‘The angry Scotsman is always funny’: Martin Compston on new comedy drama series

Martin Compston said he had to step out of his comfort zone for his new comedy drama series The Revenge Club.

The show follows six lonely, hapless strangers who are brought together by a divorce support group and decide to hatch a plan to get back at the people who broke their hearts.

The six-part series, written by Gabbie Asher, stars Compston, 41, as Calum, a devoted father navigating a divorce.

It also features Slow Horses actress Aimee-Ffion Edwards, My Mad Fat Diary star Sharon Rooney, Shetland actor Douglas Henshall, The Kumars at No 42 actress Meera Syal and Sex Education actor Chaneil Kular.

Line of Duty actor Compston said he was eager to take on a comedy role, having had limited experience in the genre.

“I’d only done comedy once before, many years ago and I’d always fancied trying it again,” the Scottish actor told the Press Association.

“But you take the roles that come your way, and I’ve been very grateful to be working for a while. So when this came up, I jumped at the chance.

“In the show you’ve got Meera and Sharon, who are proper funny bones, real comedy geniuses. You just let them get on with it.

“Whenever I do comedy, the only way I can play it is completely straight and believe every moment. The angry Scotsman is always funny, but for me, it’s all about committing fully.”

Compston said he also enjoyed the ensemble aspect of the series, which is now airing on Paramount+.

“There were six of us, and you really felt like it was a true ensemble piece where everybody mattered. Everyone had their own strong storyline. The way the show is set up, everyone appears in every episode, but each character gets to be the lead in a different one.

“That was lovely to be part of because it meant every character was so well defined. You really supported each other and gave everything you had for those individual episodes. It gave everyone a chance to shine.”

Alongside the excitement of his new series, Compston is looking forward to filming the seventh series of Line of Duty next year.

He plays detective sergeant Steve Arnott in the hit BBC police drama and said he is excited to be reunited with his cast members.

“I’m excited to get back to it,” he said. “It’s one of the lovely things we’ve always had since the first season.

“There are big gaps between each one, but that actually brings a real excitement to getting back together — it never feels like a chore.

“We’ve been doing this for nearly 15 years now, and they’re genuinely some of my closest friends.”

Written by Jed Mercurio and produced by World Productions, the series will also see the return of Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar, reprising their roles.

The sixth season of the police drama, which aired from March to May 2021, was a ratings success, with its dramatic finale revealing the identity of mysterious corrupt officer H.

The new six-part series will start filming in Belfast in spring next year, with further casting to be announced in due course.

The seventh series sees AC-12, the fictional anti-corruption department, disbanded and rebranded as the Inspectorate of Police Standards, the BBC said.

“It’s exciting. You feel like you’re part of a huge British institution now, and with that comes a bit of pressure because you want to deliver,” Compston said.

“People have high expectations, but it’s a good pressure. I’m glad people love it so much, and I’m forever appreciative that they want us back.”