Coronation Street Blog Interview: Kate Ford

(This post was originally posted by Emma Hynes on the Coronation Street Blog in May 2016, reposted to this blog with permission.)

The tension mounts as, like my fellow blogger Ruth making her third attempt to get to Media City UK after two cancelled trains from Sheffield, we hurtle towards another big week for Corrie. We both travelled to Manchester for an exclusive preview of next week’s episodes and interviews with key cast members, including Kate Ford who plays the infamous Tracy Barlow.

With Carla and Nick’s wedding on the horizon, it doesn’t help that scheming Tracy has the potential to derail proceedings. Speaking of Tracy and Robert in a Q&A which we published yesterday, Kate revealed “something happens that puts their relationship in jeopardy”. Could this mean the end for the pair?

“Well I don’t think it’s looking good at the moment” explains Kate. Tracy’s not the only one hoping it’s not over for her and Robert, however, as both she and actor Tristan Gemmill, who was also there on the day, agree that they enjoy working together.

It sounds as if Tracy manages to upset more than Robert, as she reveals, “Amy falls out with Tracy as well and that is really painful for her. She hasn’t really thought through how behaving like that in front of her daughter is going to affect her.”

Kate had an insightful take on Tracy’s relationship with her only daughter. Acknowledging that there’s only one person at the centre of Tracy’s universe, that being Tracy, she adds, “but more recently, since Amy got older, she hasn’t bored her as much, so they’ve spent more time together and she’s more fond of her. She loves her and she’s been a better mother in that sense. When she was a baby she used to try and palm her off all the time on Aunty Emily and that. But she’s proud of her and she’s proud of how conniving she can be." Kate explains Tracy's shock when Amy appears to turn her back on her. "It really hurts her because actually, they’ve been very close, and she thinks she’s been a good Mum over the last few years, compared to what she was anyway”.

When I asked Kate if this was the long awaited turning point for Tracy, and if her character will finally be redeemed, she expressed an awareness that some fans wouldn’t have her any other way. “It’s really tricky” she told me, “because I don’t think anybody would ever want her to be nice, they like Tracy to be like that. But I think she’s going to show some more humanity.” That sounds good to me.

It was interesting to hear how it feels for Kate to play arguably the most despised woman on the cobbles. “She’s been hated for 14 years, and what’s good about it is that it’s paved the way for me to explore something else. Tracy is desperate to win people back around which is something that I’ve never really had with her. The last scripts I’ve been doing have been quite nice because her karma has come a little bit.”

When asked if she’ll miss Alison King, and if her departure has given her itchy feet, Kate had a similarly interesting answer. “We are really good friends, so I’m gonna miss seeing her every day” she acknowledged, continuing, “I can see why she wants a break from the character and I can see why she wants to spread her wings and do all that, but at the moment I’m happy to stay at Coronation Street because I’m still enjoying it, and it’s a good job. I can see why she’s doing it, it’s not unappealing, but I’m staying for now.” I'm glad that's the case, as I'm not ready for a Corrie without Tracy in it.

While Kate doesn’t manage to watch Corrie every day, she isn’t averse to seeing herself perform. “If there’s an episode I particularly enjoyed doing, or a scene that I felt proud of [I will]”, she explains. But, is viewing herself on screen ever a source of discomfort? “It depends on the lighting” she grins which leads to an eruption of laughter around the table.

Kate revealed that her little boy features in an upcoming episode of Corrie in which he’ll be walking past during a scene. “He came to watch me film and he asked whether he could be an extra” she revealed, adding, “he actually asked me yesterday, ‘when’s my episode on TV?’”

Kate was a joy to interview and strikes me as a thoughtful individual with a great sense of humour who would be very good company. Indeed, so different is she from her on screen persona, that it's truly a testament to the quality of her performance as the infamous Tracy Barlow.

By Emma Hynes

www.emmahynes.wordpress.com

Twitter: @ELHynes

Read more about our exclusive press preview in Manchester here.

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Conversation Street Podcast 202

Gemma and Michael's podcast for the episodes in Canada that aired (up to last night's Canadian Corrie) can be heard here.

