Paul

Paul turns up in the middle of a small group of friends and acquaintances thrown together on a journey, more watchful than talkative. He isn't chasing anything grand — company, distraction, a way to pass the time — but there's a guardedness under the easy manner, as if he's still working out where he fits among the others.

Paul Popplewell has a gift for making ordinary blokes feel lived-in rather than sketched, and he brings that same low-key naturalism here: small hesitations, dry asides, nothing overplayed. The character stays interesting precisely because he isn't the loudest one in the room — you find yourself watching him to see what he actually thinks.