'They are definitely Suffolk and not West Country pirates' - dialect expert from Sudbury reveals process of training actors for Netflix film The Dig

As the long-awaited drama film about the discovery of Sutton Hoo arrives on Netflix on Friday, many viewers may be surprised to learn of the production’s close ties to Sudbury.

That’s because of the work of local dialect expert Charlie Haylock, who trained the actors on The Dig to achieve an authentic Suffolk accent, even putting the main star – Suffolk-born Ralph Fiennes – to the test in the area’s cafés and pubs.

Prolific writer Charlie said he agreed to join the project in July 2019 after a phone call from Ralph, who portrays Sutton Hoo's discoverer, Basil Brown.

Within two days, he had set about “Suffolk-ating” the script, rewriting the lines phonetically for the county’s dialect and slipping in a few well-known local phrases, at the approval of the director.

He told the Free Press the pair then began Suffolk dialect sessions at The Quay Theatre the following month.

“The Quay Theatre supplied a room and were very supportive,” he said. “A special thank you to the staff at The Quay, especially the manager, Sharon Buckler.

“Ralph early on decided to remain in a Suffolk dialect all the time – off set, on set, on the weekends, daytime, night-time, all the time until filming was complete.”

To help the actor master this manner of speaking, Charlie took him to various public bars – including The White Horse in Edwardstone, Fox & Hounds in Groton, The Cock Inn in Brent Eleigh and The Bell in Kersey – to interact with the locals.

He explained that Ralph would join in conversations to learn the sound and rhythm of the Suffolk dialect, adding that he was able to go largely unrecognised by patrons.

Following this, Charlie began staging workshops in London, to train the other actors playing Suffolk roles, using the mirrors at a dance studio so they could examine their mouth movements to help get the dialect right.

He then remained on set throughout filming at Ralph’s request, taking notes on the dialogue after each take to ensure its authenticity.

“Everyone will know that all the actors playing Suffolk roles are trying their hardest to speak in a Suffolk dialect,” he said.

“However, to the perfectionist, there might be the odd word here and there that’s not quite right. But, one thing I certainly do know is they are definitely Suffolk and don’t sound like West Country pirates.

"After a hard day filming with retake after retake, Ralph suddenly stood and recited a soliloquy from Hamlet in a Suffolk accent. It sounded fantastic and brought Shakespeare alive.

"By the time it came to filming, I wasn't working with an actor who was playing Basil Brown. I was working with someone who was Basil Brown – behaved like him, talked like him and thought like him."

Ralph, whose extended family still lives in Clare, added: “Charlie is a perfectionist and would correct me on anything that felt inaccurate. His pleasure when we got it right was tangible.

“I loved that it was a matter of pride for Charlie that he wanted us to speak the Suffolk dialect accurately. Charlie’s pleasure in the work made it one of the most fulfilling experiences.”

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