In Coronation Street this week, Callum's body has been found and the police are looking for the culprit. They spend the week interviewing Platts and Grimshaws after David drops Jason in it. All the Platts are concerned as Sarah becomes more and more unhinged. Todd is desperate to keep Jason out of it but also to keep Sarah out of it as well as he gets the wrong end of the stick and thinks she's the guilty one. Elsewhere, Roy and Cathy settle things and Roy puts a ring on it, Rana and Zeedan don't see eye to eye on things, Norris gets slated and Will makes a return, with Amy getting suspicious about Michelle's fidelity.




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Man who killed Schmeichel returns to Coronation Street

Next week on Coronation Street, we saw Norris have a big of an argument with a fella called Alistair. It's all to do with some roof slates at No. 3.

Alistair is played by actor Nicholas Asbury, who is no stranger to Coronation Street. Back in 2011 he played the role of a vet called Mr Brodie.  

He was the vet who treated Schmeichel when the Great Dane was diagnosed with liver disease in November 2011 - and put him down!



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Coronation Street Blog Interview with Tristan Gemmill

(This post was originally posted by Ruth Owen on the Coronation Street Blog in May 2016, reposted to this blog with permission.)

On Monday I headed down to Sheffield station, confident that I would be in plenty of time to get to The Lowry Theatre in Media City, for a special screening to which Emma and I had been invited. It soon became evident that my confidence was misplaced after not one, but two trains were cancelled. Panic growing, I was willing train number three to go as fast as it could. Straight onto a tram and to Media City and The Lowry to find Emma right at the front of the screening room with a seat saved for me. Thank you Emma!

The screenings were edge of your seat stuff. So much to look forward to with plots brilliantly crafted along with twists and turns making what might have been considered irrelevancies, being anything but.

After the screening we were allocated tables in readiness to interview the cast involved in the upcoming explosive episodes. The table arrangements made for more intimate, less formal interviews. The cast seemed more relaxed too with this new arrangement and it was all the better for it.

Robert Preston, played by Tristan Gemmill, is the chef at the bistro, and was once a carpet fitter. He plays an integral part in the whole Tracy, Carla, Nick story line, chiefly because in a moment of euphoric madness at the casino, Carla and Robert slept together, to Carla's almost immediate regret. This mistake, which Tracy found out about, set in motion a chain of fear of disclosure, bribery, a hasty sale of Nick's Bistro, a wedding, the possible purchase of a restaurant in Devon, followed by a move down there by Carla and Nick to  begin their new life.

Robert, you will remember, met up again with Tracy, his ex-wife, at his former mother-in-law's funeral. When Deirdre died, Robert was married to Joni, but claimed to Tracy that he was in love with her and always had been. Their relationship rekindled, it seemed that Robert was indeed in love with Tracy and so  he comes to live with Tracy, Ken and Amy.

As Nick and Carla's wedding draws ever nearer, Carla is only too aware that at any moment her nemesis could wreck her life.  The bistro is decked out tastefully ready for the ceremony, and the guests are gathered, when Tracy bursts in to reveal that it was Carla who stumped up the money to give to Tracy to give to Robert, for Robert to go ahead with his ambition to buy the bistro. Carla, keen to proceed with the ceremony sees all too clearly that her attempt to buy Tracy's silence has failed.

Robert is outraged that Tracy could pull a stunt such as this and for him, it is a step too far. This spiteful, malicious attempt to destroy the dream Carla and Nick were beginning to believe would come to fruition, is too much for Robert. Despite Tracy's desperate attempts to hang on to him, Robert packs his bag, apologises to Ken and heads off. Notably, Ken makes no attempt to persuade him to stay. Tristan confirmed that for now, at least, Robert and Tracy are over. Robert has discovered just how conniving and sinister Tracy can be. It is so intriguing though, that he said 'for now' -  but for now, that is as much as I know.

Robert, Tristan said, will throw himself into his work at the bistro and try to make it as successful a business venture as he possibly can.

Tristan said that he is delighted to be on the cobbles and was full of praise for everyone involved. He finds it fascinating to now know the inside track of a show he has only ever known from the outside as a viewer. He stated that he thought that Coronation Street is 'The Rolls Royce of the genre.' and I for one will not be arguing with that assessment. Tristan has no plans to leave and is very much enjoying his time on the cobbles. I asked him if he might enlighten us as to the possibilities of a romance with Leanne. After all, the rumour mill has been churning out this possibility for some time. In return, I was granted a wry smile...

