Law & DISORDER

ERIN RICHARDS on playing a magistrate whose loyalties are put to the test

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An arson attack during an illegal rave at a warehouse kicks off a dangerous chain of events in Welsh legal crime drama Mudtown.

Following its premiere on Welshlanguage channel S4C and BBC iPlayer as Ar y Ffin last year, the English version of this sixpart series arrives on U&Alibi this week.

The Newport-set story stars Gotham and The Crown actor Erin Richards as experienced magistrate and mum of two Claire Lewis Jones, who's hiding a chequered past involving a relationship she once had with local crime kingpin Pete Burton (The Gold's Tom Cullen).

But Claire's personal and professional worlds collide when her precocious teenage daughter Beca (The Crow Girl's Lauren Morais) becomes entangled in a murky criminal underworld. How far will Claire go to protect everything she holds dear? TV Times caught up with Penarth-born Erin, 41, for an exclusive interview to find out more...

There are many different layers to Mudtown, which is co-created by Keeping Faith star Hannah Daniel and real-life magistrate Georgia Lee. How would you describe it, Erin?

It's like an international crime drama with a strong South Wales humour and sensibility. And it's also very relatable because Claire feels like a real person. She has a family and she works all these different jobs, including being a warehouse supervisor and a magistrate.