By the time you read this. Coronation Street will have concluded on a week of heinous teenage violence, airing a youth hate crime that has resulted in the death of Seb Franklin.
In a storyline that's reputedly to last the remainder of the year, the attack will now have undoubtedly far-reaching and dramatic consequences for the residents of Coronation Street. For one resident though, the tragedy will hit them like no other. For the past few months, Abi has been rather nonchalant about arranging the wedding. However, this past week, she’s started to feel settled, even happy, and showed real vulnerability when asking her son Seb to walk her down the aisle. Abi always questions her luck, and can hit the self-destruct button at any point, so what now, now that Seb is dead?
This week I joined Coronation Street online to discuss the Hate Crime storyline, and it was a pleasure to listen to Sally Carman (SC) talk about Abi’s grief and what's to come for the character.
Q How did you feel when you first heard about this storyline, that Seb was going to die?
SC Well on one hand, from an actors point of view, it's a brilliant opportunity to flex my acting muscles and I knew it was a story that would have a social commentary as well. It was bittersweet knowing that I wouldn't work anymore with Harry, but I speak to him outside of work so it's not the end of the world
Q What was it like where you were filming those scenes -when Abi is told that Seb has died?
SC I think you just have to pull on your own experience. I’ve never had anyone die on me, in that situation, and I hope I never do. You have to go to maybe a time of your life where you've been heartbroken, or lost someone, or had a big shock. It doesn't matter what is it, just as long as it brings out that certain quality, that you need for the scene. You try to have empathy and compare it to something you have been through, and focus on that
Q Due to Covid, you filmed some of those scenes without Harry even being in the hospital bed. Can you tell us about that?
SC It is funny! There was one scene where he had died and I had to say goodbye to him. Abi was stroking his face and leaning on the bed to hold his hand. Harry’s girlfriend was my hand double for that, and then when I’m stroking his face it was a pillow with a gaffa tape on it, on the bed! Weirdly, it did work, I was in my head.
Q Abi has been through a lot. Is there a worry that she will self-destruct and return to the booze and drugs?
SC Well just going off from what I've already filmed, it seems unlikely that that will happen. There is a time when Sally and Kevin are concerned that she will go back to drugs and she says ‘it's something I think about constantly but it's not what Seb would have wanted’ so I believe she won't. Her focus will go from Seb to Nina, I think, or I would love it if she started looking after Nina, with her also being a lost soul
Q That's not what happens immediately though, is it - once the details of his death become clear? Can you tell us what happens in the next week or so...
SC Abi 100% blames Nina at one point. Abi is consumed with grief, anger, shock, confusion, and heartache and she needs somewhere to channel it. She initially thinks that when she finds out who’s done it, that will help, but it doesn't. It's then that she finds out why it happened and although there's no real answer to that, she’s told it's a hate crime against Nina and blames her for it. Nina gets it in the neck and Abi goes for her, hell to leather
Q In this next week, we find out that Corey was responsible as Nina regains some memory. Abi isn't going to rest until justice is done, is she?
SC No, she's not. Abi being the impulsive emotional creature that she is there’s not a lot of emotional maturity going on there - either. There are a few occasions when she decides to take matters into her own hands but luckily she’s talked down from that. Abi is just reeling. Her heart has been ripped open, she's had a lot of guilt from Seb’s childhood, and she hasn't got a clue how to channel that. Corey nearly comes a cropper a couple of times!
Q How does Kevin react to all of this grief and do you think they will survive it?
SC I think they will come through it. What I feel up to now, is well, I've had such a glorious time filming these scenes with Michael (Le Vell, Kevin) and it’s brought out a gentle side to Kevin. Abi is screaming one minute and crying the next, like a ping pong going off a wall, and Kevin is there just trying to catch every ball he can by being there for her. It’s gorgeous how it changes Kevin
Q How do you switch off after filming such emotionally tiring scenes?
SC I don't know. I guess for me I find it quite cathartic. It is tiring, but not in the sense of, I'm not working down a mine or anything like that, but, it is pushing yourself. However, if you hit it, give it everything you've got - it's satisfying. When a scene is done, I switch off, derive home, and put some Corrie on!
Q How important to you was it, in Corrie telling this story, and getting the message across?
SC It is an age-old story isn't it, and it's never going to go away until we can get information and awareness out there and for avenues to be opened. We need to report hate crimes. We read about these stories from some distance but, when it does happen to a character that you like on Corrie, you can relate to it more and it does become personal. It gives you empathy and it could affect any one of us. It worth being kind and remembering that!
Will Abi & Kev survive the grief process? Can we still hope to see Sally officiate at the wedding? I was hoping for an Alina and Fiz style fight like when Eva fought Maria at her wedding maybe? Just a few thoughts, but there is one thing I can tell you for definite. When we talk about Corrie in another 60 years, and this Covid-era crops up, I do not doubt that we will talk about Abi Franklin as an iconic character from this time. Sally is THAT good.
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So, that's another press day all wrapped up for this Corrie fan. This was a great honour to do!
Thank you to Alison Sinclair, our wonderful editor Glenda, and my right-hand man for this press day, fellow blogger @steviedawson Make sure you catch his interview with David Neilson aka Roy Cropper, later this week.
If you've been affected by any issues raised in this week's corrie please check out https://www.itv.com/advice/tags/coronation-street
I am @rybazoxo your Wednesday night episode reviewer and Weatherfield aficionado!
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
1 comment:
I like the idea of Abi taking Nina under her wing (one day). Nina doesn't have a mom figure and Abi knows how much Seb and Nina were in love. They'll be ugly times before then but I'm sure there's a scene of them crying and reconnecting at some point.
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