Ruth Owen, twitter @Ruth1722


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Kate Ford reveals her favourite Carla and Tracy scene

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog May 2016, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Q&A with Kate Ford, who plays Coronation Street's Tracy Barlow.

How does Tracy feel when she hears Carla might not be moving away after all? 
She panics because she can’t stand the thought of seeing her every day because of what happened with Robert. She wants her to move so that Tracy herself can move on.

Robert’s already warned Tracy to leave Carla alone – would she really risk her relationship with Robert just to get revenge on Carla? 
She really doesn’t want to risk losing him but something happens that puts their relationship in jeopardy.

Is she confident Robert would give her another chance if she messed up again? 
No, she knows that he wouldn’t. But something drastic happens that means she acts impulsively.

Does she really love Robert, or would she still always put herself first at the end of the day? 
She always puts herself first but as far as her loving someone goes she does feel really happy with him and she does care for him. When they were married he was a bit of a drip but during their time apart he did actually do quite well for himself. He used to be a carpenter but then became a successful chef. Now she views him in a different light because she is an opportunist. She fancies him more now because of who he is. She felt he was holding her back before with his mundane lifestyle. Now she's older that’s more appealing.

Could Robert (or anyone) ever really tame her?
I think she does want more stability in her life now and Robert is providing that for her. Now she has her own business with the florist’s she feels as if she’s going places so she’s happy with Robert.

Do you prefer Tracy being with a good guy or a bad boy? 
Tracy makes her own trouble anyway so even when she’s with a good guy she’s always up to something. I don’t think it makes much difference, the battles are just different.

Would breaking up Carla and Nick truly make her happy? 
Her intention isn’t really to split them up, she just wants to get rid of Carla.

Carla and Tracy have had a lot of run-ins over the years, but what do you think is the main reason Tracy hates her so much? 
She sees Carla as the real bitch on the street, she’s convinced she’s nasty, but it’s Tracy who has the bad reputation with the other residents. She wants her exposed. And Carla’s not much better than Tracy really - she cheated on her fiance - she just hides it better. Tracy’s jealous of her and she’s very angry that she grassed Rob up.

What’s been your favourite Tracy-Carla scene/storyline? 
It was fun when we filmed on top of the cliff (after the minibus crash) because Ali (King) convinced me to do my own stunt and I’m terrified of heights. I had this harness on under my costume attached to this massive vehicle but it was still really scary. Afterwards I loved the adrenalin. I felt like I’d really achieved something.

Will you miss working with Alison King? 
Yes, definitely. We are very good friends.

Would you like Tracy to have a new nemesis and if so, is there anybody currently on the cobbles in mind? 
I think it would be nice for her not to go straight into battle with someone else, maybe explore other things for a while.

Are you enjoying Tracy and Amy’s relationship? 
I do enjoy doing those scenes. It’s nice seeing Amy becoming a little more like Tracy and also turning into a teenager. I’ve heard from so many people how that can be in real life!



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Corrie Canada sneak previews for June 20 - 24

Without further ado here is a brief sneak preview of what you'll see on  next week's Corrie in Canada.

Steve finds out about Will and refuses to forgive her. Todd reveals a killer to the police. Is it Sarah, Jason or someone else? His actions might backfire on him. Sean dumps Billy but Billy finally tells Sean about Lee and confesses to Todd a new attraction. Leanne tries to help Nick get over Carla and get the Bistro back. Tim's home brewery causes waves. Literally!


For more detail and photos check out the Moosejaw Mercury at Corrie.net.




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Why Corrie is perfect for escapism

(This post was originally posted by Michael Adams on the Coronation Street Blog in May 2016, reposted to this blog with permission.)

I kid you not, the past few months for me have been crazy for all the wrong reasons. During that time I found myself stressed, careless, tired and upset. I would sit down on a night and feel completely and utterly useless, and found no rest from my problems.

The telly would be on - EastEnders. Normally I enjoy the show, though the grittiness of Walford and it's dark, dismal characters and locations really didn't help with what I was going through myself. It seemed to be depressing everywhere I looked.

