Hollyoaks student Will Savage launches a desperate bid to prove himself next week as his family remains homeless and broke.
Will decides to take control of the situation by organising an Enchanted Forest-themed music festival in the village to raise funds, boosting interest with the promise of a major headliner.
When Will fails to deliver on his word, his cousin Dennis tries to save the day by recruiting Mercury-signed singer-songwriter Maverick Sabre to perform. Will this be enough to get the Savages back on track?
Digital Spy recently chatted to James Atherton, who plays Will, to hear his thoughts on the special episodes.
What was it like to film the Savage Party episodes with Maverick Sabre?
"It was so cool and Maverick Sabre is such a nice guy. He was really lovely on set - he came in and felt like part of the team straight away.
"Joe Tracini, who plays Dennis, had more scenes with him than me. But he came in to film with us on a Saturday and we had competition winners here too, so it was like being at one of his gigs. It was absolutely buzzing on set and his voice is amazing."
Was it nice for you to have the Savages taking centre stage in the show?
"Absolutely - it was really nice as the whole week is centred around this brotherly rivalry between Will and Dodger. It was great to see that come to a head, as that tension has been building for a while now. Will is sick of Dodger getting all the credit and all of his dad's affection.
"Will is at university now, he's playing rugby, he's proving himself and he's coming out of his shell, so he feels that he deserves a bit more affection from his dad. So with the family having nowhere to live now that Bart's sold the campervan, that's what this festival is all about for Will. He's going to take the bull by the horns, be the one earning money for the family and get them out of this mess, rather than Dodger doing it all his way."
How does Will's planning go?
"He thinks it'll be alright - he's done this sort of thing before as he put on the warehouse party in Hollyoaks Later last year. But I'm not going to lie to you, it's not the best! It doesn't go according to plan and you'll see that he has to be helped out a lot by his mates."
Will and Dodger end up in a physical fight as the week continues. What was it like to film that scene with Danny Mac?
"Well, in real life, Danny and I live together so we're really good mates. What was good about that fight was that it was a proper brotherly scrap. No-one wanted to throw a punch, so it was a lot of rolling about and not really hurting each other! But at the same time, you'll see that there's a lot of angry frustration between them."
Dennis is also in the mix. Do you think the Savages look down on him slightly?
"Well, I think they see him as that annoying little cousin who's always there. Also, as Dennis idolises Dodger, Will just doesn't give him the time of day at all. But it's pretty much Dennis who saves the day here - he's the hero in the whole story!"
Did you also enjoy filming the Enchanted Forest promo which is airing on Channel 4 at the moment?
"That was amazing. It looks incredible with the way it's been shot, and it was really special to film it. We shot it over a weekend, they used loads of special cameras on it, and it was like being at a festival. I don't know how they've done it, but it looks beautiful."
Will was more of a geeky character when we first met him, but now he's dressing differently and his glasses are gone. Do you prefer playing the new Will or the old one?
"I really enjoyed playing the old Will, when he was more insular. It was really fun to come in, put the glasses on and get stuck behind a book, especially because it's so different from me in real life.
"But what we've tried to do with Will is show that when people go to university and settle in with a group of friends, they do relax and come out of their shell. He feels more comfortable in his own skin now, and I think that's what they've tried to show over the last six months.
"At the same time, I think we'll maybe see a bit more of the old Will coming back after the music festival. He realises that maybe the festival was more of a Dodger thing to do, when perhaps he can find other ways of making money. I think we'll see him using his brain a bit more, rather than this rugby brawn that has started coming out recently."
Do you think Will breaking up with Theresa was the best move for him?
"I think they needed to do it for the whole university storyline. Again, it's another thing that happens at uni - I know that a lot of my mates split up with girlfriends back home when they met all these new friends and started partying. I think it was right for Will and you've seen him grow because he's not been with Theresa. It's been good for the character."
Could Will's spark with Ash be explored further?
"I think we'll have to wait and see! It's kind of been underlying since Ash first came in, and it's continuing to brew. But we'll have to see if anything comes of it in the next few months or so…"
What have the highlights been from your time at Hollyoaks so far?
"One of my favourite weeks was actually the Theresa break-up week, where we went to Barney's castle. I think that was a great week and it was really fun to film - we had a great time on set there. This festival storyline has also been brilliant and so much fun. And Hollyoaks Later was great to be a part of last year - so there's been a few highlights, really!"
Where would you like Will to go next?
"I'd really love to see him get one over on Dodger and really show him! I'd also quite like to see Will pushed in a direction where he's maybe a bit edgier or where he's got to do something that's really out of his comfort zone to help his family. Maybe something a bit dodgy - obviously Dodger's the one that has always been like that, but Will's grown up in the same family.
"It'd be nice to see what he'd do if he was faced with a situation where he'd have to do something that's against the law. It'd be good to see him get in a bit of trouble!"
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