Maria Doyle Kennedy – Recipes for Love and Murder

By: Karly Bacon

Q) What can fans expect from Season 2 of “Recipes for Love and Murder?”

A) More of the eccentric characters and relationships that make up the town of Eden, more advice dished out in the form of delicious food, more mysteries to solve, a small bit of murder, some romance and maybe a teeny bit of heartbreak…

Q) How does the massive fire in Eden set the stage for the new season’s mystery?

A) The fire is a terrifying thing in a hot desert town like Eden. The community come together very quickly and practically to conquer the fire but through it, a murder is revealed…

Q) Tannie Maria is described as a “one-of-a-kind heroine”—in what ways does she evolve in Season 2?

A) I think that by the end of Season 1 she had let her guard down just a little bit and was learning to trust again. Season 2 sees her trying to figure the “new her” out…how will she cope now that she has let people into her life? Are friendships real? Is it possible for her to find love?

Q) How does Season 2 balance its signature mix of mystery, drama and culinary storytelling?

A) Like all storytelling, the question comes down to one of belief. Do you care about Tannie Maria and her oddball friends?! If the answer is yes (and I very much hope it is), then you accept that her language is one of food – that that’s the way she solves problems and processes thoughts and feelings. The murders just seem to keep happening (!) but it’s the way she goes about solving them that is so special…unusual clues about what you might have in your shopping basket or fridge…It’s sort of Agatha Christie crossed with Julia Child.

Q) Where were some of your favorite places to film for this season of the show?

A) I fell completely in love with South Africa this time around. When we filmed Season 1 we were still in the middle of the pandemic, so it wasn’t possible to explore, but this time I could investigate my surroundings every time I had a free hour. Prince Albert is a beautiful and very friendly town and Cape Town, itself, is dominated by the extraordinary Table Mountain is magnificent. I was constantly taken aback by its beauty as a city.

Q) Which scenes were particularly challenging or memorable for you to shoot for Season 2?

A) The fire was very intense, both exciting and a bit terrifying at the same time.

Q) What do you hope audiences take away from this season’s themes and character arcs?

A) I think the loveliest thing about this season is that as well as following the relationships that were well established in Season 1 (Maria & Khaya, Jessie & Regardt, Maria/Hattie/Jessie) you get to see the rest of the townsfolk really show us who they are…Tannie Elna (Martelize Kolver), Constable Klaasen (Megan Alexander), Lucille (Lauren Loubser)…You understand what a bonkers little town it is! And, of course, there are lots of new characters and possibilities for romance (and murder).

Q) Your career spans both acting and music—do you find similarities between the two?

A) It all comes from the same well, but I think the acting has made my concerts a bit more theatrical and the songwriting has made me look deeper when I am inhabiting a character.

Q) As someone deeply interested in Tudor history, I greatly admire your portrayal of Catherine of Aragon in “The Tudors.” What was your approach to bringing such a historically significant figure to life on screen?

A) I felt a huge responsibility to her. She had such a difficult journey through life. I read a lot about her, I was fascinated by how well educated she was (something that would not have been usual for woman at the time but her parents felt it was important for her to be a true companion and confidante to her husband) …She was also fiercely devout and her faith was what she clung to. It was interesting also that the age difference between Johnny [Rhys Meyers] and I was similar to that of Catherine and Henry.

Q) What would you like to say to fans and supporters of your work?

A) I would say that the world seems like an especially troubled place right now, reach for the comfort that is to be found in art and be kind to yourselves and others.