Coronation Street Blog Interview: Robin Askwith

 

(This post was originally posted by GraemeN on the Coronation Street Blog in August 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)


It's not every day you end up on the phone to Malta for an hour and a half with the actor Robin Askwith. Robin has been in my life for many years, thanks to his incredibly prolific and diverse acting career across film, television and theatre. Robin's career has come to be dominated by the legendary Confessions series of comedy films, however there is an awful lot more to the man than that. 

Always one to speak his mind, something that's really rather refreshing these days, Robin began our chat by discussing the modern trend of social media. Due to the growing popularity of his one man show performances, Robin is tentatively thinking about developing more of a following on Twitter, despite being wary about the internet. I think Twitter would be a much better place for a bit of Askwith so I hope he, for the want of a better expression, follows through. 

I've stitched the interview together from my many pages of notes - as Robin himself admits, he doesn't like formal question and answers, he prefers his answers to drive the questions! Here's how we got on:

One of your earliest film roles was that of Keating in If. It's a really iconic movie – what was it like to be a part of?

If was my first film part. I'd done some bits and pieces before that, like television commercials, but it was the big one. It's actually 50 years next year since we made that film and I'll be celebrating that with a tour I'm doing in 2018. It was an extraordinary film to get as my first role on the big screen. As you know I went to quite a posh public school and I took part in lots of school plays. The director of If, Lindsay Anderson, came to see one of the plays and I had a mishap with the false nose I was wearing. I made a joke of it and was told by the school that they wouldn't have me in another production. Lindsay loved it though and it was that that got me the film. 

 

Originally I was up for the part Richard Warwick played but they changed the ages of the characters and I ended up playing Keating, which was great as I had more time to learn about the process of filming. I remember having many, many auditions with the casting director, a lady called Miriam Brickman. Lindsay Anderson became a good friend though and I worked for him again in the film Britannia Hospital, playing the same character but in a larger role. He had tried to get me to do a couple of parts on stage at the Royal Court but I was too busy filming in the end. Lindsay Anderson was a great director, mainly in the theatre, but he was a guiding force for me in my early career.

In 1972 you appeared with many of the Carry On team in the film version of Bless This House. Was that a fun film to do and did you enjoy working with Sid James?

Bless This House is still such a popular film. Here in Gozo where I live, friends who are parents are always telling their kids that I'm a famous film star and they ask what I've been in - the only film I made that kids can really watch is probably Bless This House and they love it. It's such an English film and I don't know what all these Southern Europeans love about it but they go mad for it. A lot of the fan mail I get these days is about Bless This House and I get sent photos of me from the film. It's incredible, but I guess it's down to the terrific cast in the film and the fun of it all. 

Sid was great to work with, I really respected him and all the work he'd done. He'd made some terrific films, worked on the BBC series Taxi, which I loved and all the radio with Tony Hancock. There was a great deal of respect for Sid and he really was the leading man of the Carry Ons. He spotted me and took to me, he liked what I was doing and it was great to work with him. I did also appear in a one off episode of the series Bless This House, and I was originally considered for the part of Sid's son Mike. It went to Robin Stewart in the end but I think Sid wanted me for the part.  

I loved making the film. There was one sequence in particular, when I'm cooking in the cafe and we did the whole thing in one take - I was just allowed to go for it and it was all really spontaneous. The result was fantastic and Sid James told me it was genuinely the funniest thing he'd seen since the comic Charlie Cairoli. Sadly there was something wrong with the negative from the original take so we had to shoot it again. I was happy with it but it didn't have the edge of the original version. I remember Alan Hume, who was the Director of Photography, being such a giggler. We used to have to go again because he'd broken up laughing at what we were all doing. I think it was that film that made me realise I could do comedy. Until then I had been doing more straight stuff, more realistic. It was Sid's fault really as he kept telling me to go bigger and over react more in performance! And from that film I got Carry On Girls. 

One of your main co-stars in the Bless This House film was Carol Hawkins. I think you went to drama school with her too? What was it like to work with Carol?

I was very friendly with Carol, we got on really well. My agent at the time was a lady called Hazel Malone and her sister ran the Corona Academy, a school which trained young actors, producing the likes of Judy and Sally Geeson, Susan George, Richard O'Sullivan and Dennis Waterman. I had already had quite a serious schooling but I went along to Corona because it was just a great place to be. Also, my school had been a boys' school and Corona had girls! I had already made a few films and done some television at this stage but I got to know Carol before her career got going. We acted together there in a production of Private Lives I remember. 

Carol was responsible for drawing Gerald Thomas' attention towards me when he was casting the film of Bless This House. She had been working on Carry On Abroad with Sally Geeson just before and both Carol and Sally went on to do the Bless This House film straight after. Robin Stewart, who was playing Mike Abbott in the television series, was not going to appear in the film version and Gerald was looking around for a young actor. Carol suggested me. Gerald had no way of seeing what I had done as once one of the films I'd been in had been on in the cinema, it was gone. There were no DVDs in 1972 or even VHS. For instance, just before this I'd done a series for Yorkshire TV called On The House, with Kenneth Connor and Derek Griffiths. Once it was shown it was gone so it didn't really help. So Carol persuaded him to see me. I had Sid, Carol and Sally in my corner and I didn't have to read for the part. I remember as I arrived to meet Gerald, my main rival for the role, Christopher Timothy, was just leaving. He's a great actor but he was ten years older than me and not known for comedy. Gerald was a tremendous man and great to work with. 

