It's been a tumultuous time for Toyah Battersby, to say the least. Sleeping with Nick, a cancer scare, an arrest, and a legal threat, all whilst Leanne goes gaga for the institute!
Interviewing Georgia Taylor for Coronation Street Blog on a sunny Monday at Corrie’s media suite, I was intrigued to listen to her thoughts on Toyah’s problematic recent history!
Read On!
Hi Georgia, Leanne is getting deeper and deeper into the institute's dogma. How worried is Toyah about her sister?
“Concerned - she has been from the off. I was thinking about this, this morning. It's true to the character. Historically, Toyah was always someone who, if she felt strongly about a cause, or someone, was always quite dogged about it, and that's what happened in this instance. She’s not letting it drop”
Does Toyah realise how dangerous Rowan could be?
“I don't know. I think she must have an idea but why is she then constantly putting herself in danger with the NDA and the blackmail? In some ways, I think it's a distraction from the truth coming out about Rose, processing that, and her arrest. In a way, it's kind of given her a project to focus on. Maybe she’s not fully aware of the danger she's putting herself in”
Nick and Toyah have grown a lot closer. Have these feelings taken her by surprise?
“Yes! When Toyah told Nick about Rose, he was so understanding, sympathetic and gentle. I think she saw Nick in a light that she’d never seen before”
Is a full affair on the cards?
“It's a soap, so I would hope so! When Ben (Price, Nick Tilsley) and I spoke to the Corrie execs, we wanted to make this an emotional affair rather than the obvious. We wanted to make it a deeper thing to make it more interesting”
As the drama ranks up, Toyah is mistakenly told she’s pregnant, only to find out it might be cancer! It’s a whirlwind of emotions for her. Who do you think will be there to support her?
“It's difficult isn't it - Nick wants to be there for her and he's emotionally invested, but on the other side, the institute is affecting Leanne’s behaviour. However, as the storyline moves on, Leanne starts to become emotionally disconnected from her, and as Toyah has no friends, then it is going to be Nick”
How are you feeling playing this juxtaposition of Toyah’s emotional state?
“It's really fun, I love working with Jane (Danson - Leanne) and Ben (Price, Nick) - we have a proper laugh. We sometimes share screenshots of scripts about what the characters are going to say to each other. There was a scene played out last week, and Jane said to me the next day ‘’You went through every single emotion". Toyah had buried the baby, went for Rowan, had a huge fight with Leanne, and then had sex with Nick - it was about 18 stories in one episode. It was challenging but as an actor, it’s exactly what you want!”
Thank you, Georgia!
Interviewing Georgia Taylor, in person, was a huge treat for this Corrie blogger. Aside from her two separate tenures, and having originally joined the show when I first started watching, Georgia also starred in one of my favourite films: 'The History Boys’ based on the magnificent play by Yorkshire playwright Alan Bennett.
Have you seen any Corrie stars on the celluloid screen, and what do you think of Toyah’s latest dramas?
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