Filming challenges and personal dramas in BBC One’s ‘Two Weeks in August’
For the past month, BBC One’s Two Weeks in August has captivated audiences with its sun-soaked holiday drama. Set on a scorching Greek island, it follows a group of forty-something friends who embark on the holiday of a lifetime, only to find their friendships and marriages are far from ideal, reports BritPanorama.
Filming, however, presented its own set of challenges. Antonia Thomas, who portrays the character Jessica, revealed that production took place in early March when temperatures were not yet warm. “When we got out there it was the beginning of March. It hadn’t warmed up yet,” she explained. “That’s when we were filming the early scenes in bikinis and jumping in pools. It was freezing. Production had to run in with blankets.”
As the five-month shoot progressed, conditions became increasingly difficult. Filmed in Malta, which stood in for Greece, temperatures soared, and the cast faced the additional pressure of portraying a fictional fire on the island. “There was no real fire,” Thomas clarified. “We had to keep being reminded that we had to make it seem like there was. We kept being told, ‘It’s smoky, you’re in peril, the stakes are high!’”
By the time the plot reached its climax, interpersonal conflicts overshadowed even the fictional threat of flames. Jessica’s unfaithfulness leads to a cascade of issues: she kissed her friend Zoe’s husband, while Zoe initiated an affair with Jessica’s husband, Solomon. Both couples decided to divorce, multiplying the tensions among the group. Insidiously, Zoe also experiences unsettling visions, contributing to the chaotic atmosphere.
Thomas understands the polarising reactions towards her character. “When you’re playing a character, you have to get under their skin and work out why somebody might be behaving the way that they’re behaving,” she stated. “She just has a slightly different social filter; she doesn’t really realise that some of the things she says are not okay. Maybe she lacks a little bit of empathy and she doesn’t have the social intelligence to read the room.”
Despite these drawbacks, Thomas expressed compassion for Jessica, noting her internal struggles. “Behind closed doors, she’s really unhappy. She’s quite lonely,” she added. Jessica’s marriage to Solomon, an actor whose career takes precedence, reflects the compromises many face in relationships. “People make compromises in their lives, don’t they?” Thomas observed.
A significant moment comes in the finale when Jessica shares a candid heart-to-heart with Zoe, revealing her lack of female friendships. “She doesn’t know why people don’t want to be friends with her and that’s sad!” Thomas reflected. The conversation shifts when Jessica honestly discloses that her relationship with Solomon commenced as an affair, warning Zoe of the potential pitfalls involved.
The series reveals more about Jess and Solomon’s complicated marriage during a pivotal scene as they prepare to flee the burning island. Solomon’s choice to wait for their friends illustrates the strain in their relationship. “She’s saying that my child’s feelings should matter, my feelings should matter. She wants to feel important,” Thomas said.
Even so, the couple ultimately departs the island together, buoyed by the news of Solomon landing a film role which will relocate them to Los Angeles. “You can see it in the beginning when they’re this united front, the Posh and Becks of the friendship group,” says Thomas, pointing to the underlying complexity of their dynamic.
Two Weeks in August prompts reflection on personal identity within friendships and romantic relationships. As Thomas states, “How acceptable is honouring yourself within a group of friends, in your relationship, at work? We all play roles, and we all get used to a role that we’re playing.”
Ultimately, the holiday backdrop enhances the struggles of the characters as they confront the realities of their lives. “On holiday, we all want to be the best versions of ourselves,” she noted. “But just because you change your location and the sun’s out, you are still living with yourself.”
By the series’ conclusion, the friends leave irrevocably changed, making a follow-up reunion seem unlikely. “Everyone would love an opportunity to do another one. I hope we do,” Thomas said, capturing the lingering tension among the characters as they departed an island marked by conflict. “Though it certainly wouldn’t be a holiday.”
Two Weeks in August is streaming on BBC iPlayer
