Power and prejudice

IDRIS Elba recalls feeling a vivid sense of deja vu walking on set for his latest project Guerrilla, a tale of two young activists involved in London's Black Power movement in the Seventies. "We filmed some of the tea house scenes right near my childhood home," explains Elba, who was born in the East End's Hackney in 1972. "Some days, walking to set felt like walking back in time."

The thought-provoking drama is created, written and directed by John Ridley, the Oscar-winning writer of 12 Years A Slave. "When we think about civil rights, we think about the Black Panthers in the US or Martin Luther King, but in England there was a smaller, similar movement," explains Elba, 44, who also co-executive produced the series.

"It was far from easy to be black or Indian in 1970s England, but we've never seen that story on British television. The opportunity to be a part of the development process of such a uniquely original and important story really appealed to me, as it was the time period of my youth."

Elba, known for his Golden Globe-winning title role in BBC One's Luther, and his stirring portrayal of Nelson Mandela in 2013's Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, recalls meeting Ridley shortly before the Academy Awards a few years ago.

"We really got on, and I had long been an admirer of his work," he remarks. "Around a year later, Katie Swinden, the executive producer at Fifty Fathoms, talked to me about Guerrilla and whether I wanted to come on board as an executive producer. As soon as I heard about John's vision for the show, I knew I wanted to be a part of this project."

The personal resonance was a profound factor for the actor. "As a black British man who grew up in the Seventies, I felt my voice could really complement John's, and getting to sit down with him and discuss the trajectory for the characters and the issues debated in the series has been a joy. It's the kind of story, as an actor and a producer, you dream of being a part of."

Slumdog Millionaire's Freida Pinto and National Treasure's Babou Ceesay play the central couple Jas and Marcus, whose relationship faces intense pressure when they're targeted by Special Branch's Black Power Desk. Led by DCI Nicholas Pence (Rory Kinnear) and his deputy Cullen (Daniel Mays), the unit is dedicated to suppressing black activism.

"Although I was aware of the racial injustice suffered by black people in that period, as it was well known in my youth that the police targeted those who were brave enough to be outspoken, I didn't know how high up it went," admits father-of-two Elba. "And while hearing some of the more horrific stories infuriated me, I was constantly uplifted by campaigner Darcus Howe and photographer Neil Kenlock's stories, of how they fought back when pushed against a wall. They were instrumental in bringing the nation to a level of equality, and I loved getting the chance to meet them and celebrate all they did."

Elba plays Kent, an activist who uses photography to document the plight of immigrants arriving from the Caribbean on the passenger liner, Windrush. "Kent is constantly striving towards equality and racial harmony as he wants to be a part of anything that's happening, but doesn't believe that direct action will get you there," comments the actor. "In his art gallery, he's created a space that's comfortable for both black radicals and white liberals, which puts him at odds with some of the more strident members of the black community."

It transpires that Jas and Kent used to be in a relationship, and despite the love they shared, and the love Kent undoubtedly still feels for Jas, they clash over the best way to achieve racial equality.

"Jas is headstrong, where Kent is considerate, and throughout the series he tries to talk her out of her plan for revolution, and ends up becoming embroiled in a complex web," notes Elba, who clicked straight away with his co-star. "As our characters have such an intimate history, it was important we felt comfortable with each other," he notes. "We had so much fun together on set. We'd be chatting away in breaks between scenes in which our characters were furious with each other."

Born to Winston, a factory worker from Sierra Leone, and Eve, a clerical worker from Ghana, Elba remembers "having a very happy childhood" - but observes that his dad "would tell a different story, and that story is what we're bringing to life in Guerrilla".

Elba explains: "As a kid, I was shielded from some of the harsher aspects of prejudice, but as I grew older, I talked to my parents about what they went through and the problems they faced. The opportunity to bring to life a story that reflects some of my personal history is really special to me."

Growing up in a multicultural part of London, he says he didn't "feel like a target" of racism, but he has experienced it. "All black men do," Elba states. "In school, in shops, when I was out with my friends..."

And while the drama might be set in the Seventies, the debates and themes could have been ripped from the headlines of a newspaper in 2017, he says. "The clashes that happened in the Seventies are the foundation of what we have now. So while we're telling a story of a particular moment in time, it also feels like a mirror to what's going on today. One of the things that really attracted me to this project was getting the chance to show a modern audience what it was like to face prejudice, fight racism and really take a stand. I think we can all learn a lot from what our ancestors went through."

• Guerrilla begins on Sky Atlantic on Thursday, April 13