Tommo is definitely a changed man from the person we first met in series one. At one point playing fast and loose with all elements in life, he was the sex-mad live wire of the group.
But now he’s a dad and, dare we say it, maturing a little bit? (Well… maturing as far as Brassic is concerned, at least).
However, when his pride and joy club, The Rat And Cutter, finds itself with a rival, Tommo has a new mission on his hands to assert the place as the go-to venue in Hawley.
Naturally, this leads to a new scheme with hilarious results – and a dance-off.
Speaking ahead of series 6, actor Ryan Sampson talks Tommo’s development from series one, what lies ahead for him, and that explosive finale…
Why do you think Brassic is still going strong and so loved by fans?
It’s a group of people that you want to hang out with regardless of whether you like them or not. You want to be there because there’s always something going on between them but they do love each other. That’s ultimately why people are drawn back to the show.
The show has a loyal fan base, what kind of reaction do you get?
It’s really lovely that people have taken Brassic so much to their heart; people feel really strongly about it. You don’t get that often. I’ve been really lucky in my career because people really loved Plebs and they’re really into Brassic too.
It’s not that common to have people that are so invested in your show and the characters; we feel really lucky to have their support.
Do fans still come to watch filming in locations like Bacup which is where you film Hawley scenes?
Oh yeah, there’s always people around. They’ll find out where we’re filming and then just turn up, which is quite lovely. And people live in those little villages where we film where not much is going on normally, so it must be quite nice to be like, “Hey, they’re here filming again!” We always get people who bring us gifts, which is sweet.
Someone brought us loads and loads of cupcakes this series and we were like, “You don’t need to do this, but that’s really sweet of you!” They seem to just like to feed us!
What does this show and the character mean to you personally after all these years?
It’s the epicness of the show which is really appealing. And also the improv that we’re allowed to do on it means that it feels really free form and a bit chaotic!
Some of the scenes start off as one thing and then when we do them a few times it turns into something just absolutely mad because we’ve improvised some stuff. You watch it back sometimes and you’re like, “Will people even understand what’s going on?”
Our own personal dynamic comes into it sometimes, and you start to take the piss out of someone in a scene how you would in real life; it’s funny! But I think people like it because you’re watching it and it feels like a real slice of these people hanging out together.
Have you changed the way you approach the character from series one to series six?
I know Tommo so well now. With series one, you had to make an impression of what the character was quite specifically, but now we’ve been able to diversify a bit. There’ve been episodes where Tommo is a lot more vulnerable, which I really enjoy doing because that’s quite fun to see someone who puts on such a front and see what’s going on behind that.
He was this naughty deviant in series one, but he’s evolved into much more now; he’s a dad and he’s got all these emotions going on. I like seeing that development in him as a character. I want to do more of that, to be honest. I think you can afford to with a show like this because everyone’s invested in the characters now, so it’s not weird to have a whole episode about Carol or Erin; there’s space for that amongst everything else. We feel very lucky to have that within the show.
How would you sum up series six?
I’ve got to say we have the biggest, maddest ending to a series that I’ve ever done because it’s just so epic and filmic and disastrous that I don’t think anyone will see it coming. And I would say this series is the deadliest yet…
There is a very gruesome death in the series, what was that like to film?
It was really difficult to film because it’s quite a tricky set piece. Getting all the parts moving in the right way was difficult. But then also you read the scripts and you’re like, “Oh, it’s like a comedy death,” but then when we did it, it’s actually pretty horrific. It’s really, really gruesome and way worse than you expect. We had to adjust our performance levels to go, “Oh, this is actually harrowing”.
How does this death impact the gang?
I’d say we have this unexpected, gruesome death at the top of the series, which, because it’s so harrowing and so big, threatens to spin everyone off in different directions. It kind of gets everyone to go in their separate ways. Erin can’t cope at all…
Tommo’s always had the Rat & Cutter, but there’s a rival this series, how does he feel about that?
There’s a new club in town and there’s this sense of him feeling like he’s on his way out. Like everything’s sort of trampling on him and he has to fight back on his own for once. Well, with the help of a breakdancing local who comes to the fore!
Why is Tommo so obsessed with his club?
