How has Theo been feeling and reacting since Noah has come back into his life, having previously tried to preach conversion therapy to him?
It’s a lot to deal with, especially after the conversion therapy, and then all these reminders and meetings are happening right on his doorstep. It's like old wounds being reopened and I think with Noah coming back, the conversion therapy aspect is particularly poignant because he is now living as a homosexual man. Noah has reappeared when Theo is finally living his truth so the timing of it couldn’t be any worse for Theo. If he wasn’t feeling self conscious before, he certainly is now. All that religious opposition to his found newfound love with Todd, is going to be really difficult to navigate. There's a real torment because he's been indoctrinated against homosexuality, not just to believe that it’s wrong but that it’s a sin against god. All that is starting to re-emerge in his psyche. Theo’s a very complicated and conflicted man and this is not what he needed at this time. Theo’s finally just got himself together after all the upset with Danielle and the kids. He’s now settled with Todd, they’re happy, everything’s finally working out and then Noah appears on the street he’s living in to ruin the party.
After Todd shows Theo the leaflets talking about traditional family values, we then see him trash the builder's yard. What state of mind is he in? Does he just see red?
I think it's a pressure that's built up inside of him. Something’s got to give and he can’t live like that any more. I think the amount of pressure he's feeling is unprecedented. Threats to anyone’s family is most people's main trigger. You've got this man coming back into his life who used to be a friend once upon a time who is now sleeping with his ex wife, treating his kids like his own and indoctrinating them that homosexuality is wrong. So the amount of shame he must feel is incredible. He hates himself, he's so unable to live comfortably with the choices he's made. He can't make peace with his decisions and at the same time he’s got someone telling him that it’s wrong.
Throughout all this, Gary turns out to be quite a support. Tell us about the sort of relationship and friendship that Theo and Gary are building.
Well in real life there is a real bromance between me and Mikey North, I love him, we text, we hang out, he’s the best. What Theo likes about Gary is he sees him as a man's man, he's a builder, and he's from Theo’s world which is scaffolding, yet he is completely accepting of the fact that Theo is a gay man. If anything he’s not only accepting, he’s outraged that Noah is behaving the way he is with his family and towards Theo. Gary's moral compass is very strong, although people might not always agree with his methods. He gets to the point where he just can’t see his friend being treated like that, so he takes it upon himself to serve a bit of vigilante justice.
How does Theo feel about this when he realizes Gary might be out to fire a warning shot? Is he worried that this is going to rock the boat further with Danielle and the kids?
100%. On one hand I think he’s very grateful, Gary talks to him and says it’ll only be a warning. But it can never be just a warning with Gary Windass can it, he’s too lively! He's grateful to Gary in a way for that loyalty, but it's also come at a time when he's fighting for custody of his kids and one wrong move could mean curtains for him. And whatever Theo is, he is a family man, and his children mean everything to him.
How much is Theo struggling at the moment from being separated from his kids?
He’s really struggling, it’s also still all so new, there’s been so much change for Theo so quickly. He's never had the opportunity to truly settle into who he is, and this relationship because it’s literally been one thing after another. They've not really been able to settle into this new love and new life.
How do you feel about Theo? Do you feel sorry for him? Do you get frustrated with him?
I love playing him because he’s so complex. He’s trying to navigate this very complicated set of circumstances. He’s the first to admit he’s deeply flawed and he makes mistakes but in his mind he’s trying to do the right thing, he's trying to still be a family man, love his kids and take care of his ex-wife even though she hates him. But I think he feels incredibly guilty, all this upset is his fault, he’s been living a lie for such a long time and by coming out he’s caused an enormous amount of hurt and I think the guilt is the trigger for a lot of his behaviours.
How important do you think Todd is to Theo? How far will he go to keep hold of this relationship?
Todd is everything to him, Todd at the moment is all he has. He really truly believes that Todd is his true love, he’s given up everything to be with him, Todd is his world. I think he’s the first person Theo has ever met that he can truly be himself with.
How are you enjoying your time here at Coronation Street? You’ve really been thrown in at the deep end with storylines for Theo. How are you finding it?
I’m having an absolute ball, it's such a wonderful place, the opportunity to work on a long-form medium and to play this story out in real time, is such a privilege. If it was a movie or a play, we'd have to wrap the whole thing up so quickly. But the great joy of being able to come into work every day and do a different area of it in real time, feels like such an experience. It's a wonderful journey, and it's a wonderful team to be a part of. Everybody who works on the show loves the show and is invested in the show, and I think that's very important. .
Glenda Young
Bestselling novelist published by Headline
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1 comment:
Todd is everything to Theo? You sure could have fooled me!
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