 

In 1973 you played June Whitfield's son in Carry On Girls. You shared a memorable scene on Brighton beach with the lovely Maggie Nolan. Do you have fond memories of filming Girls and working with Maggie?

Carry On Girls was great fun. Originally my part of the photographer had been a wordless role but they built it up for me. I remember Barbara Windsor kept saying "'ere, that Askwith, his part's getting bigger and bigger!" (At this point I compliment Robin on his absolutely stunning Dame Barbara impersonation). June Whitfield was fantastic to work with, she called me "her son" off screen as well as on. She was (and is) a lovely lady and really great. We'd done something before Girls came along and many years later I appeared in panto with her. 

I remember at one stage I used to stay in a great hotel down in Wimbledon run by a man called Ray Slade. June and I had neighbouring suites in the hotel and he used to say he'd know what was going on in the June Whitfield suite and he'd always know what was going on in the Robin Askwith suite! At the time I had a girlfriend who kept budgies and once she brought them to the suite. We had a lot of fun joking about how I had three birds in my suite. 

 

I have fond memories of working with Maggie Nolan, she was great. That scene on the beach at Brighton was good to do but I was a total professional. I remember she was very political and at the time I think she was married to Tom Kempinski? She tried to sign me up to the Workers' Revolutionary Party but I declined! (I mention the infamous fight sequence in the film between Nolan and Barbara Windsor and tell Robin that Maggie was actually pregnant at the time). I didn't know she was pregnant but now you mention it I do recall she was a bit reticent about doing that scene. In the end I think they both really went for it though. Gerald Thomas wanted me to do more Carry Ons but of course I ended up going off to do the Confessions films, which in a way saw the eventual decline of the Carry Ons. I don't think he ever forgave me for that, which is sad. I got on very well with Gerald for a long time and used to go and see him at his house in Burnham. 

You have appeared twice in Coronation Street - once in a storyline filmed in Malta and more recently at Granada in Manchester. What was it like to join an established show like the Street?

Oh I loved it. The first part I did in the Street happened by accident. They were filming a storyline out in Malta, where I live. They couldn't find a suitable actor there to play this part of a slightly dodgy rep and the director Duncan Foster met me and said he wanted me for the part. I didn't have a lot to do and I remember they made me read for it before they confirmed I had the part. I do remember having a lot of fun working with Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald). He is a brilliant actor and a lovely bloke too. I remember we were getting ready to film a scene and he told me he was nervous about acting with me and I told him not to be as I had no idea what I was doing! 

And then in 2014 the role of the faded rock star Ritchie De Vries came along. At the time the casting director was Janet Hampson and I refused to come over from Malta to do an audition as I felt they knew what I could do. I did offer to send a tape though and filmed myself over here. I sent the tape over and they came back to say they wanted me to come over to Manchester anyway. They wanted me to do a screen test with Sue Johnston. I had to learn a six page scene for the test and I remember being really nervous when I got to the studios to do it. I hadn't had much sleep, I'd travelled a long way and I had always been such a fan of Sue Johnston's work. There was a lot of competition for the role but when I went in to do the reading, I absolutely nailed it. I have to thank Sue a great deal for that as she was excellent in the read through and really made it work well. Everyone at Granada was really encouraging when I went in that day.

I went back to Malta only to receive a call to say I had got the part and could I fly back the next day! To begin with Ritchie was meant to be a love interest for Sue's character however by that stage she had handed in her notice to go off and do other things, which was a shame, but my contract was only for three months anyway. People like Philip Lowrie (Dennis Tanner) and Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner) were so welcoming and kind and great to be with. I loved working with Philip, such a good actor and really good in the show. I really rated him and he was a lovely man too. Such a shame he's not in the show anymore. Barbara was great to work with and felt able to speak her mind on set! 

 

I did think it was a shame that my role became pretty comedic as originally it was meant to be a bit deeper than that. I think in the end they had me play it a bit like a Confessions actor with lots of humour whereas on my first appearance, when I came through the door the character was much more furtive. Ian Bevitt had me play it like that before turning on the big personality when Ritchie met Dennis. It was much more effective that way. I wish it had developed in more depth but I still loved it. I really got into it and was rewriting storylines in my head while I was there. I got on really well with Kym Marsh and thought it would have been great if Michelle had shown an interest in Ritchie - it would have got right up Steve's nose! People like Kate Ford (Tracy) and Ian Puleston-Davies (Owen) were really friendly and welcoming. Kate kept laughing every time she saw me! She seemed to find me quite funny! 

One of my favourite people was the late Anne Kirkbride, who played Deirdre. We didn't have any scenes together but she was such a lovely presence in the green room. Every time I went in there she'd throw her arms around me and give me a hug. Such a warm lady. I wish I'd got to work with her. I remember her asking if I was staying on and I said my contract was only for three months. She said "they've got to keep you Robin! It's only ink!" which was a lovely thing to say. 

I understand you recently met up with the lovely Judy Matheson at a Misty Moon event. What was it like to catch up with her again after working on Confessions of a Window Cleaner?

Yes it was great to see Judy again at Elstree. She's quite involved with Misty Moon these days. We had known of each other before we met on the set of Confessions of a Window Cleaner so she knows that I was a serious actor before I got into those films. 

 

Judy often mentions this on Twitter you know...

Does she? I think she was a fan of some of my films before we did the Confessions.

