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Thread: Rosemary (Sophie Thompson)

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    Rosemary (Sophie Thompson)

    Coronation Street is currently being plagued by the cold-blooded serial murderer Pat Phelan, but — for a certain generation of viewers — the soap's all-time most hated killer will always be Richard Hillman.

    Gail Platt's (Helen Worth) evil ex-husband stacked up a huge body count — including Maxine Peacock and his ex Patricia Hillman — during his reign of terror on the ITV soap from 2001 to 2003, all because of his obsession with Gail.

    When Richard (Brian Capron) drowned in a canal 15 years ago, it seemed like the Platt family would finally be free of him once and for all. Not so, apparently.

    Richard will begin tormenting Gail from beyond the grave in an upcoming storyline when she makes the grim mistake of visiting a clairvoyant called Rosemary, who will be played by Harry Potter's Sophie Thompson.

    Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) will actually be responsible for bringing in Gail for a reading with Rosemary, when the medium convinces Audrey that she's receiving messages from her late husband Alf.

    Sophie Thompson
    © JAMES SHAW/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

    But it's Gail's ex-husbands who apparently have the strongest messages coming from 'the other side' as Gail and Rosemary finally meet.

    Brian Capron won't actually be back on screen for these scenes, but the spectre of Richard wants to deliver a spine-tingling warning for his former wife through Rosemary.

    But is this a genuine haunting, or is Sophie Thompson's medium playing some kind of sick game with Gail? Digital Spy has reached out to representatives from Corrie for more information.

    "Sophie is a superb actress and perfect for the role of Rosemary, we are excited she is joining the cast and working alongside Helen and Sue," a Corrie spokesperson teased.

    "Gail and Audrey are convinced she is getting messages from Alf and Gail's husbands. It remains to be seen if she is all she claims to be."

    Corrie previously resurrected Richard Hillman back in 2014 as part of a Halloween-themed addition to the show's set tours. Gail was also plagued by letters "from Richard" a few years back on the show, only for David to be revealed as the true culprit.

    The potential return of the Platt family's greatest foe will come during a rocky time for the clan. Viewers have already seen Bethany Platt turn to lap-dancing after being victimised in a child grooming ring last year.


    Brian Capron on Loose Women
    © KEN MCKAY/ITV/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

    David Platt also has dark times ahead when he becomes the victim of a brutal rape that brings his father Martin (Sean Wilson) back to the cobbles for the first time in 15 years.

    Digital Spy

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    Coronation Street introduces an eccentric new character tonight (March 12) as Audrey Roberts's latest customer at the salon claims to be a psychic.

    Former EastEnders star Sophie Thompson has been cast in the role of Rosemary Piper, who'll be passing on messages to Audrey and Gail from their dead husbands. Including a certain Richard Hillman…

    Digital Spy recently paid a visit to the Corrie set to hear Sophie speak about the storyline for the first time.

    What's it like to play the woman who's helping to resurrect Richard Hillman?

    "Oh, well, it's lovely being Rosemary. She's a quite a mysterious bird who's clearly got information and she is – or purports to be – psychic. Who knows if she has genuine gifts? But it's just delightful to be Rosemary. I'm fond of her already."

    How would you describe Rosemary?

    "She's very curious and vague. That's what I'm channelling at the moment. Rosemary is giving things away, but only so much and it's curious that she has this information.

    "Could it be slightly suspect? Well, who knows? It could be – whether you believe in that kind of stuff or not. Gail and Audrey are responding to Rosemary as a true creature, which she may well be, to a degree."

    Have you based the character on anyone?

    "It's all in the writing, which is so lovely on Corrie. Rosemary is Northern herself, so in my heart I'm trying to channel little elements that I can reach of all the wonderful women that I've watched on this show over the years, with Hilda being a particular favourite.

    "Sadly, Rosemary wasn't going to turn up with a headscarf and a duster. That's my sadness! But I'm trying to channel that kind of spirited bird that we all know and love from Corrie and Weatherfield."

    How does the story get started?

