{"id":21009,"date":"2022-08-28T10:00:18","date_gmt":"2022-08-28T08:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1699409"},"modified":"2022-08-28T10:32:25","modified_gmt":"2022-08-28T08:32:25","slug":"ridleys-adrian-dunbar-explains-story-behind-singing-which-was-his-idea","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/ridleys-adrian-dunbar-explains-story-behind-singing-which-was-his-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"Ridley\u2019s Adrian Dunbar explains story behind singing \u2013 which was his idea"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By David Craig\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 28 August 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Adrian Dunbar has discussed his singing in new detective drama Ridley<\/a>, revealing that particular aspect of the character was his idea \u2013 and that it isn\u2019t his first musical performance.<\/p>\n

The latest role for the Northern Irish actor is ex-Detective Inspector Alex Ridley, who is lured back into police work for one last case, which he takes on alongside running a jazz club.<\/p>\n

Dunbar sings multiple times across the series and told press at a live Q&A that the prospect didn\u2019t frighten him, having previously played in a three-piece country band as well as finding work as an Elvis Presley impersonator.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no nervousness at all,\u201d he said of taking to the stage. \u201cI started [out] playing in bands, so being on stage singing is something I\u2019ve done quite a bit of. And even in my 40s I put another band together and I went out on the road in Ireland, played in pubs and bars and stuff like that, just for my own enjoyment, because I like it.\u201d<\/p>

Besides his own personal passion for music, Dunbar was keen for the jazz club element to be included in Ridley to give the character some extra depth and show \u201csomething interesting\u201d about the character outside of his day job.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really wanted to do something with music in it, so I suggested that he owned a jazz club. And then I did some research regarding jazz and the north of England and so forth. I came across Richard Hawley, who I didn\u2019t know, and started listening to his songs,\u201d recalled Dunbar in an interview released to press.<\/p>\n

\u201cSubsequently, we contacted Richard and we found three of his songs that we really liked, because I thought they really suited my character. And so we went and recorded them and fitted them into the show. And I think that element really works. I also wanted a place within the show every week that you\u2019d go to that was a bit warmer and a bit more glamorous.\u201d<\/p>\n