As leader of the squad, he now has a power and status that the Church couldn't offer. Whereas his colleagues remain unconvinced by the religious elements of the job, for Pearse they're central. Or perhaps it's simply his main failing - the sin of pride.

Philip Quast says:

"Although Pearse is not a conventionally active priest anymore, many of his scenes are very confessional. The covert work of the squad means that all its members are forced into an almost priest-like existence - so in that sense Pearse has the advantage as he's used to isolation. As a character he as a 'barrister mind' and a very intellectual approach to the work of the squad."

Philip Quast has won Laurence Olivier Awards for his performances in The Fix at the Donmar Warehouse and for Sunday in the Park with George at the Royal National Theatre - one of very few actors to have won two Oliviers.

His theatre work includes Troilus and Cressida, Macbeth and White Devil for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has also appeared in Les Miserables, both in London and Sydney.

Philip's television and film credits include Fields of Fire, Brides of Christ, The Governor, Army Wives and The Damnation of Harvey McHugh.

< back