I was in touch with her the other day and she mentioned another of your contemporaries, Richard O'Sullivan...

Oh Richard was a big, big star and a great friend to me. Richard was a good actor and very underrated. At one of the shows I did last year I mentioned him to see what kind of reaction it would get and the audience gave him a round of applause. 

You work regularly with Stuart Morriss from The Misty Moon Film Society. How did that working relationship develop?

I was first approached about doing some kind of stand up show around the time I was tested for Coronation Street but I wasn't keen. I've never enjoyed doing signing sessions or being up there on my own like that so I kept saying no. At an event, Stuart approached me and suggested doing something but I wasn't sure. I was eventually convinced and I did a one off thing at the pub in Ladywell and afterwards my friend Derren Litten (who writes Benidorm) said I should do a one man show. 

 

Stuart then arranged for me to do something similar at the Gatehouse in London as part of the Camden Fringe Festival. It was a huge success and very popular so the whole thing got on a roll from there. I always thought it would be a risk to go out on my own but my confidence has grown, thanks to Stuart and the reaction from the audiences. We've had some great reviews and people are starting to take notice of it all. Without Stuart, none of it would have happened and whatever happens with it, he'll always be a part of it.

At this point Robin plugs the fact that he has a late night gig scheduled for Tuesday 10 October at the Phoenix Artist Club. He adds that as I've never been to one of his gigs, if I don't attend this one, he'll never speak to me again. Should you wish to attend the gig (I'm obviously definitely going now) you can find out more and buy tickets here

And with that, the whirlwind that is Robin Askwith bade me farewell. It was an honour and a privilege to have a personal audience with the great Mr Askwith, who kept me entertained, answered my questions with thought and flair and was extremely open and approachable. After an hour and a half of unpredictable, fairly ribald chat my mother would once have disapproved of, I staggered off for a large gin. Let's just hope Robin follows through on his Twitter promise. I really do think he could break the internet.

Finally, a massive thank you to Stuart at Misty Moon for helping to set up the interview! 
 
The original interview, in two parts, can be found at Carry On Blogging

By Graeme Naylor

You can follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82

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Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Secrets of Online Soaps Editor revealed by Duncan Lindsay of Metro.co.uk

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog July 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)

The debonair Mr Duncan Lindsay, Soaps Editor at Metro.c.uk

Hello, Duncan! It's over two years since you became the online soaps editor at Metro.co.uk and we thought it'd be a good time to catch up with you.

First of all, how did you make the leap from blogger to soaps editor at Metro.co.uk? How did you get the job?
I always loved writing so in my spare time, I submitted a few blogs to Metro.co.uk for publication, which readers can still do - they cover all sorts from lifestyle, health and nostalgia to relationships, TV, gaming - whatever tickles your fancy. Many of these had a soap theme and they did well for the site, people seemed to love reading them and engaging with them

So I was invited to move to London from Scotland to do some shifts with the entertainment desk. Over the year that followed, my soap stuff was clearly my forte and I started to grow a separate section on the site for it. I thought soaps are big enough and with passionate enough fanbases for them to be carried on their own. Now it's massive - and I sometimes even find time to commission blogs from others so have come full circle.

And are you still enjoying it?
I absolutely love it. It's busier than it's ever been, the section is now huge but I am so precious about it that I insist on doing it all myself, even if that leads to some unsocial hours. It's my baby though! Singlehandedly, I cover the four main soaps and the medical dramas and that involves features, interviews, backstage stuff, videos, social media projects, speculation, reaction pieces - there's always loads to do. But I really enjoy it.

The fans are absolutely brilliant to engage with, that's one of my favourite aspects is sharing my love of soap with readers and chatting to them about it. And of course, everyone at the four soaps is lovely and very supportive of Metro.co.uk.

I am deliberately always positive with my content. I think life's too short to always seek the negative angle and look to bring things down - these people on these soaps work so hard so who are we to mock their gaffes and slam their efforts? I don't think fans want to read their favourite shows being slated anyway so it's all about sharing a love of the soaps and being as enthusiastic as possible.

I know that a great majority of the actors are open fans of Metro.co.uk and that feels good that they appreciate how we cover them and that the readers respond well to it too. Second only to chatting with readers, that's the most rewarding bit is knowing the work isn't just being clicked but it's being shared and enjoyed.

What have been some of your soaps highlights over the last year?
I do love when the soaps go a little bit bonkers - which would explain my adoration for Corrie characters like Jenny Bradley, Mad Maya Sharma and Richard Hillman. So storylines like Pat Phelan's reign of terror or the Emmerdale Super Soap week were highlights as they allow the soaps to suspend reality and just go a little bit nuts. It's great escapism.

But part of the beauty of soap is the comedy which is what Corrie continues to nail for me. Tracy and Amy Barlow are constant highlights for me these days. Mary Taylor's growth this year has also been incredible - there is no much more depth to her but she is still extremely warm and very funny. I'm not such a fan of slapstick - I don't like when soaps go a bit cartoony but that's personal taste. It's all in the line delivery, the writing and the facial expressions for me.

In terms of major storylines, Ashley's dementia in Emmerdale, the teenage cancer story in Hollyoaks, Bethany's sex ring abuse in Corrie and Bex's bullying ordeal in EastEnders have all been hard hitting but deeply engaging for me.

