Video: Patti Clare talks about Mary's new, darker storyline

Patti Clare, who plays Mary Taylor in Coronation Street, was interviewed on ITV's Lorraine this week. Patti spoke about her current storyline in Corrie where Mary's son Jude and daughter-in-law Angie accuse her of harming baby George.

Well, Mary might have her mad moments but I think all fans would agree that harming a child is something she would never do.

So what's going on?

Well, Patti said this to Lorraine: "It's time to see another side of Mary, I think she's earned it. It's literally turned her world upside down and of course she's out of her depth, of course she doesn't know what she's doing."

She agrees that Mary is always trying to help and her storyline is coming from a good place and intent, but admits that she goes too far. And teasing the future of this dark storyline for Mary, Patti says: "There's a lot of secrets, everybody has their secrets, and there's more to be revealed..."

Speaking about her cast mate Jennie McAlpine who's currently in the jungle on "I'm a Celebrity...", Patti says that she'd love to do Strictly Come Dancing because she loves dancing.  Now she's someone I'd definitely love to see on that show next year!

You can watch the full video interview here

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Patti Clare Interview: Baby George in danger

What is Mary’s motive behind throwing the dinner party with Dev, Jude, Angie, Peter and Toyah?

With the very best of intentions, Mary’s motive is to make Angie aware that she has a problem around alcohol and in Mary’s world, the best way to do that is to have somebody who has openly said he has alcoholic problems share his experience of heavy drinking, which is Peter. But of course, with Mary’s usual missing the mark, it’s all a bit heavy handed and Angie is no more the wiser of why she is there.

Why has Mary convinced herself Angie is an alcoholic - doe she have any evidence?

Mary has found a leaflet that accidentally fell out of Angie’s bag which has advice on heavy drinking and being an alcoholic so she has put two and two together and ended up with seven, thinking this explains Angie’s strange behaviour. Angie can be distant and she can be removed; she seems distracted all the time. So Mary is constantly trying to work out why this is and that's when she comes with the idea that Angie has a drinking problem. Mary pursues this so everytime Angie has a drink, Mary jumps to the conclusion and thinks it's one of many when it is hardly any at all.

How would describe Mary and Angie’s relationship at the moment? 

Its very, very tentative, they are very much on their guard with each other. And of course, there’s jealousy and there’s fighting for the attention of Jude and George. They don’t know each other truly yet.

Jude asks Mary to babysit George but he becomes unwell in Mary’s care - what are Mary’s first thoughts?

Mary’s first thoughts are to find out what’s wrong with the little fellow, she is concerned that they get to the root of his illness. She asks Dev’s advice on what to do and Dev tells her to get Angie. So Mary goes to the bistro and tells Angie exactly what’s happening. Mary knows it’s not a casual thing, he is very, very unwell.

What is Mary’s reaction when Angie says she will drive him to A&E?

Mary is horrified, why would she allow Angie to drive when she has been drinking? Mary thinks Angie is in denial. She absolutely panics and thinks her grandson is in danger because there is a drunk driver setting off… not only drunk but in a high state of anxiety. Mary is very worried and that’s what leads her to call the police. She honestly believes she is doing the right thing.

So when Mary calls the police it comes from a good place?

Mary couldn’t live with herself if anything happened to the little boy, she couldn’t. If she let it lie, if there was a car crash, she couldn’t live with herself.

What has it like being filming with Mary’s extended  family?

It’s wonderful having Mary’s extended family. Romeo who plays George is absolutely gorgeous, we have all fallen in love with him.  Having Paddy who plays Jude back is wonderful and the addition, having Victoria is wonderful so it’s really exciting to have this ready-made family. The interesting thing is, it’s not all happy-endings, it’s a very bumpy ride, people getting to know themselves. That happy ever after often is a fairy-tale, there is a lot more skeletons in the cupboard to be revealed...

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The Making of Mary

 

Mary Taylor has become one of my favourite current Coronation Street characters. To coin a phrase, there's just something about her. Mary has been brilliantly portrayed by Patti Clare for nearly a decade now, but for me it is only the past year that we've seen her come into her own. I have never ever doubted Patti's skills as an actress but for too long I felt that while the writers obviously enjoyed penning Mary's lines, the direction and purpose of the character was muddled to say the least. 

