Written and directed by Chris Reading and narrated by Stephen Fry, Time Travel Is Dangerous, which is now in theaters, is a quintessentially British comedy that blends witty dialogue, quirky characters, and a bit of the absurd with a touching story. The film revolves around best friends Ruth Syratt and Megan Stevenson, who run a vintage shop in Muswell Hill in London. When they stumble upon a time machine, they decide to “borrow” items from the past to stock their shop, aiming to find unique pieces. However, they must navigate the perilous time-space vortex known as “The Unreason.” The film features an ensemble cast, with Ruth and Megan playing characters based on themselves. Set around their actual Muswell Hill vintage shop ChaChaCha, the film adds a real-life documentary element to the sci-fi mockumentary.

Recently, actress Sophie Thompson, who plays Valerie, spoke with SciFi Vision about the film.

Read the full transcript below.

SCIFI VISION:   What was it that made you want to be a part of the project? Was it what you expected? 

SOPHIE THOMPSON:   Being asked first and foremost, but it was an independent film written by people who were already friends of mine. I’d always loved Ruth & Megan’s shop. They'd made such a special haven of their space in Muswell Hill - I love their originality - and had been involved with a short they had done a few years before.  
Also, the story was so bonkers, and we all need a healthy portion of absurdity in our lives. Things are rarely what one expects them to be...
 
What was your prep like for the role? 

There wasn’t a huge amount of time, but the prep was really all done collectively as we found the best way through the process of making the story three dimensional within the confines of the clock and budget.  

Is there anywhere other than the script that you took inspiration from for the character? 

I tend to take inspiration mainly from the story before me - the characters therein and how they interact.  
Any other inspiration is usually a tad mysterious and private for me.

What did you find the easiest and most difficult to connect with character-wise? 

I think the easiest was the silliness and the hardest was portraying someone who actually knew what they were talking about! 

Was there anything else that you found challenging? 

I always find my work a challenge. It’s one of the best things about it; one is always learning. 

What have you learned from the experience or how has it changed you? 

Every job one does teaches you something if you are lucky. The specifics on this were probably just that invention is key. 

Talk about how it’s different working in a low budget film like this compared to a bigger budget film? Does it change the way you approach it? 

Budget doesn’t really affect the way you approach the actual work. Bigger budgets tend to just mean more time and more mugs of coffee and snacks.

What was your favorite moment working on the film overall? 

Being with a bunch of lovely creative people who are wanting to make a thing…

Do you have a favorite scene? 

I’m not really a favourites kinda gal. It’s the moments that matter. 

Talk about your time on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – what is the memory that stands out? 

That’s when you really clock a budget - when you're on a set of that kind of scale - when they have the luxury of multiple takes and choices therein…and when there’s a lot of green and blacks, chocolate in the canteen. 

What is it you look for in a role? 

A sense that I might be a decent choice for the role - a sense of connection. 

What is your ultimate dream role or someone you’d like to work with? 

It sounds sad and I don’t mean it to, but I’ve never had ultimate dreams in this profession. I allow myself to hope often, but my main endeavour is to remain open to things that actually come my way. There are too many extraordinary actors to name that I would love to work with. A few of them are dead, so those ones must remain fantasies. I just hope a few of the other living ones don’t...

Do you have any other new projects coming up?

I’ve been occasionally wandering big sets in a big wig in a project called Silo lately, and a project I worked on two years ago, Belgravia: The Next Chapter has finally landed over here. It went to America first…rude. I’m currently in Canada working on a project called Sisters, the first season of which is currently being streamed on UTV. It is written by and stars Susan Stanley and Sarah Goldberg, two women who I'm happy to say have been in my life for many years and who I admire beyond measure. It’s due to be aired I believe in the Autumn.