she possibly could have been in love with her-, but it's hard to say where that could’ve progressed to because we'll never know. It carries on throughout the show that Simone still has that love for Tess, but wants her to grow and heal. I think there definitely was love for each other, and they could have been something beautiful. They could have, you know, traveled together. They could have explored their lives together and see where it took them. They could have been in love forever, and it could have been them that has the family together. It's just a shame that we'll never know and they never got to further explore their love story. I think on both sides, there's still the question of, “Oh, what if that never happened?” and “We could have been something,” but it's just not how life worked out for them.
HE: How do you interpret the wave and moon tattoos that Tess and Simone have on their wrists?
Bridgette: Just Simone and Tess that have the tattoos, so that in itself maybe also makes Hat feel really left out. I don't, again, think it was ever this idea that it was supposed to be excluding Hat.
When I was talking to Emily, [it was decided that] we got the tattoos together after my mum died. So I was really hurting and I was like, “Let's do something crazy together.” We went and we just did it together. It’s a really beautiful reminder for even the older characters that always stays with them. I mean, that's really what tattoos are, right? You kind of do these things and you go, “Oh wow, like that takes me straight back to that memory.”
I’m sure Hat probably felt a little excluded by that.
Mikaela: I think that because only Tess and Simone had it together, it was a symbol of their friendship and also the sense of home. That being the South Coast, the beach. They were each other's home. It was just a very teenager thing to do, to get a matching tattoo together that symbolises the beach or where they live and each other.
I don't necessarily think that over time the meaning changed for Tess. I just think the memories behind the tattoo changed. So now it's not only the memory of the beach where mum is and the South Coast and being down with all her friends; now it's Simone, it's where she was assaulted, and it's where all of these horrific memories of her not getting any closure or justice are as well.
It’s a great little motif of showing that home is, I guess, where the heart is, but it's sometimes hard to go back to those places when it's so heavy. The beautiful memories are still there. It's now just…there's the extra ones that she has to take into account.
HE: Mikaela, you alluded to it before in talking about your process and talking with Jodie, but what kind of person do you think Tess was? How do you think she got to who she is now? Obviously, the assault really coloured her adulthood, but what is your view on her core personality, before that night and after?
Mikaela: I think she is a very open minded person. I think she loves fun and I think she's very family/friend-oriented, but I think she's also got the mindset that you choose your family as well. So Simone and Hat were 1000% her family, maybe even more so than her own mother or her own family.
I definitely think that she’s just a soul that wants to explore and have fun and make mistakes along the way. I think that's a really important thing to note, obviously, because they're teenagers and they're gonna make mistakes. Those things shine through throughout the show and at the pub or in the interviews where, say, Hat talks about how drunk Tess was and then that leads to things… But the three of them were just exploring the fun of being alive and being a teenager. I think they're very lively girls that want to live and try new things.
CW: In a way, it makes us wonder whether the event of that night consolidated who she always was and continues to be, which is an explorer, a survivor, and someone who is hungry for experiences, good and bad.
Mikaela: Oh, 100%. Yeah, I guess Tess never would have left unless she had that in her still. She wanted to try and find herself again, because she wasn't feeling like herself, so she needed to leave and explore and go back to those qualities that she has to really to find herself and heal.
CD: Bridgette, in episode three, there’s a scene where young Simone read some of the book to adult Tess. The way it depicts how memories and trauma can still be present after such a long time was really powerful and interesting to see. It's actually one of our favourite scenes. Can you tell us a bit more of how that scene was approached and what it was like to film it?
Bridgette: That was one of the things I was really unsure about how we were going to go about it, and it sort of ended up being a little more horror-like than I was expecting. For good reason, I think. I don't know if Young Simone is supposed to be scaring Tess, but it’s like this haunting memory in Tess’ mind that just won't leave. I thought it beautifully shot, the way that they did it with me walking down the hallway and following her into the bathroom.