To begin with Mary was a figure of fun, coming out with random and mostly impossible to imagine monologues which provided light to the ever increasing shade in the world we called Weatherfield. Mary has been paired up with Norris pretty much since the get go and they have fine chemistry as the local odd couple. However I quickly became perplexed when she seemed to spend all her time either in her motor-home or with a group of, albeit sprightly, old age pensioners. Mary is, despite her quirks, around the age of Steve and Michelle and yet hangs out with Rita and Emily. The motor-home alone was problematic. It stuck out a mile on the street and was a point of conversation for a while but soon I couldn't help but wonder why she didn't have somewhere proper to live.

 

Also Mary didn't really have a specific purpose on the street, lacking a regular job, which as we know is crucial for interaction with a wide range of characters on the cobbles. She has always come across as an educated person yet she seemed to have little in the way of experience behind her (experience we did hear of seemed preposterous to say the least!). Thankfully the motor-home has been consigned to the DVD rack of history and now Mary spends time with characters other than Norris and Rita. There was even a time when I would happily have seen the back of Mary. A few years back she went a tad bunny boiler on us, keeping Norris prisoner in a remote cottage. That storyline strained the humour of the situation too far and thankfully seems to have been forgotten.

I think the turning point for Mary came when she formed an attachment with Dev Alahan and his children. To begin with I questioned her suitability to act as nanny to the twins but for the first time, these scenes began to show a depth to the character we had not really seen before. There was still an element of zany humour but with added pathos and a sense of humanity, Mary started to soar in my affections. The weird rivalry with Julie Carp aside (I still miss Julie and her fantastic frocks by the way), I'm pleased Mary is still happily ensconced with the Alahans. No doubt they will need her more than ever once Erica departs.

 

I have also loved seeing Mary establish herself in the florists with Tracy. Tracy Barlow has long been in need of proper friends on the street, a bit difficult when you're a loud mouthed She-Devil with the tongue of Blanche and the kidney of Samir. However Tracy and Mary,another classic odd couple pairing, seem to have gelled and although Tracy is frequently frustrated by Ms Taylor, an affectionate bond has formed which is lovely to see. Even established characters need new dimensions to keep them fresh and interesting. 

For me though, the biggest change for Mary Taylor has been actually giving her serious meaty stories for Patti Clare to get her teeth into. We first saw evidence of this when the truth behind Mary's infectious smile came out towards the end of last year. When I first heard the idea of Mary having a secret son, I was concerned it would not be believable. Yet the writing, coupled with strong, affecting performances from Patti and Malcolm Hebden, made it a high point of my recent Corrie watching. My only regret was that the story seemed to be pushed into progressing at too great a rate. After it all came out, Mary's son was found and had presented himself in Weatherfield with alarming speed and all was well. Thankfully Mary's son Jude will be more of a fixture in Coronation Street soon and I can't wait to see which direction it heads in next. Building a family around Mary is a really good sign for the future of her character.

 

Also, Mary's involvement in the latter stages of Bethany's grooming storyline have been extremely welcome and beautifully played. Given her own experiences as a teenager, it would only be fitting for Mary to offer Bethany advice and guidance in her hour of need. Mary's vulnerability, coupled with solidarity and strength in the face of the horrendous Nathan stretched both the character of Mary and Patti Clare, the actress. Don't get me wrong, I hope she continues to provide some lighthearted moments amidst the Corrie gloom, but meatier stories really suit Mary Taylor too. 

So what are my wishes for the future of Mary? Aside from seeing her bond with Jude and his family,  I really really think it is about time we were properly introduced to her mother! For nearly a decade this apparently monstrous gargoyle of a woman has been mentioned, with random descriptions tossed in to every day conversation, provoking raised eyebrows from not only Rita and Norris but also from the viewers. Mary's mum is a superb role just begging to be cast. There are plenty of character actresses out there who I'm sure could do her justice.

Long may Mary entertain us, make us laugh and cry. And long may Patti Clare grace the cobbles with her unique portrayal of Mary Taylor. 

By Graeme Naylor

You can find me on Twitter @GraemeN82

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You've Come a Long Way Mary Taylor!

Since the early days, in 2008, when several critics and fans described Mary Taylor as ‘weird’ or ‘odd’ or ‘strange and creepy’ and even in some cases ‘a downright nut-job,’ Mary’s star has been rising.

