Outlaws character reveals she helped topple Colston’s statue

One of the characters in The Outlaws has revealed that she helped topple Edward Colston’s statue.

Stephen Merchant’s new comedy-thriller was filming during June 2020, with Merchant previously revealing that the script was rewritten to reflect the momentous events.

Speaking in episode two, which is now available to watch on iPlayer, each person told a secret about themselves during a break from cleaning up Sea Mills Community Centre.

“With all tropes or stereotypes there’s always a person behind them, isn’t there?” says Clare Perkins, who plays Myrna. “With Myrna we find out that it comes from the heart. It all started after the riots in St. Paul’s where she witnessed police brutality as a child against her friends. You could say she’s the angry black woman or she’s some sort of old hippie fighting for outdated values, but it all comes from a real place and she passionately believes in it.”

Myrna: “I was one of the people who tore down that statue of Edward Colston.”

John: “Wow, so you’re a vandal.”

Myrna: “No, I just don’t believe in memorialising slave traders.”

John: “And that gives you the right to destroy public property does it?”

Myrna: “Edward Colston got rich from the systematic dehumanisation of an entire people.”

John: “So did Simon Cowell but you’re not going after him are you?”

Myrna: “I tell you what, let’s put up some more statues of white blokes. Who shall we have? Prince Andrew? Piers Morgan? Harry Potter?”

Gabby: “Guys, please. You can’t fix yourself by breaking someone else.”

John: “Which philosopher gave us that little gem? Ariana Grande?”

A lifelong citizen of Bristol, Myrna is “an activist who cares very much about the community and about how political decisions affect society – particularly the black community”, according to the actor who plays her, Clare Perkins.

Myrna set up a group called the Bristol Justice Collective, who “have changed people’s lives for the better and she’s selfless in that way,” says Perkins.

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Listen to Stephen Merchant and some of the cast of The Outlaws at the world premiere at Watershed:

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In episode three, the reason why Myrna is in the Community Payback Scheme will be revealed as she “kind of kidnaps” a pair of police officers and drives them around Bristol with them in the back.

Perkins revealed more: “Shouting out the window things like, ‘If you enjoy beating up young black men join the police!’ She’s an old-school activist. Not interested in online petitions.”

Greg (Stephen Merchant), Myrna (Clare Perkins) and Gabby (Eleanor Tomlinson) at Sea Mills Community Centre – photo: BBC / Amazon Studios / Big Talk / Four Eyes

Perkins says that Bristol is “front and centre – through Myrna” in The Outlaws.

“The other characters are Bristolian, but to me they don’t really have that full, angry heart that I find in Bristol.

“I really like the city. I lived down there for a bit, and though I’m back in London now I miss it, it’s got a really nice vibe.

“People seem to care about stuff, there seem to be a lot of independent high streets and when you have to queue for stuff, everyone seems much more chilled in Bristol than they do in London.

“I do think it’s definitely got a big heart, that city. If it’s not in all the characters, it’s definitely in the story.”

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Main photo: BBC / Amazon Studios / Big Talk / Four Eyes

Read more:

• Stephen Merchant jokes that protesters ‘mistook lorry for a racist statue’
• Where was The Outlaws filmed in Bristol?
• Christopher Walken: ‘Bristol is a terrific place, first time I was here there were riots’

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