Coronation Street Blog: Jack P Shepherd interview: David confronts Daniel

What are David’s feelings towards Daniel?

David likes to wind him up and likes to get under his skin. He is trying to provoke a reaction from him so he can immediately get him sacked because Daniel gas said his son is a thief but Max has said that he hasn’t done anything so David believes Max. David won’t hear anything else about it; Max says he is innocent so he believes that Max is innocent.

Does David absolutely believe Max or is it a front for Daniel?

Yes, David absolutely believes Max’s word as gospel. David says to Max, “Promise me you haven’t done anything” and when Max says he hasn’t, it's the end of story for David.

What is the turning point when David realises that Max is guilty?

When David goes into Dev’s shop and Dev says that Max was in there earlier with a credit card that got declined, that is the moment that David realises that Max has lied. But instead of going, “He’s got Daniel’s card,” David makes an excuse and tells Dev that it was his card that he gave to Max for a pizza. It’s all a bit suspicious and very bad parenting from David because he now knows that Max has nicked the wallet but he sticks up for him saying he hasn’t.

If Daniel was to confront David, what would he do?

David has already gone too far with the lie so he can’t back down and he can’t retract it. He is now very worried that he is going to get caught out in this lie because he has let Max get away with it. Now David is in the wrong because if anyone finds out that David has let Max get away with nicking the wallet, it is just as bad. Max taunts David and says “Well that’s not going to look very good if anyone finds out that you knew about it!”

What has David and Max’s relationship been like up to this point?

It’s been fine, there hasn’t been any trouble really. But now Max is messing about and becoming very rude towards David.

Why does David cover for Max and struggle to discipline him?

It could be a combination of things, David feels like Max has been through a lot in his childhood. But also this is the first time that Max has been playing up so at first David is quick to defend him because he believes that Max wouldn’t nick Daniel’s wallet. When David finds out he has, it is too embarrassing for David to say he has so he hides it.

You say that this is the first time that Max has played up and we know that David was a rebellious child that liked to push the boundaries with Gail, do you think this will help him handle Max’s behaviour?

David can see a bit of himself in Max. When David used to play up and Gail was at the end of her tether with him, it was always Audrey that used to see the good in David and it would be interesting to see it come full circle, for example if Max played up and David loses his temper, it would be nice for Gail to be the one to see the good in him. That would be an interesting dynamic!

How does David feel about Shona’s opinion on Max?

Shona thinks that Max is in the wrong and from the beginning is hinting that he might have taken the wallet which leads David and Shona to fall out. But in David’s eyes, Shona is not Max’s mum and also she can’t really say anything about it because her son killed his mum! Shona hasn’t got a leg to stand on there! She can never really tell Max and Lily off because of what her son did to their mum; it is never mentioned but that is why it never gets to a point of being mentioned because there is never an opportunity for her to step in and tell them off and mother them. David is on his own in that respect.

If Max’s behaviour starts to emulate David’s old behaviour growing up, how would David react?

Probably the same way Gail did, punish Max the best he can just like Gail used to punish David the best she could. Gail threw David out the house, she locked the doors, she changed the locks, she really did try her best! David was just relentless so it would be interesting for me to play the role of being on the other side of that for a change. I think it would make David remorseful of how he treated Gail and make him see what he put her through and they would be great scenes... reliving the history that the audience has watched for twenty years.

What would be your advice to David?

David needs to be two steps ahead of Max so he needs to work everything out and figure out what his next move is going to be before he does. David has been in that position so he should be smart enough and wise enough to know that he needs to get inside Max’s head if he wants to keep tabs on what he is doing and what he is up to because Max will be planning something.

Glenda Young

Novelist published by Headline