He’s not someone who’s particularly got family and the normal kind of things that hold your life together. He’s got this one point of pride that he thinks makes him better than the people that he grew up with. And also because he was raised in this really conventional household, he so desperately wants to strike out and be different and do something that he can be proud of, and yet it always just goes a bit shit!
He looks to relive his youth with the help of Jim’s nephew, Scott. What’s that all about?
It turns out Scott was a bit of an icon when Tommo was growing up because he was a break dancing champion who used one of those dance machines in an arcade. His capabilities on one of those dance machines is off the scale. So he shot to fame for a brief moment in the nineties and now Tommo’s determined to pull him back from oblivion and raise him to his former glory and also get some personal gain out of it by bringing people to the Rat & Cutter.
Did you have a go on this dance machine?
We all did and it’s surprisingly difficult! It’s not as easy as you’d imagine. And I think the guy who was playing the part also discovered that!
This series also sees Tommo leave for Berlin to spend time with Hans, how has having a son changed him?
It’s awoken this other side in him that he didn’t know that he had, which is protective. Suddenly he’s starting to feel like a proper member of society a little bit.
He’s kind of torn a little bit now. He does sort of want to have someone that he’s linked to and that he can look after and that sort of thing. But it’s also a big change from who he is. That’s a big interesting pull for the character in these two different directions.
Fans will notice there’s some more flirting between Tommo and Meena this series, what’s going on there?
Tommo obviously feels some sort of weird attraction to her. She’s this very steely, funeral-working woman. It obviously does something for him that she’s such an oddball as well; there’s definitely something between them.
I can’t really imagine what he’d be like in a relationship - they would be a match made in oddness!
What’s the feeling like behind the scenes?
Everyone’s a bit more settled now living in Manchester, so we’re all kind of visiting each other’s apartments, that sort of thing.
I’d say it’s gotten a bit more civilised and a bit more sophisticated as we’ve all gotten a bit older. It’s like we’ve gone from just being a load of young yobs to being proper adults and members of society!
Did you have any wild nights out together during filming?
Yeah, we went to watch Bronagh, who plays Carol, perform. She had a gig and her band is phenomenal. It was raucous and wild. She’s in this amazing sequined bodysuit doing all these mad speeches on stage and then we all went out after and had a really wild night that I think we were feeling for about two weeks afterwards.
It was intense; it was a lot. You know you’re getting old when you have a two-week hangover!
You touched on the final episode of the series, it’s a real cliffhanger, what did you think when you read the script for the first time?
I think people will watch it and be like, “How the fuck are they going to do a next series after this?” And to be honest, I’m desperate for the next scripts to see how we’re going to get out of it.
I’m not lying when I say this is the deadliest and by far the biggest stunt we’ve ever done on Brassic.
What was it like to film?
It was a huge cinematic piece. We had to use state-of-the-art technology to get it done. I’ve never done anything this big. There were hydraulics, LED screens; things were moving. It was like some sort of Disneyland adventure ride. You know what I mean? It was amazing.
I think people will really wonder how we’ve managed to pull this off. We felt like movie stars. It just feels like we’re getting more and more cinematic; I mean, come on, there’s got to be a film soon, surely got to be?
There is a seventh series, do you know anything?
None of us know how they are going to get the gang out of the chaos they are in at the end of this series. I can’t wait to get the scripts!
If you could choose a new storyline for Tommo, what would you like to see happen to him?
I want him to get really successful because I think we’ve seen him at the bottom; I’d like to see what he’s like when he’s on top for a change!
Tommo's Top 5 outfits
His best outfit was when we did this BDSM scene where Tommo was working in a club and was spanking this guy who liked to be an adult baby. I was wearing a latex suit. That was pretty impressive.
Anything with leopard print! Tommo loves a bit of animal print so that feels like part of who he is as a character.
I’ve got a real soft spot for his new coat that’s crept into his wardrobe recently. It’s this long, sort of sheepskin black coat. That’s the maddest thing ever. That’s got a touch of Donnie Brasco about it. So I really like that.
Tommo got to dress as a jockey for one episode which was good, and a police officer for another. Although, the bottom of that costume wasn’t actually a police uniform because they couldn’t find one for someone as small as me.
He’s partial to a silky, garish shirt. I’ve actually started to quite enjoy those types of shirts in my real life, but my boyfriend’s like, “What are you doing?” So Tommo’s wardrobe is drifting into mine!