I'm curious as to how the current storyline about Coronation Street's Claire Peacock (played by Julia Haworth) is going to develop.
They've brought out some pretty powerful stuff with this one, not least regarding distasteful attitudes towards mental health. Claire's been suspected of harming a child - Dev and Sunita's son Aadi - and because of her history of mental health problems many people are more than willing to jump to the wrong conclusion. I think this is really interesting and I hope that the writers find a way to play this out to a satisfactory conclusion, without allowing the Sophie/Sian storyline to swamp it.
I'll be very sorry to see the Peacocks leave (that's if they DO leave!) Ashley has been really enjoyable to watch, and I think Claire has been under-rated. I've always admired the way she's handled some really heavy-duty storylines. More info. about actress Julia Haworth here. Apparently she is a keen writer and has recently made a short film. Info. about post natal depression and other mental health issues here.
14 comments:
I've never found the Peacocks boring as some have. I always liked them and Julia is also a good actress. She plays Claire perfectly, a meek and mild person on the outside but with the impulsiveness, temper and stubbornness of a classic Corrie Redhead!
I have always quite like Ashley but the character of Claire lost her momentum when the actress went off on maternity leave and suddenly just "popped up" again in the cab office. The way she was changed from the loving nanny into a shrew shrieking at poor Ashley all the time ruined her. I wont be sorry to see her go, she always seems pointless now, sorry to fans of hers.
I like Claire. She has great comic timing and delivery, and I thought she was really funny in the singles bar when she got very drunk after she and Ashley split up. And at the other extreme, her screams for Ashley after he had her committed following diagnosis of pnd were just heart breaking (as well as her portrayal of the whole terrible process). She's another case of a good actor who the writers have not used particularly well. And Ashley has great moments too, and the butchers is a great spot for overhearing gossip too! I think when characters such as the Peacocks are written out with no particular reason the production team should hang their heads in shame. After all, other long-term Corrie actors are given new and fresh storylines, why not the Peacocks?
I for one will not miss the Peacocks at all (except for sweet little Joshua). Ashley behaves like a spoilt child and Claire is a nagging shrew.
I've said it before, but I really don't think Ashley has worked since we lost Fred. Claire can be enjoyable when the writers write for her in comic mode (the time she got drunk and fell backwards through the Platt's garden fence sticks in my memory), but then they lapse back into her being shrewish and unpleasant and I find it difficult to sustain any liking for her. Kudos to Julia Howarth, who's an accomplished actor, but she's saddled with a schitzophrenically written character.
I must admit I'm not really fussed that both are going. I think both characters have really run their course. It did start to go downhill when Fred died.
Also, I'm not really keen on what the writers have done with Clare in particular over the past couple of years. They have turned her too much into a neurotic mess. It's a good storyline to go out on though.
Couldn't agree more, Clare has turned into a nightmare character. Can't say I'm going to miss the Peacocks, but there are worse characters that could be got rid of...
I like her when she's being funny like with the house swap war, and when she's being so neurotic and stuff, she makes me laugh :D I am sad they axed her, I like that family unit :(
I'd just like 'em to tidy up the mental health stuff and do it proper justice.
Agree with the shrew comments; she shows signs of turning into a slightly smarter, more reflective version of Sally, only without a strong hubby to keep her at least partly in check.
I think with the new production team at Corrie, there's a good chance they'll resolve Claire's mental health issues better than before. After the PND storyline, I felt it was unfair to morph her into a nag. This thread prompted me to check Wikipedia on Claire. I didn't know that mental health workers in the UK criticized the handling of the story, as it might prevent women from seeking help. Maybe they're bringing this up now to try and present some realism.
Julia Haworth has handled the role well considering all that. I agree that Ashley's character lost out when Fred died. But I think more could be done to give both of them better storylines.
I really hope you're right Maggie.
Nurse Florence Ganderpoke said...
Couldn't agree more, Clare has turned into a nightmare character. Can't say I'm going to miss the Peacocks, but there are worse characters that could be got rid of...
Oh yeah......like who?
To Anonymous - no one in the Street get on your wick then? How about Me Me Me Michelle or Ry-an? Kirk? Yeah, all brilliant characters aren't they...
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