Were you nervous at first about going into the soaps press days to interview the cast?
It feels like so long ago and they have become such a normal part of the job but I recall being quite nervous back in the day. Not so much over meeting famous people as I genuinely have never been starstruck and when you do actually meet these actors, as most on the Corrie blog know, they're just human beings like anyone else and so warm and approachable. I am very lucky to simply class many of them among my friends.

But the first proper press day I did was when I was still a blogger for Metro.co.uk. It was a Coronation Street event and so involved Manchester travel and an overnight stay because it included night time interviews and entertainment. As I say, the things I am always most nervous about (and still get nervous about when it's a new venue!) is actually finding the place and getting there on time as my skills at directions are utterly hopeless. It was quite an in depth press event to get started with for my first one as it involved an episode screening, interviews with the cast involved and then a meet and greet with other cast that night along with bowling, karaoke and the lot. When you didn't know many faces there it was a little intimidating at first but both the people working on show and the other soap journos are such nice people. We're all just a nice big gang now and always welcoming to new and nervous faces.

As ever with these events, the real work comes afterwards, when everything needs transcribed and then written into exciting articles. I can often find myself with 15-20 pieces out of these events and often there is very little time to do them before embargoes lift so that's fun! They're not just jollies - they can be really hard work too!

Were you always a fan of all of the soaps before you started your new job?
Massively, since before I can remember. As a kid one of the first birthday gifts I recall was a subscription to Inside Soap magazine. I also handwrote my own soap magazine with my own soaps in it (they were a little less realistic - not sure as a child I quite got the whole pacing storylines thing!). I think I made about 100 copies in the end, one every week! I still have them.

I remember being gripped by storylines like Don Brennan driving Alma Baldwin into the river and Kim Tate's return from the dead.

And has your work at Metro meant that you're having to watch a lot of telly? Do you ever sleep?
I have to watch every single episode to make sure that the content I put out afterwards is accurate and in depth as possible. I usually watch them as far in advance as possible but time isn't always on my side for this! When you cover four soaps, it's a huge chunk.

But if there are two things I love even more than watching soaps, it's eating and sleeping so I always ensure I find plenty of time for those too.

Which of all the soaps is your favourite?
I genuinely love all four of them so much - I have grown up with them all (and Brookside, which I still pine for) and now that I work closely with them all and know the people behind the screens, I want them all to succeed and do well and always enjoy watching them all.

Obviously, all shows go up and down so my current favourite always changes. But it would be rude of me not to give a nod to Corrie on a Corrie site and Coronation Street is so on fire at the moment, it's genuinely unmissable. There is so much going on, Kate Oates is a master of her craft and to have so many fast paced storylines intertwining with the long, drawn out sagas while still maintaining warmth and humour is a real feat.

I did have concerns about a sixth episode but now I actually think the show needs it as it is so busy and it will give a chance to explore these storylines even deeper.

So... for you, who are your rising stars of the Street, the ones to watch over the next few months and years?
There is so much amazing stuff coming up on Corrie, I genuinely can't wait to watch it pan out and learn more about it. For me, Lucy Fallon has been an utter revelation, completely at the top of her game in her story.

Over coming months, I also think it's well worth keeping an eye on Julia Goulding, who is brilliant and refreshing as Shona. I know she has some great material ahead. Also, I am a bit in love with Rob Mallard - Daniel Osbourne could have a scene reading a book and then sneezing and I'd be shouting 'BAFTA!' at the screen. I love the complexity of Daniel and Rob plays him well.

And Cath Tyldesley was crying out for some absolutely meaty material and now that she is getting it, she is proving why she deserves to be right at the centre of the action. The revenge storyline has 'epic' written all over it. I don't know yet how it actually pans out but I can imagine it's going to be something pretty special.

Sally Ann Matthews too is always a dream in her scenes and the relationship with Johnny has allowed us to see so much more to Jenny Bradley - I think the MS storyline will add even further to that. It's going to be interesting to see how she deals with that; I do genuinely think that Bradders is in love.

Genuinely too many to mention but Patti Clare, as ever - can't wait for Mr and Mrs and her son Jude's return; I've been waiting to see that explored again. Faye Brookes - an NTA Best Newcomer - has got a big story coming up. She deserved that award, the character is so natural and it's going to be good to see her leading a story properly. And of course the wonderful Phelan - his human side is intriguing, it's hard to be mad at him. Introducing Nicola Thorp as his daughter into the mix could well be a stroke of genius. Maybe he will actually be able to stay for a while! In her own right as a character, I am also enjoying Nicola's debut. Sorry, that's a long answer, I could have kept going!

Who would be your dream interview... if you could have a one to one, over a pint, with ANY soap actor from any of the soaps - past or present?
I never got to interview anyone from Brookside as it was already in soap heaven when I started on this so I keep hoping for Dean Sullivan or Sue Jenkins to be cast somewhere so I can chat to them - but I'd only want to talk Brookie! I am also holding out for a proper chat with the legend that is Linda Henry - whom I loved right back from her Bad Girls reign - but understand that she is very private. We've met but I'd love to have a proper one on one chinwag with her because she's iconic! And Liz Dawn too would be a dream to get the gossip from - she must have some absolutely immense stories to tell.

Other than that, I am honestly extremely lucky - everyone I could name, I have had the privilege of chatting to and hand on heart, I have never been disappointed.

