Returning to the role of Louisa Durrell for a final series, Keeley Hawes explains why the fourth series marks a poetic ending to the drama and how her on-screen family have become an important part of her life.

“I’m so pleased we were able to tell the story and take it through to its natural end just before most of them left Corfu. It feels like the right thing to have done. Not only selfishly for us but also because it’s such a brilliant story for the viewers. It’s a very satisfying end.

“Of course, it didn’t end for the Durrells there. They then went off and, in fact, their lives became even more interesting if that could be possible. Their adventures went up a gear. But for this part of their story it feels like we’ve done them proud. It’s a lovely ending.

“We’ve reached the spring of 1939 and the storm clouds have gathered around them. The war is on the horizon. They have to accept that and move on. But it’s still the sunny Durrells that we love. That is so much part of the show. The sunshine and that beautiful Corfu light. The sea and the locations are almost another character. And so it is quite right that we leave with the sun shining.

“But it’s not over yet because the show hasn’t aired. Also we still see each other a lot. It feels like something that, hopefully, will never go away. because of the nature of it. The kids growing up together alongside me, both on set and away from set. You become a part of people’s lives in a much more intimate way

“The new opening titles are, yet again, a work of art. With a spot of nudeness. Who’d have thought it? They provide a really lovely start to each episode. So pretty.”

Keeley goes on to reveal where we find Louisa as the new series begins.

“Louisa is now running the house as a high grade guest house. With a new ‘penthouse’ floor., which came off the back of Larry writing an article and encouraging people to come to Corfu, slightly under false pretenses. But Louisa decides to make the most of that and tries to turn it into another one of her money spinners.

“She is actually very good at it. Louisa Durrell was a brilliant cook and obviously loved surrounding herself with people. She was a real people person. I think that comes across really well in the first episode of this series.

“It also gives us a lovely opportunity to bring other characters in that may only have been one line in the book. Our screenwriter Simon Nye has used his artistic licence and imagination to bring in some fabulous characters along the way.”

The end of the last series saw Louisa and Spiro reveal their feelings for one another. Keeley discusses their relationship in the new series.

“Louisa is trying to get over Spiro. She is trying to be grown up about that and get on with her life. It’s a matter of self preservation for both of them to keep apart. It’s a tantalising storyline. There was much debate about where to go with that story because you don’t want to stray too far away from the reality of what their situation was. There are so many things to consider.

“Personally, I think the right balance has been struck. It’s also a very satisfying end to that journey and relationship. If feels right how it unfolds. A lot about The Durrells is bittersweet. The end is about looking to the future rather than things coming to an end.”

She reflects on seeing the younger cast members grow up over the course of the series.

“I’m five foot ten and Milo is now almost as tall as me. There’s an inch or so in it, but there wasn’t much difference by the end of filming. He’s also got a lower voice. I first saw his voice had broken at the end of the last series when he went on a breakfast show with Daisy Waterstone. This young man opened his mouth and somebody else’s voice came out. That was very odd.

“He’s certainly grown up. There’s a moustache there. But Milo was always very mature. Gerry also gets long trousers later in the series. Louisa is not ready for that. I recognise that as a parent myself. It’s just awful how fast they grow up. But Milo looks great in those long trousers. He wears them well. And they were Callum Woodhouse’s trousers. So they are actually Durrell hand-me-downs. Which is only right.

“There’s a sense this series of the children all coming back to where they should be. To where they belong. Which is what happens in life. Your children go off because they have to and you need them to. But also wherever Louisa is, that’s their home. Wherever your parents are should be your home. That’s where home will be. Even though it might not be in Corfu. It’s wherever she is.”

New animals this series include lemurs and an owl. Keeley talks about working with the wildlife.

“There’s a scene with Louisa in bed with some lemurs on top of the bed. They were tame lemurs. But only in as much as you can tame a lemur. They basically do what they want. It’s a really beautiful scene. They had nets over the top of the set so they couldn’t run up into the top of the stage. There is so much to think about when you’re filming with animals.

“The lemurs are really watchable. You can’t take your eyes off them. Another example where no-one is going to be listening to a word we’re saying when there are lemurs running around. They got very attached to the cameras. They could see their reflections in the lenses and thought there was another lemur there.

“It’s always a lot of fun with the animals. We have an barn owl called Ulysses who was my favourite animal this series and a pink sheep. It felt slightly different this year because we knew it was the end. You appreciated having the animals there probably more than we ever have done. Because it’s not something that will happen again.”

With World War II looming, there is a darker undertone to the fourth series and Louisa is slightly in denial of the impending and inevitable changes that lie ahead.

“She has lived through one war and has no interest in living through another one. Like so many people of that generation. They had lived through the worst war imaginable – the First World War – and lost people. So there was no appetite from her for another one.

“Louisa has four children including sons who would be called up to fight. So she does stick her head in the sand. The outbreak of war was very close at this time and Corfu was eventually invaded and occupied.”

However, there’s still a lot of fun in the series, including some Greek dancing in one episode…

“The Greek dancing was fine. I had to do a nice little dance with Milo Parker, which we enjoyed. We had lessons with a choreographer. It was quite nerve-racking, quite tricky. Trickier than it looks. But good fun. And then, of course, as with any sort of filming you only see a tiny little bit of it. Having worked on it for weeks. With amazing traditional costumes. Our costume designer Charlotte Holdich did such a brilliant job.

“It’s really nice to see that side of Corfu. We’ve never really done that. It’s the full thing. Headdresses, dresses and all of it. We went all out.

“Louisa and her guest house team also have special uniforms. We all kept one of our aprons afterwards. It’s got ‘Kaliméra’ on it. Which means ‘good morning’. All hand stitched by our fabulous costume department. We all had matching ones in various fibres.”

Keeley admits that it was emotional filming the final scenes of the series.

“The actual final scene of the whole show in Corfu we filmed a few weeks before we finished. That was the most emotional. It involved all of the main players and we knew it was the end.

“That was very sad. It was quite tricky to hold that together. We all had a round of applause afterwards and lots of hugs. That scene stands out because it is the actual final scene of the series.

“Then the final scene at Twickenham Studios was Miles Jupp, who plays Basil, and I filming a lovely scene where he tells Louisa he’s going back to England. It was just the two of us. Over the last week everyone started dropping off as they finished filming their scenes. So Josh O’Connor wrapped, then Milo Parker and so on. They all had a nice goodbye. It just felt right.”

Finally, she looks back on the final series.

“I think this is the strongest series of all four. We were able to throw everything at it. I hope people love the episodes as much as we loved making them. We feel we’ve done The Durrells proud and we hope other people do too.”