The recent death of Peggy Mitchell has been particularly hard to watch

Thank god for Corrie. Particularly within the past few weeks, it's proved refreshing and uplifting, despite the drama with the Windass' and Platts. When you're feeling down yourself the last thing you need is to turn on the telly and see others in your situation - I'm so glad to see Coronation Street on top of its game with humorous characters such as Tim, Sally and Beth which have all been on top form these past few months.

Keep it up Corrie, it means a lot!

...see what else I'm ranting about on my Twitter, @MichaelAdamsUk



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Coronation Street Blog Interview: Jack P. Shepherd and Paula Lane

(This post was originally posted by Emma Hynes on the Coronation Street Blog in May 2016, reposted to this blog with permission.)

It has been an exciting week so far on the Coronation Street Blog. It started on Monday when my fellow blogger Ruth and I travelled to Manchester for an exclusive preview of Corrie’s big week which starts this Sunday, and since then we have been sharing our experiences of the day and bringing you our interviews with key cast members. Next up, are Jack P. Shepherd and Paula Lane who play David and Kylie Platt. 

Now, I’ve long been a fan of David Platt. But over the last year in particular, he has really come into his own. From deadpan references to his chequered family history to gallows humour at the most (in)appropriate moments, he never fails to make me laugh. I also marvel at his ability to cope, and wryly at that, with the worst situations imaginable as he courses coolly through life with an apparent absence of any discernible conscience. My Weatherfield Psycho blog from a number of months back covered all of this, but suffice to say I love what they've done with the character in the capable hands of Jack P. Shepherd. 

If David Platt doesn’t disappoint, neither does interviewing Jack.

We also now know that Paula Lane is leaving the street. I have very much enjoyed Kylie’s time on the cobbles, and she will be sorely missed. I wasn’t sure about the gobby sister of Becky Grainger at first, but she matured into a complex character with a catalogue of great storylines, and compelling performances, including last September’s live episode, and I am sad to see her go.

I’ve been lucky enough to interview Paula a number of times now, and she is always a pleasure to chat with.

So, on to the interviews.

The Corrie powers that be are remaining tight lipped  surrounding the discovery of Callum’s body, and believe me, you’ll be glad of this as you tune in to see for yourself.

But what could Jack and Paula tell me about what happens after he is found? “The police get involved, and all the main suspects are arrested; Gail, David, Kylie and Sarah” Jack tells me. “It’s a case of which stories are the same and which are different.”

Jack explained that, as you might expect, David is the one who tries to hold it together. “Sarah panics and cries a lot” he reveals, “I’m very evasive, [saying] I haven’t a clue, I don’t know how it got there. I try to shift the blame and say there were a lot of people after him.”

Jack grins as, speaking of David, he says “I’ve certainly gotten over [Callum's death]. I don’t think he’s got much of a conscience to be honest”. He notes that David is alright, Kylie is the middle ground, and poor Sarah is at the other end of the spectrum. 

Paula observed that the writers decided to have the girls respond differently since the live episode, otherwise there would’ve been a sameness which wouldn’t have worked as well. It has certainly been a great dynamic.

So how does Gail react? “She’s really shocked” Jack explains, “and I think she points the blame towards me. She thinks I’ve done it.”

Paula told me how she considers Kylie to be lucky in that she can take comfort from David, whereas Sarah doesn’t have that, but Kylie can be there for her. “I’m just trusting David’s advice” she says.

I asked Jack if he was glad to see the story coming to its conclusion. He explained, “When I first found out about the storyline it was the live episode and the producer, Stuart at the time, said ‘in 5 years time we’ll uncover the body’. I was like, wow, that’s a long storyline. I’m quite surprised it’s happened sooner, but I don’t mind it. I’m glad.”

I noted that many viewers thought there’d be nothing in the manhole, and asked if that was ever on the cards. “Not from us” replies Jack, who was amused at having heard the same speculation.

As Paula prepares to leave the soap, she’s asked if she’s excited, and replies “Yes I am.” Pointing at her baby bump, she continues, “I’m a bit preoccupied obviously with other things at the minute, but I’m sad as well, it’s bittersweet.”