Finally, what's your favourite seat on the bus?
Anywhere close to a window, I pick the seat carefully so I am angled to get the best whoosh of air when the bus is moving. I hate the heat. My bus broke down the other week and we were stuck on the top deck with traffic not moving either way for nearly an hour on the hottest day of the year. And because it's London, no-one else seemed to be struggling and someone next to me closed the window after I opened it - while wearing a coat. The following day I had heatstroke and was knocked flat with it for a week. Coincidence? I think not!

You can get your fix of UK soap news by liking the Metro Soaps Facebook page.
You can follow Duncan on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/DuncanLindsay
The homepage for all of Metro.co.uk's soap articles is here: http://metro.co.uk/tag/soap-spoiler

Our thanks go to Duncan for this insight into the life of an online soaps editor.

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Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Lucy Fallon Interview: What's next for Bethany in Corrie?

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog June 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)


Bethany’s grooming storyline has been at the heart of this week’s dramatic Coronation Street.

I travelled to Manchester last week to interview Coronation Street actor Lucy Fallon, who plays Bethany, along with Corrie producer Kate Oates.

Lucy said that she still struggles to watch herself as Bethany in the grooming storyline. “I find it cringey to watch, myself. I think it’s been a lot easier to watch as it’s gone on. It’s harder to watch than it is to film. My boyfriend still doesn’t watch it”.

With Corrie this week shown at the post watershed slot of 9pm, producer Kate Oates said: “We are still very careful about what we show. We saw three men file into the bedroom which is as sinister as I want to watch.

"It was useful to speak to the writers and the network to say that when we bring this storyline to a point of its darkest drama that we did have the scope for a later time slot. It doesn’t show much more than we have done previously, we have always been careful. “

Lucy says that she is very proud of this storyline, having worked with the NSPCC, Childline and Voicing CSA. She said that when she went to St Ann’s square in Manchester to pay her respects to the victims of the bomb attack. “And a woman came up to me and said ‘I was sexually abused by my dad when I was younger’ then she got really upset and said she appreciated what I’d done in Corrie. I feel proud of it that people can come and say things like that.”

Kate Oates also said that Corrie are very proud of Lucy and Chris Harper (who plays Nathan). And she publicly thanked Lucy for the level of engagement she has given the role from the start.

When asked if the twist in the storyline with Nathan’s friend Neil turning out to the investigating policeman would stop victims reporting grooming to the police, Kate Oates said: “We have worked hard on this story so that the police, and those who support victims and survivors, are in the main, brave and professional who will work hard to get justice. It’s a twist for drama rather than a social twist.  You have to balance it. And in the main, everyone else is honest, caring and compassionate. The Neil twist adds pressure to Bethany and brings Craig into the mix. Craig wants to save the world and believes policemen are good, so I think we more than balance it. “

Kate went on to say that “People will get what is due,” so let’s hope that Nathan will get his comeuppance sooner rather than later. And when he does, what of Bethany then? Will she get together with Craig?

“I don’t think so,” said Lucy. “Bethany is a really long process, she won’t get over what has happened to her. It’ll be a long process to get to back to normality. I think Craig will help her, they’ve got a good friendship but I don’t know what will happen after that.”

And as for the other girl Lara, who was at Nathan’s party this week, she  looked very young indeed. Kate Oates said: “We’ll see Lara again, she’s older than she looks, but yes that was a conscious decision to make her look younger.”

Whether Bethany will be free soon of Nathan’s clutches remains to be seen. And if she does go back to live with her family, will Bethany help in setting free some of the other girls, like Lara?

It has been a very difficult storyline for many of us to watch, but one which Corrie have told exceedingly well.

You might also like to read my interview with Rob Mallard, who plays Daniel Osbourne.

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Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Coronation Street Blog Interview with Lucy Fallon

(This post was originally posted by Jordan Lloyd Beck on the Coronation Street Blog May 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)

“It’s so important and I’m determined to do it justice”
says Lucy Fallon, who plays Bethany on Coronation Street.

Hiya! It’s just Jordan with the second part of my interview series. My first interview was with Chris Harper, who plays Corrie's Nathan and you can read it here.

With Bethany’s storyline just heating up and taking a lot of twisted turns for the worst, I thought I’d treat all you lovely lot to an interview with Lucy Fallon.

On the morning of 27^th March, off I went to the ITV Studios with my phone and a Poundland notebook bought that morning in a rush. Ever the professional! At the age of only 21, Lucy is at the centre of what has been called one of the Street’s most harrowing storylines ever. However, the young actress spoke passionately about the importance of the storyline.

She revealed that Corrie had worked with the NSPCC on this storyline and Lucy herself had spoken to a girl – dubbed as Lucie – who became a key factor in the writing of Bethany’s story. Rather worryingly, the research subject from the NSPCC was considerably younger than Bethany and was subject to abuse for six years, repeatedly described by Lucy as “horrific”. Unlike Bethany however, “Lucie’s” abuse came about thanks to social media and upon learning this, Lucy Fallon stated that she now believes there should be a higher and more forceful age restriction on social media.

 Interestingly, when Corrie spoke to Lucy at the NSPCC, she told them that she does not call herself a “survivor”, as many people would. “Lucie” prefers to be called a victim because that’s what she is and always will be.  Lucy Fallon revealed that in the long run though, Bethany will be okay.

It’s no secret that this is Lucy Fallon’s first professional acting job, but the brave actress spoke of the dark places she pushes herself to go to when filming the harrowing scenes. Unsurprisingly, the most uncomfortable scene for Lucy to film was the bedroom scene with Neil. She explained that she wasn’t required to film any other scenes that day, because of the high emotion involved, but the importance of the storyline pushes Lucy to go those dark places. Speaking of the controversy generated by the pre-watershed drama, Lucy made an important point that nothing shown has been particularly graphic.     