That was one of my favourite scenes to shoot because I got to work with Jodie, and Jodie is absolutely amazing. You know, just her raw emotion take after take, it's just there for you to bounce off, so it wasn't at all challenging for me to get there. When I see her start breaking down, I'm gonna start breaking down. We did it a few different ways, but we went the more emotional way. It really worked for the scene.
CD: Bella, there's a scene in episode six where we see young Hat at the pub cleaning away glasses from the tables and adult Hat sees her. But unlike Tess and Simone, we don't see the two interact with each other at all. Why do you think that choice was made? What do you think it means for both of them, at that moment?
Bella: That’s a good question. I think Hat just spent so much time in that bar. She knows it so well. Then she still lives in the area where all this happened. She hasn't left. She sort of stays away from that pub because of the incident. Then she comes back and I guess she can't help but see her younger self working there. Just being in that familiar location just brings back so many memories.
HE: Yeah, that makes sense! Because Hat's memories are shot straight on, there's no tilted angle and the focus is pretty sharp through most of hers. Then the other two's flashbacks are much more hazy and disorienting. So it makes sense that she maybe doesn't feel like she has to rely on her memory as much, because she feels like she's got it right. She’s still there.
Bella: Yeah! She's almost certain she remembers exactly what happened and knows exactly what went down. She was sober as well. She didn't drink, so she thinks that she knows exactly what's going on.
HE: How do you think Hat views and feels about that night given that it's both when Tess was assaulted and when she met her future husband? How does she reckon with that?
Bella: There are so many components that contribute to that “one night”. I believe none of the characters know the truth or severity of what actually happened. It’s not until years later that they can piece it all together and begin to understand. For Hat, of course she feels a sense of guilt, knowing what she knows now. She wishes she could have saved her friend but at the time, she had so much going on in her own world, there is no way she could have prevented what happened.
Hat is immediately drawn to Mark and his caring, helpful nature. Hat and Mark meeting on this particular night helps them generate a strong bond, they are bound by the unraveling events that ultimately change their lives forever. He is a rock to cling to as the storm around her swells and he continues to be so as they navigate the aftermath of the “one night”.
CW: What do you ultimately hope that the audience will take away from One Night?
Mikaela: This is a big question. It's a great question, but I honestly believe that I can't really tell people what I hope they get from One Night because there's so many different pieces that go into the story that different people will connect to depending on their own experience. I think what's so special about One Night is that no matter who you are or who and what you identify as the experiences and things that you've gone through, there's something that you can connect to. It comes down to what you've experienced and the different levels of the life that you've lived so far. It's such a special show. I feel like people have already just taken so many different things from it and I don't want to be the one to restrict them and say, “I hope you get this,” and then they don't, because they're like, “Oh, I don't think I got it.”
They're going to react and feel and connect to different characters in the show because everyone has something different that's happened to them. And I think that's what's so special about it as well. It's not just put in one box. Some people will relate to Tess, some people relate to Hat, some people relate to Joey. There's just so many different paths and stories that have been told, and they're incredible in their own way. It's so special that it's connected with so many people. It's reaching the right people, and I hope it continues to.
We end our conversations even more certain of what we had begun to understand: One Night was an experience of a lifetime. A true perfect storm of timing, talent, and warmth for everyone involved. The show’s environment was as energising as its content was intense. It was a beautiful alchemy that’s almost impossible to recreate. It was lightning in a bottle. In short:
Bridgette: It's one of those dream jobs that you really just go, “Wow, everyone was awesome, and I'm going to miss it so much,” you know?
Mikaela: We had the best time. I can't believe it's now almost coming up to a year ago when we started production, which is just insane to think about. Oh, it was just the best experience. I'm so lucky to have been a part of something so special.
Words: Helena Emmanuel
Interviews: Candice Dupire (CD), Helena Emmanuel (HE) and Céline Whitby (CW) (with questions submitted by the RTR team)
You can watch One Night on Paramount+ UK & Ireland and Paramount+ Australia now.
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