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While viewers endure the agonizingly slow anticipation for the upcoming installment of Line of Duty, which starts production in January, actor Martin Compston will be seen in several upcoming shows. He features in a couple of surprising guises and once more in the familiar form of a efficient and taciturn hero in Red Eye.

A Revelation in The Revenge Club

Firstly is The Revenge Club, where Compston gives a surprising turn. The story focuses on a support group for the recently divorced, a disparate band united solely by their mutual situation of being abandoned. “There is no other explanation for these people to be in each other’s lives,” Compston states. “They’re all lonely and in serious need of connection. They’re all, in their own ways, hurt, which makes for this unpredictable combination.”

“With an excitement about what you’re doing and energy for what you’re doing, the public will be with you.”

Although this might appear miserable, the series is the opposite – even scenes in a beat-up community centre are heightened. The acts of revenge, undertaken by the entire group, start off relatively mild before taking into dangerous ground. The drama at first evokes other shows but soon carves out its particular voice. “It resides in its own lane,” he says. “It transitions from emotional scenes into a sort of caper. You assume you’re going down one path, then you’re not.”

Stepping Outside the Usual Role

A couple of interesting things emerge about Compston's casting in this show. The first is that he's in a comedic role, a rarity for him. “This was outside my usual wheelhouse,” admits Compston. Another surprise is his role as the central romantic figure, a notable change from his typically disastrous fictional love life. Compston and his co-star exhibit a engaging sparky chemistry.

“This is one of the things I admire about the show,” he states. “We aren't just good guys who have been wronged. Our former partners may be people who’ve progressed with their lives. We’ve all gone down this road because we had little to cling on to, and all of a sudden we have this club.”

A Tour of Las Vegas

Perhaps more surprising is the personal Compston showcased in the upcoming travelogue Living Las Vegas. Having married American actor Tianna Chanel Flynn nearly a decade ago, he divides his time between Scotland and Nevada. The program sees him discovering his second home city, connecting with locals from a retro store owner to equestrian instructors. It offers a endearing and consciously apolitical glimpse of normal life.

“Many of people live their lives on social media,” he notes, tactfully. “I am not oblivious of the challenges out there, but we live on a nice street, we’ve got friendly neighbours... we’re all just getting on with our lives.” He states his personal political leanings but emphasizes that, as a resident, he mostly chooses to remain private in an particularly divisive discourse.

The Return of a Cultural Touchstone

The highly-anticipated announcement of Line of Duty's seventh season has sparked tremendous interest. The show secured record viewing figures for its previous season end. “That 9 o’clock hour, whether it be on a Sunday night or over the holidays, it’s gold dust,” Compston reflects. “You feel like you’ve got the country in the palm of your hand if you’ve got something compelling to show them.”

He believes that the character of Supt Ted Hastings, played by Adrian Dunbar, has struck a chord profoundly with viewers. “He’s become the nation’s favourite. A person who wants to do the right thing. People want to support the heroes, and feel there are decent people out there.”

New Horizons

In the interim, Compston reprises to tense drama territory in the second series of Red Eye, channeling the focused energy fans love him for. Beyond acting, he is increasingly moving into production roles. “You get that working-class guilt, you need to do something,” he jokes of his work ethic.

He talks about one idea, a biopic about Allan Pinkerton, a Scottish figure who established the Pinkerton detective agency in America. “He founded the detective agency, worked on the Underground Railroad... led an remarkable life. This man from the Gorbals.” It sounds like a story uniquely suited to an actor associated with playing driven characters.

The Revenge Club is streaming now on Paramount+; Red Eye is broadcast on ITV1 on New Year’s Day.