“I was nervous at first because there’s so much pressure. But this has been my favourite one to do so far because of the message. As an actor, I’ve learned a lot. You’re not doing it properly if you don’t put yourself in that situation”

“That whole week is a bit of a… headf**k” said Lucy, oh-so eloquently lost for words to describe Bethany’s plight. She’s right. Bethany started the week being raped by her a friend of her boyfriend’s and by the end of the week, her boyfriend had become her fiancée.

When talking about her fellow cast members and their support, Lucy named Ben Price as a confidante among the members of the cast.

Bringing the interview to a light close, Lucy spoke of her life outside of Corrie.  She spoke of how she tries to get back to normal after days filming tough scenes:

“I don’t think there’s any way you can get out of it but I’ve got a really long drive home. I listen to music and zone out". Working on Corrie has also given her the opportunity to become a homeowner at such a young age. She humorously described her first foray into the world of property “It’s going good We’ve got a sofa that was damaged and they couldn’t fit the washer in but apart  from that…!”

The current stage in the storyline is set to run through the summer, but there will of course be ramifications for Bethany even after Nathan has gone. (edited to add: no spoiler, it's inevitable. Villains never prosper) The whole story is going to draw to a close around autumn time. But this abuse won't hold Bethany back. Producer Kate Oates sees Bethany going on to be a successful businesswoman. I think this would be a great way to develop Bethany and keep the message of the storyline going long after the abuse is over. It will show that falling victim to something horrendous like this doesn’t always mean the end. What do you think? Can you see Bethany becoming a businesswoman?

A very interesting chat with a young woman who is already proving herself to be quite the actress. She is doing a brilliant job of – as she put it – “starting the conversation” with this storyline.

As always,

Thanks for reading!

Jordan

Twitter - @JordanLloyd39

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Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Coronation Street Blog Interview with Chris Harper

(This post was originally posted by Jordan Lloyd Beck on the Coronation Street Blog in April 2017.)


Bethany is a “risk worth taking” says Chris Harper, who plays Nathan on Coronation Street


Hiya! It’s just Jordan (I don’t care how serious this post is meant to be – I’m not dropping that intro!)

A couple of weeks ago, this nervously excited blogger was sent on his way to ITV Studios in Manchester to take part in interviews with four Coronation Street actors revolving around some of the major storylines taking place this spring. As the first in a series of four blog posts regarding the interviews, this makes a change from my Wednesday ramblings, right?

After getting up at a time I’ve not seen for years and spending two hours on a train to Manchester, I couldn’t help but smirk to myself as I hopped into a black cab asking to be taken to Coronation Street Studios. Ten minutes later, I’d been driven through the security gates, welcomed to Corrie with a handshake and found myself amongst a swarm of proper journalists. To them of course, this was no big deal. They’d been here many times before and not one of them nearly died when Catherine Tyldesley bounced into the reception. 

Along with the proper journalists, I was ushered through the studios and onto the set of Roy’s Rolls – a change of venue since the Bistro was unavailable. The residents of the Street would probably consider lunch in Roy’s a bit of a downgrade from the posh Bistro, but I was more than happy to have sandwiches in the iconic greasy spoon.

The last interview of the day was with Chris Harper who plays Nathan, a character currently at the helm of a much-discussed grooming storyline involving Bethany Platt.  However, had the bosses at Corrie not decided that Chris was too nasty, we could have been watching him in the role of Mary’s long-lost-seen-for-a-week-and-never-mentioned-again son. I bet Chris is glad to be playing the “better” character!

Nathan may be a sinister character, but that doesn’t stop Chris Harper being attractive, so of course I was rather happy to sit and listen to him talk about a storyline which - as it transpired - has had a tremendous amount of research on all sorts of levels.  Chris explained how he and the rest of the team at Corrie have worked with numerous charities which deal with grooming victims.

There has been a little bit of controversy over the storyline’s suitability. After all, Corrie is a family show and usually the premise of a sex ring would belong after the watershed. However, Chris spoke in favour of the brilliant way Corrie are tackling what may seem to some an issue too far.

He said: “Unfortunately, these are crimes that affect families. They are just hinting enough. You don’t need to see what they do it. Bringing it up and raising the conversation is vital. Just to know that it’s never the victim’s fault. Just to have that knowledge, would be brilliant. I just hope it doesn’t ruin anyone’s tea.”

Chris went onto explain the “alien” network that Nathan is. He is not the only perpetrator; he is simply a pawn. And of course, with things on Corrie happening on the Street or not at all, we know that Shona is an ex-girlfriend of Nathan’s; a victim still bearing his scars who somehow managed to escape. This, if a little contrived, will create an interestingly complicated link between Shona, Nathan and the Platts, should she get involved. 

When teasing what is to come in the storyline, Chris made it clear that things will get darker for Bethany. Much darker. The clever thing about the storyline, as he explained, is that Nathan has not done anything illegal to sixteen year old Bethany. Yet. No photographs have been taken. Yet. No money has changed hands. You guessed it: yet. On screen, we have already met Nathan’s friend Neil, who according to Chris is “just the beginning”.

