Weatherfield certainly lives up to its name this month, as a violent rainstorm brings dramatic circumstances to the cobbles. Starting in the middle of October, Corrie's 'Super Soap Week' is ominously titled Horror Nation Street- but what horror awaits? Over this coming week, the tension is slowly starting to build, and Abi's revenge-fueled return must only be a foreshadowing of what's to come? The last time we spoke with Sally Carman (who plays Abi), she mentioned filming some secret stunts that were all hush-hush and wrapped in embargoes. Fast-forward a few weeks, and I was lucky enough to attend a Corrie Zoom press chat with Sally Carman (SC), to learn all about it!
This week we see Abi return to the cobbles. What is her state of mind?
SC Abi's mind is set on only one thing, and that is to get revenge on Corey. She is not thinking straight, is in a dark place, and has tunnel vision about the whole thing!
How does it make her feel when she arrives back and finds out that Corey's football career is going from strength to strength?
SC I think that’s the fuel, and the motivation, for her revenge plan. She does want to see Kev and Jack but, it’s that that takes precedence. It’s not that she doesn’t love them both, but this is about Seb and all the times she wasn’t there for him. This is the one thing that she thinks she can do. It's about getting justice for Seb!
She seems hellbent on revenge! Do you think Abi is deadly serious about seeing this through?
SC Yes, I think she is capable of going through with this. I don’t think there is any doubt about that. She has that personality, that flaw. She doesn't temper her behaviour and just thinks in the moment. She is so stubborn in her decisions and especially when they are decisions of the heart
We know she loves Kevin and Jack, and this week we see Jack open up to Abi. Is she prepared to lose this ready-made family to get justice for Seb?
SC Yes, she is. She knows that Kev and Jack love each other and have that connection, so she knows they will be okay. But for her, Seb is dead, and this is the last thing she can do to prove her motherly love. That would be the overriding thing!
Nina becomes aware that Abi may be planning something. Do you think she could help Abi and make her see sense?
SC Yes. If there is anyone that could make Abi see more clearly, it would be Nina. But Abi is so infuriating with things like this; the more people make her try and see sense, the more she refuses it. She has to come around to things in her own time and way but I don’t think she has that luxury in this instance. As much as she loves Nina, this is about Seb. Every emotion or feeling she has had in the past, she channelled it into getting this revenge for Seb
How did you feel when you found out that Abi has got a gun?
SC I was like, wow, okay! I believe that Abi is one of those characters (in the show) that could go to that depth because she’s so emotionally out there, impassioned, and immature in emotions. I knew that bringing a gun into the mix couldn’t be straight forward and it would be flawed to the highest degree. I was very excited to see what happened! It’s not very James Bond nor a Bond Girl thing either - she’s just an absolute headcase!
She aims to get a gun, bring it on the street, and shoot Corey! But this is soapland, so we have to have a storm, a collapsed sinkhole, and stunts! Could we see Abi in some danger, herself?
SC Yes, I think we could!! There is enough drama with the gun, so why not add a few more elements! And from the little bits that I have seen, those elements have been added! It is fantastic - I can't wait to see what’s coming up
We've just seen the pictures of Corey and Abi in the sinkhole together, with Corey aiming the gun at Abi!!! Suddenly the direction of revenge changes. Can you tell us her mindset at that point?
SC Well, I think the initial mindset is of someone who's not thinking straight, grieving for their son, and then add the murder and sinkhole to the mix. The gun switches about a lot, giving both sides a chance to have their say. Abi has little regard for her own life at that point!
What was it like filming those scenes? How did it feel being in the water?
SC We started filming on Monday and finished by Friday. By Tuesday, I thought I couldn't continue as it was so cold and wet. Weirdly, and as the week moved on, my body climatized to it, and it felt brilliant - a brilliant experience from start to finish. The sets, this running gushing water coming from the pipes, the electrical flashes, and we did stunts where we fell through a trapdoor - it was epic. Hard work but glad to have done it. It pushed me to my limits!
How did it feel when you arrived on set on the first day? You must have seen the wet suits and wondered what they had planned for you?
SC I thought 'Wow!, but I could not wait to get started! It was phenomenal. The last day was when we fell through a trapdoor, and we had to land on piles and piles of cardboard boxes. The director shouted ''Cut!'' and I said; 'Right, I ain't doing that again(!) Everyone laughed, but they got it all in the one-shot. It was brilliant but terrifying!
Viewers have waited a long time to see Abi and Corey meet face-to-face, on their own, and this is a really claustrophobic environment. What was it like working with Max and finally having that moment with the two characters?
SC It was brilliant! With the set being purpose-built, it intensifies the moment, and Max is such a good actor. He was really into it-we both gave it our all! It was an emotional moment to do those scenes and quite a gift to do it. It was a stretch for those acting muscles. Some very emotional and upsetting scenes, but I loved it!
And we love Abi, too! Will this revenge plan be her undoing? Coronation Street has promised the death of a main character during this Horror Nation Street week. Could Abi's latest descent into madness prove fatal? I have no idea who gets killed (they kept that secret in the press event) so I'm just as excited as you are in wanting to find out!!
Keep watching Corrie, read this blog, and expect more exclusive interviews in October from myself and Sophie Williams!
I am @rybazoxo your self-styled Cobbles Connossiuer!
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Jeanie (anon): I'm putting my money on Johnny being the one to bite the biscuit. It's seems clear the actor is leaving the show-hence his pretty random break up with Jenny. So this last hurrah explains why his character just moved down the street and was hanging around in the background for the last six months instead of just leaving to be with Kate.
ReplyDeleteHopefully Dev resets his relationship with Aadi. That poor kid...it's so tough when a parent shows such blatant favoritism for one child over the other. But it's been developed in a pretty careful way--hinting at it for more than a year. Pretty much since the new Aadi came on the scene. Before that Dev clearly favored his son with his obsession with his golfing.