I asked Paula if she had any roles in mind for the future, including theatre.

“It’s mixed to be honest” she told me, “there’s been a few theatre checks that have happened since I’ve announced I’m leaving, so I’ll just watch this space. But I’m kind of mindful of the fact that I need a bit of a mental rest as I’ve had six very very busy years. It’s quite exciting to see what’s on the horizon.”

Jack respects Paula’s choice to leave adding, “They are a good couple and work well together, so that’ll be a shame that will end, but it’s her decision.”

So, has David got his eye on anyone else? “No” Jack confirms, “I think there’d have to be another actor introduced, as I don’t think anybody sort of fits the bill on the Street at the minute, for David anyway.” At the suggestion of Gemma, he grins “Definitely not Gemma.”

This was a very enjoyable interview with plenty of laughs. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for both the Platts, and Paula Lane as she departs. As I did on Monday in person, again, I wish her the very best of luck.

By Emma Hynes

www.emmahynes.wordpress.com

Twitter: @ELHynes

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Spare a thought for Gail - who has a perfect right to wail

(This post was originally posted by Ruth Owen on the Coronation Street Blog in June 2016, reposted to this blog with permission.)

In forthcoming episodes of Coronation Street, we should all spare a thought for Gail Rodwell. Though she may not be under suspicion herself for the murder of Callum,  it seems certain she will have to undergo questioning. In short, within the space of a few days, her life has fallen apart.

Though she bemoaned her precious eldest child Nick's move to Devon, with his new wife Carla, where they had a room all ready and waiting for Gail, she must much rather that Carla and Nick had gone ahead with their move and their marriage smoothly and without a hitch. (Pun intended). Though Carla and Nick did technically get married, the revelations from Tracy about Carla giving the money to Tracy to give to Robert to buy the Bistro and Tracy's silence, it was far too much for Nick to forgive.

Gail stepped forward as Carla sat and awaited Nick's decision, and, rather callously, reminded Carla that she was not a mother and therefore could not understand Gail's heartbreak. To accentuate her point, she gave Carla a stinging slap across her face, to the gasps of her family and guests. Gail was justifiably angry with her potential daughter-in-law, though she was not justified in hitting Carla or anyone else for that matter.

Carla was more than reasonable and instantly forgiving to her potential mother-in-law. The real sadness of this is that Gail and Carla were starting to develop both a mutual respect and even possibly in time, a friendship. None of that will be and what's more, the reappearance of Nick's brain injury is another anxiety for Gail.

Then there are the arrests of David, Sarah and Kylie and the ensuing distress for Max, who is old enough to understand what is going on.  Lily, whose young life will be disrupted and baby Harry, who will sense the tension and be upset by it, are also going to suffer. Bethany, who has not had the happiest of times since returning to the cobbles, will also be profoundly affected.

Gail will be anxious about David, Sarah and Kylie but perhaps particularly so for Sarah, who is suffering from post partum psychosis, as well as all this added stress. In addition, Gail has lost her grannexe and has to come to terms with the fact that Callum was decomposing underneath where she slept, in the annexe of which she was so proud.

This heart-wrenching situation in which Gail now finds herself will be her biggest test of personal strength and resilience yet, perhaps even more so than the whole Richard Hillman debacle and his attempt to murder her and her family.

Audrey of course will be a support and if, just maybe, Michael returns from his ice cream selling in Brighton, he too could be a source of solace and strength. One thing is for sure, Gail will need all the support and friendship she can muster.

Ruth Owen, twitter @Ruth1722




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Carla and Roy - the Best of the Best

(This post was originally posted by Ruth Owen on the Coronation Street Blog in January 2016.)

Let’s start with the good news. Roy, played by David Neilson, left, but only temporarily, and for just three months. He was treading the boards in theatre and wherever he is and whoever has the opportunity to work with him and watch his performances are lucky indeed.

His twenty year run as Roy Cropper has from the very beginning charmed a nation. Diffident, trustworthy, wise, kind, thoughtful, reliable – are just some of Roy Cropper’s qualities. His particular charm comes out of his being somewhere on the Asperger’s scale so he takes things that people say literally and thus frequently misses the humour that is intended. He misses the nuances of what people mean and has to have things explained in literal terms.