When asked whether Nathan is likely to stay around, Chris was clear in his answer that he is not, which makes a lot of sense. There would be outcry should Nathan – or anyone in soap really – get away with such a crime. Chris also commented on Nathan’s motivation, which I hadn’t realised before the interview, we know precious little about: “It’s quite a fun job as an actor to play someone so duplicitous. It’s much more important we see this through Bethany’s eyes.”

With the whole Bethany storyline thus far set to run until September, we are sure to be tuning into much deeper and much darker scenes. But we can be assured that Nathan will come to a nasty end. Where that will leave Bethany, only time will tell.

“I’d like to see Nathan suffer”

To leave things on a lighter note, here’s a jolly titbit: Lucy Fallon likes to share her Maltesers with Chris under the quilt in between takes!

And that concludes the first of my four interview posts. More to come very soon!

As always,

Thanks for reading!

Jordan, twitter: @JordanLloyd

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Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Coronation Street Blog Interview with Chris Harper

(This post was originally posted by Jordan Lloyd Beck on the Coronation Street Blog in April 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)


Bethany is a “risk worth taking” says Chris Harper, who plays Nathan on Coronation Street


Hiya! It’s just Jordan (I don’t care how serious this post is meant to be – I’m not dropping that intro!)

A couple of weeks ago, this nervously excited blogger was sent on his way to ITV Studios in Manchester to take part in interviews with four Coronation Street actors revolving around some of the major storylines taking place this spring. As the first in a series of four blog posts regarding the interviews, this makes a change from my Wednesday ramblings, right?

After getting up at a time I’ve not seen for years and spending two hours on a train to Manchester, I couldn’t help but smirk to myself as I hopped into a black cab asking to be taken to Coronation Street Studios. Ten minutes later, I’d been driven through the security gates, welcomed to Corrie with a handshake and found myself amongst a swarm of proper journalists. To them of course, this was no big deal. They’d been here many times before and not one of them nearly died when Catherine Tyldesley bounced into the reception. 

Along with the proper journalists, I was ushered through the studios and onto the set of Roy’s Rolls – a change of venue since the Bistro was unavailable. The residents of the Street would probably consider lunch in Roy’s a bit of a downgrade from the posh Bistro, but I was more than happy to have sandwiches in the iconic greasy spoon.

The last interview of the day was with Chris Harper who plays Nathan, a character currently at the helm of a much-discussed grooming storyline involving Bethany Platt.  However, had the bosses at Corrie not decided that Chris was too nasty, we could have been watching him in the role of Mary’s long-lost-seen-for-a-week-and-never-mentioned-again son. I bet Chris is glad to be playing the “better” character!

Nathan may be a sinister character, but that doesn’t stop Chris Harper being attractive, so of course I was rather happy to sit and listen to him talk about a storyline which - as it transpired - has had a tremendous amount of research on all sorts of levels.  Chris explained how he and the rest of the team at Corrie have worked with numerous charities which deal with grooming victims.

There has been a little bit of controversy over the storyline’s suitability. After all, Corrie is a family show and usually the premise of a sex ring would belong after the watershed. However, Chris spoke in favour of the brilliant way Corrie are tackling what may seem to some an issue too far.

He said: “Unfortunately, these are crimes that affect families. They are just hinting enough. You don’t need to see what they do it. Bringing it up and raising the conversation is vital. Just to know that it’s never the victim’s fault. Just to have that knowledge, would be brilliant. I just hope it doesn’t ruin anyone’s tea.”

Chris went onto explain the “alien” network that Nathan is. He is not the only perpetrator; he is simply a pawn. And of course, with things on Corrie happening on the Street or not at all, we know that Shona is an ex-girlfriend of Nathan’s; a victim still bearing his scars who somehow managed to escape. This, if a little contrived, will create an interestingly complicated link between Shona, Nathan and the Platts, should she get involved. 

When teasing what is to come in the storyline, Chris made it clear that things will get darker for Bethany. Much darker. The clever thing about the storyline, as he explained, is that Nathan has not done anything illegal to sixteen year old Bethany. Yet. No photographs have been taken. Yet. No money has changed hands. You guessed it: yet. On screen, we have already met Nathan’s friend Neil, who according to Chris is “just the beginning”.

When asked whether Nathan is likely to stay around, Chris was clear in his answer that he is not, which makes a lot of sense. There would be outcry should Nathan – or anyone in soap really – get away with such a crime. Chris also commented on Nathan’s motivation, which I hadn’t realised before the interview, we know precious little about: “It’s quite a fun job as an actor to play someone so duplicitous. It’s much more important we see this through Bethany’s eyes.”

With the whole Bethany storyline thus far set to run until September, we are sure to be tuning into much deeper and much darker scenes. But we can be assured that Nathan will come to a nasty end. Where that will leave Bethany, only time will tell.

“I’d like to see Nathan suffer”

To leave things on a lighter note, here’s a jolly titbit: Lucy Fallon likes to share her Maltesers with Chris under the quilt in between takes!

And that concludes the first of my four interview posts. More to come very soon!

As always,

Thanks for reading!

Jordan, twitter: @JordanLloyd

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Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Coronation Street Blog Interview: Anne Cunningham

 

(This post was originally posted by GraemeN on the Coronation Street Blog in March 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)

I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing the actress Anne Cunningham. Anne is a true Coronation Street original, having played Linda Cheveski, daughter of Street legend Elsie Tanner, in the very first episode of Corrie back on 9th December 1960. I wanted to find out more about how Anne started out as an actress, her experience of working on Coronation Street and also other aspects of her career.