Thanks to the skill and imagination of the writing team at Corrie, Patti Clare’s acting genius and no doubt the influence of Kate Oates, Mary Taylor’s character has broadened out and become someone who, though a little eccentric and slightly out of time, has a heart of gold and a generally optimistic outlook on life.

Since the storyline about her now adult son and how she became pregnant at 14, and was forced to give up her baby son, a weight has lifted from Mary and her natural kindness has been given full reign.

In addition, she can get on with almost anyone, even Tracy. It seems that there is a sound working relationship between these 2 most unlikely work mates.  Who would have thought that that could work? As well as the florist’s, Mary pops up working at the café, the Kabin and also still looks after Dev’s children. Another string to her bow now is as a babysitter for Sarah’s baby Harry.

It was there that came Mary’s finest moment. Noticing the packed bags and Bethany’s desperate rummaging through the drawer to find something, it clicked in Mary’s head exactly what was happening. Telling her own story of how she became pregnant at 14, how she believed in the possibility of romance and that the man cared for her; she spoke of how, in the harsh light of day, she realised what it really was – rape. She spoke of how Nathan had allowed 3 men to rape Bethany. Mary was bravely direct and showed genuine concern for Bethany.

As Bethany snatched up her bags and darted out of the house, Mary was not giving up. Mary tells an impatient Nathan, ‘She doesn’t want to go.’ She stood up to Nathan telling him how she knew all about men like him and how he ws a bully. One of the most sinister things Nathan has ever done is to touch Harry’s face in a shockingly untender way. He’s right – Mary does not know what he is capable of. His words, ‘She’s mine and I’ll do what I want with her,’ revealed the true lack of any feeling whatsoever for Bethany.

Sadly, Mary’s protestations didn’t work, at least not at that very moment, but something of what Mary said must have hit home. In the car Bethany said to Nathan that all that mattered was that they were together. No response from Nathan. Then, his angry reaction to her not having a passport exposed his true nature too. Seeing Nathan shouting and gesticulating as she came out of the toilets, it seemed that the rose-tinted spectacles Bethany has been continually wearing, smashed - and Nathan was exposed for who he really was.

By Ruth Owen, twitter: @Ruth1722

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5 reasons we love Mary in Coronation Street

Guest blog post by Glenn Meads who is on Twitter and LinkedIn
You can read all of Glenn's guest blog posts here.
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Last might, as Mary tried in vain to help Bethany, Twitter was ablaze with love for the one time camper van dweller.

She arrived on the street as a slightly loopy and unhinged character (remember the Annie Wilkes moment from Misery, when she lost it with Norris, in the middle.of nowhere?) and has since emerged as one of the most beloved and fascinating characters we have seen on the Street in ages.

So, now we have established that there's something about Mary. What it is that draws us into her wacky, yet endearing and fascinating world?

1) She is from another time and place

She talks about the past, as if it is yesterday. Yet, she is existing in a world dominated by tablets and Snapchat. She is refreshingly different and it's hard to place where she has come from. She drifted onto the street like snow.

2) She is one of a kind

Soaps.often have stock characters, that we expect to see. Mary is hard to pin down, as a stereotype. Thanks to some.marvellous writing, she has changed constantly. But the essence of Mary remains.

3) She is a double act queen

Roy and Mary, Norris and Mary, Tracy and Mary. Each one of these pairings has worked. Why? Like a great buddy movie, it is the idea of opposites. This week Tracy took Mary out for her lunch, as her 'employee of the month', meanwhile.Norris has become Mary's confidante and she looked out for Roy when Hayley died. Like a great student, you could pair her up with anyone.

4) Patti Clare

Yes the writing has always been quite something for our Mary. But Patti Clare can have you laughing one minute and crying the next. Whether she is humming The Smiths, recalling a tale involving 'mother', or talking about loneliness, Patti brings her to life, so she becomes fully rounded and totally believable.

5) Her Values

Seemingly old fashioned and quite rigid on the outside, Mary Taylor has a heart of gold. So, she will give folk a second chance. She will always look out for an underdog, and offers help before she asks for it herself. Mary has a heart the size of Manchester.

At one point not so long ago, it looked as if Mary Taylor was off to pastures new. But, thankfully she stayed.

Thank heavens, because there is something so warm about this character that the Weatherfield would be a sad place without her. Do I hear wedding bells? I hope so! 

By Glenn Meads

You can read all of Glenn's guest blog posts here.
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