‘Spotlight On; Fiona Watson Artistic Associate’ Turquiose background with lighter blue colours circles, with a headshot of Fiona, a white, older woman with red hair.

Spotlight On... Fiona Watson!

Name: Fiona Watson
Role: Felicity in Odds On 
Favourite Film: ‘3 Women’ directed by Robert Altman who was a genius American film director. 
Dream site to make a show: A site-specific show in some really formal setting, like a huge office block, or somewhere quite small like a GP’s surgery or dentist. The twist is that it is, or contains, a portal to a completely other world or reality which keeps leaking through...


You play Felicity, the protagonist in Odds On. Tell us about her: 

Felicity is a retiring GP. She is smart, funny and caring. She has worked hard and raised a family but is nervous about her retirement. As it comes closer, issues that she has successfully kept in the back of her mind start to make themselves more conscious, and she begins to experience feelings that she is not comfortable with. She turns to the cheery distraction of ‘slots’, gambling apps on her phone and is drawn into the all consuming ‘casino in her pocket’.

Throughout the film Felicity becomes, or interacts with, animated characters - how did that change your performance? Was it challenging?

It was hard work acting with animated characters who are, of course, not there. The cute little fish was actually a weird little cross which had to be held in a very specific way, in a very specific position to be filmed. As you can imagine, there were quite a few takes of that scene. There was much fun to be had too, doing voice overs for the animated sequences with the whole DoD team was a blast.

Do you have a favourite line of Felicity’s?

‘’You know, there’s a lot of change at the moment that’s all. I’m just feeling a little – lost – like I don’t really know who I am. And I want it all to be quiet. But when it’s quiet, all I crave is noise.’’

Odds On explores online gambling, is there anything you've learnt about gambling harm from the process that has stuck with you?

I learned that gambling is an addiction and that it is easier than ever for any of us to be drawn in, with apps on our phones that are with us all the time. The gambling companies are utterly unscrupulous in their attempts to pull folk in and keep them playing. There are many courageous people who have come through a whole ordeal who are helping others and raising consciousness.

Finally, what was the most memorable moment of the shoot?

The sea scene, with our sound operator and DOP in an inflatable canoe being towed along by Dave, our water safety hero and me floundering around in a wet suit trying to swim. The sea was deceptively choppy and the tide was going out fast and whatever I tried to do, the sea would just dump me sideways. Funny, not funny. Any way thanks to the genius of the team, usable shots were salvaged!