First of all I'd love to know why and how you became an actor in the first place.

Not sure HOW I became an actor! Although born in England (Yorkshire) I was educated in South Africa and there was little theatre there except the National Theatre which needed you to be bi-lingual in Afrikaans and English. I did pass my exams in Afrikaans as a subject but was hardly fluent. However I had done “As You Like It” at school and the drama teacher suggested I might train as an actor in England at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama which offered a course combining a 2 year teaching course with a 2 year acting course in 3 years so that at the end as well as being a trained actor I was also a trained teacher. This appealed to my parents and I duly applied and was accepted. As it turns out I have never had to teach. 

 

How did you come to be cast in Coronation Street in the part of Linda?

I was appearing in weekly rep in Buxton as leading lady when the stage manager said he was asking the casting director from Granada to come and see the show as he had a small part in it. “Roar Like a Dove” So I sent a letter asking her to look at me too.

As luck would have it she wasn’t able to come that week but came the following one when I was playing TWO parts ( twins) in Grand National Night which needed Northern accents. I spoke to Margaret Morris in my dressing room during the interval whilst doing a quick change and hoped she’d remember me.

When back in London a couple of months later she contacted me and I met Stuart Latham at the Granada Offices in Golden Square in London. I was asked to do a test in Manchester. 

 

What are your memories of that first live episode of Coronation Street in December 1960?

I had never done television before. In fact I didn’t have a tv set! Having only ever done theatre “live television” was not much different...you couldn’t stop! The only difference was acting to the camera.

The Tanners made an immediate impact in the show. What was it like to work with those actors?

I loved the first year of the Tanners. We were a real “family” spending time on and off the screen together. I still regard Philip (Lowrie, who played Dennis Tanner) as my brother (both being only-children) and I also see Ernst Walder (Ivan Cheveski) regularly although he now lives in his home country of Austria. 

 

Coronation Street had many memorable original characters. My favourites from that era are Annie and Jack Walker, played by Doris Speed and Arthur Leslie and Ena Sharples, played by Violet Carson. What were they like to work with?

Doris Speed, Arthur Leslie and Vi Carson were very much the older and respected members of the cast as were Margot Bryant and Lynne Carol.

In 1963 you played Judith in the film This Sporting Life, with Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts. What was that film like to be a part of?

I left the Street at the end of 1961 feeling that a year in a soap was long enough as there was so much I had yet to do..film, West End, radio etc. As luck would have it the North was BIG ! Saturday Night Sunday Morning. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner etc. So it wasn’t too big a step when Lindsay Anderson cast me as Judith in This Sporting Life. I loved working with him. He had a way of directing an actor which made you feel YOU had thought of what he wanted so everything was relaxed and easy.

Also apart from Rachel I was the only girl on location and was very spoiled! 

 

In 1964 you worked with Roy Kinnear on the series World of His Own. What was Roy like to work with?

I had worked with David Croft on a Light Entertainment programme called “Impromptu” which was one of the first programmes on the new channel BBC 2. After the success of That Was The Week That Was Roy Kinnear was offered a show of his own to star in A World of His Own and David cast me as his wife. His character was to be called Stanley Blake and I was to be his wife Helen.

The set designer was called Darrol Blake and HIS father was called Stanley, so when he was asked to design the first set “Stanley Blake’s bedroom” he said “This is where I came in” !! I LOVED working with Roy. He was a very generous actor and a wonderful comic feed. We laughed so much during rehearsals...and during the takes...that I am surprised David Croft didn’t explode!...mind you he was good at laughing too!

Darrol only designed the first series but in 1965 I married him and am now Mrs Blake...again!

You have appeared in many classic television shows over the years, including The Avengers, Z Cars and The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. Do you have fond memories of these programmes?

As a jobbing actor one had no idea which job would resonate with the audience and become “iconic”. It was just another job. The Avengers, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and Are You Being Served STILL produce an income of about £25 annually but I can’t say I remember them more than “Casanova” with Jeremy Brett “Poor Bitos” with John Neville or “The Physicists” with Roger Livesy and Mary Morris which were never seen again!

In 1973 you worked on a series of the Dick Emery Show. What was Dick like to work with?

Dick Emery was a nightmare to work with! A little man with all a little man’s complexes. Also he was Variety and jealous of any laughs not got by him! He would deliberately “fluff” if I got a laugh so that there would be a retake and the studio audience having heard the gag the first time wouldn’t laugh so much on the retake. 

 

You returned to Coronation Street in 1984 for a short stint. How did that experience compare with your time on the show in the 60s?

I can’t say I enjoyed my return to the Street in 84 as much as I had hoped. The director wondered if I could do the accent and the Green Room had grown so large that the regulars had little booths so there was little contact. There WERE still rehearsals, unlike now, so that you could get an idea of where you fitted into the whole episode but the ‘family” feeling had gone.

Do you still keep up with the Street today and would you ever consider returning to the show?

Hearing my friend Philip’s experience of life on the Street now I have no desire to return. 

 

Of all the roles you have played during your career, which are you most proud of and why?

My favourite part in my career has to be Helen Blake. It was a comedy role with many characters and a wide range of accents, working with a true gent and meeting the love of my life! We have just celebrated 51 years of happy marriage producing 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren! Success. 

I would like to thank Anne very much for taking the time to answer my questions. It really was a thrill to be in touch with someone who was there right at the beginning of one of my all time favourite television series. 

You can follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82 

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Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter