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Lindsay Duncan is one of the UK's most celebrated actresses. She has regularly appeared on television screens since the early Nineties in shows such as GBH, A Year In Provence, Shooting The Past and Rome.

Mission: 2110 marks Lindsay's second foray into sci-fi after appearing as the Doctor's companion in The Waters Of Mars last year and her second appearance in a children's series.

What do you think about Mission: 2110?

The whole team are so wonderfully enthusiastic and excited about the project and that's really infectious. It seems a very ambitious show, a thing I admire. Aim high and don't let mediocrity drag you down, children deserve the best and I think they are going to provide something really exciting.

I saw some images and the ship looks amazing it looks fantastic – sophisticated and exciting and urban and futuristic but beautiful as well.

How do you play two characters who are essentially the same person?

The scripts are really good and there is such a clear differentiation between these two creatures in terms of their character that you simply go with that.

There is a great delight in trying to play something that's essentially pure evil. A lot of that character is really playful in the most unpleasant way and she really plays with Caleb's mind and takes great pleasure in that. The villains always have a lot of abuse in them and that's great and it's quite extreme so as soon as you invest in the extremity of that evil you are long way away from the other character.

Did you enjoy working on another show connected with Phil Ford, who co-wrote Waters Of Mars and devised the back story for Mission: 2110?

I haven't really broached this territory before so it is nice to have a connection and it is nice to have a link between Doctor Who and this. I have never really done sci-fi like this before and it is interesting that they have some so close together and I so enjoyed both.

Did you enjoy being cast as one of The Doctor's companions?

I am not a Doctor Who aficionado but you could tell in terms of the creative team that they were more than up for the challenge of going into darker territory. I am very honoured to be one of The Doctor's companions. I am part of iconic television and I am really proud of it.

Laura Gant was a brilliant scientist – did you have an aptitude for science as a child?

I did not have an aptitude for science as I'm fairly arts-based but I liked putting on the overalls and going into the lab. I am much more interested in science now than I was – I think that comes with age.

How do you think you would fare playing the games in Mission: 2110?

I would start off well and I would lose concentration. I think I might start well and drift off and end up day dreaming. I am not motivated enough.

Have you appeared in children's television before? I played Lady Walton in Just William about 18 years ago and had to ride a motorbike with a sidecar!

Mission: 2110 is set in the next century – do you have any predictions for the future?

Let's just say I've got my fingers crossed!