His anorak, his shopping bag and the Woody place him in a former time – a gentler time, a less technologically obsessed time - a time when the nation’s main pastime was not shopping or consuming, television was not available for 24 hours and shops weren’t open on a Sunday and there was half day closing on Wednesday or Thursday afternoons, depending on your region.

He loved Hayley, through and through and she loved him the same way. How surprising then that this much loved couple were indeed that – much loved. Not in any sense flashy, not wealthy, not fashionable, but two people of first class characteristics. Each brought out the best in the other and there is not much more you can ask for in this life.

His childhood with a mother such as Sylvia cannot have been easy, especially for someone like Roy who, finding himself to be at odds with other children would have benefited from a fierce and demonstrative mother’s love. Nobody said life was fair and for Roy, with a mother who, currently, is putting her energies into sending away carers by the bucket load. No wonder Roy became a major procrastinator as Cathy tried to persuade him to go to Hastings.

To briefly revisit Hayley’s illness and death, and it does bear repeating, that the trip to Blackpool and especially the dancing in the Tower Ballroom was a wondrous television soap moment or two.   

Roy’s friendship with Carla is a masterstroke by the writers. On paper it shouldn’t work. In reality it clearly does work. Their friendship developed over the course of Hayley’s diagnosis, illness and death. The actors, David Neilson and Alison King, are at the top of their craft and in their capable hands, almost anything would work

Put simply, Roy is unique. He is in the midst of the community in Roy’s Rolls and yet he is, and always will be, a man apart

As for Carla, played so brilliantly by Alison King, I will miss her greatly. When it was first announced that Alison King would be leaving, I am pretty sure that it was to be a temporary absence and that Alison King had every intention of reprising her role as Carla Connor. Then it was reported that the break wasn’t temporary, in fact it wouldn’t be a break at all. She was leaving the cobbles. For good.

Carla is riddled with faults. She drinks too much, she gambles, she sometimes engages in destructive relationships and she has taken other women’s husbands – Liam Connor, who was married to Maria and Peter Barlow, who was with Leanne.

Carla though has had bad things happen to her: her childhood, her brother murdering Tina, the discovery that Johnny is her father, being raped by Frank Foster, Peter’s affair with Tina, to list just some.

Carla though, to my mind anyway, is the most interesting of the women on the cobbles. Alison King succeeds in conveying Carla’s toughness along with her vulnerability. Her need for independence is a part of her and yet the temptation to throw in the towel with Nick, who undoubtedly loves her, as she only too well recognises, is an answer for her, a resolution. Sadly, it seems to me that Nick is more of a safe bet than the man of her dreams,  an answer and a solution to her persistent insecurity.

Carla is a force of nature: charismatic, intelligent, sometimes moody, tough with her staff though occasionally appreciative and kind. She has the measure of Sally, but recognises her organisational skills outweigh the irritation she causes.

What really put her at the top of the tree in my eyes, was the love and care she showed for Hayley. Two unlikely women to forge such a friendship but the genius of Alison King and Julie Hesmondalgh combined, made it work - and it was sublime.

After Hayley’s death, Carla did not walk away and leave Roy stranded She went out of her way to show her friendship towards him and now, the two of them have developed a friendship which is only pure and good. In so many friendships, one may be using the other to exert power or to claim some kind of advantage for themselves. Not so here. The two of them genuinely look out for each other.

Whether a temporary or permanent departure, not having these two on our screens is a great loss for us all.

Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a soap icon. Available here.


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Coronation Street Blog Interview: Alison King

With another big Corrie week on the horizon starting this coming Sunday 22nd May, my fellow blogger Ruth and I travelled to Manchester for an exclusive preview of the upcoming episodes as well as interviews with key cast members, including Alison King, who plays troubled bride-to-be, Carla Connor.

As we know, Alison is leaving the soap, and when we sat down to chat, despite it being three weeks since she had filmed her last scene as Carla, she was still fatigued from the experience. “I’ve been away for five days and come back and yeah, I’m still knackered." she told me. "I’ve a cold now. When you stop, all your ailments kick in don’t they. But yeah, I’m alright, I’ll get there.”