    "Rosemary seeks out Audrey in the salon as a customer and starts to reveal that she has information and she's a clairvoyant. So that for Audrey is surprising and intriguing. Then we have a session together and Rosemary reveals that she wants to give information to Gail. That surprises her too. So Rosemary goes via Audrey to get the message to Gail, initially."

    Where do Rosemary's séances take place?

    "So far, we've done both of them in the salon. It's not a Ouija board or tarot cards – Rosemary just picks up that these people are there and she hears things. It's more like channelling. She doesn't use any specific tools – other than a couple of candles."

    What does Richard Hillman's message mean for Gail?

    "I think it's genuinely disturbing. Obviously this guy was not a very nice person and affected Gail's life quite profoundly. To hear even his name must chill her bones. She's disturbed. It's like you want to know more, but you don't want to know. Gail is in that place at the moment, with very mixed feelings."


    Do you believe in clairvoyants yourself?

    "I've got – I hope – a healthy respect for the whole thing. I've got a friend who's a psychic person and she does that as a living. I keep my distance from it in real life, because I think the sixth sense is something that is there in a kind of pagan way.

    "I think there are genuine qualities that someone like Rosemary could have. She's got an extra sensory perception, as she's very empathetic and she can pick up on things. But I don't really know what it means – and I don't want to know. It's like magic tricks. I don't want to know how it works, but sometimes I hope it's really true."

    Have you ever had a sixth sense yourself?

    "I've bumped into a couple of ghosts in my time, I think. I worked at the Bristol Old Vic years ago. It's meant to be haunted and I did have a very weird experience there on a dressing room corridor.

    "There was also an old house I used to live in, where I felt there was a powerful presence from another time. I think time isn't linear. I think sometimes you can bump into strange atmospheres and weathers where you think 'what's that from?' There are lots of things that aren't explained – and I like that."

    What's it like to work with the Platts?

    "I literally feel like I've won some sort of prize. My first day was in the salon with Sue Nicholls (Audrey) and I was so happy. Also, for some reason we both got quite giggly. I was thinking: 'I've only just arrived and I'm being really **** and unprofessional!'

    "Helen Worth (Gail) was so kind and calm. Joining any soap is like getting onto a moving vehicle – and it's quite a large vehicle. Like those old buses where you're hanging onto the post. But you're trying to look dead calm and not let the side down. I couldn't have been luckier to find that my story was with these wonderful women. I'm so delighted."

    Was Corrie something you watched as a child?

    "Yes, it was. I had to wean myself off it – genuinely – when I had children. Back then it was only about two episodes a week. But it was still getting ridiculous, because I'd tape it and life would happen and I went 'I can't do this now – I've got to leave it for a bit', so I did.

    "But the beauty of soap is that you can then return to some familiar faces – and obviously loads of new faces. Corrie will always have that spirit. It will always have those strong women, and will always have those great storylines. Now they've got so much going on, it's brilliant to plug back into it. It's very exciting to be a part of it now."

    How does this compare to your time on EastEnders?

    "It's a very different vibe, but at the same time I'm very grateful for having that experience, because otherwise I literally would have been pooping myself. I slightly was still, but it wasn't quite so uncomfortable because my nerves were tempered by the fact that I'd had an experience of what it's like on a soap.

    "On my first day on EastEnders, when I got the call sheet, I thought it was for the week but it was for the day! So I got over those initial frights that a soap's schedule can give you.

    "But it's a completely different. EastEnders is down south and I'm a kind of mixture, really – I'm half Scottish. I was married to a Northerner for many years, so I feel very comfortable in the place. Weirdly, I feel more comfortable up North than I do down South in a funny old way."

    What kind of fan reaction did you get over EastEnders' evil Stella?

    "She was not nice. She was so interesting to play, but she was the first character I've played who didn't have any empathy. That's how I defined her in my mind. It was my first baddy, really. Although ultimately she'd been broken along the way and you did see part of her backstory.

    "EastEnders were quite worried when they brought me in and said: 'You do something nasty to a child, you might get some funny reactions'. But I was so surprised, as people were so nice. Me and my boys did get slightly mobbed in the swimming pool for a bit, so we couldn't go for a few months.

    "But apart from that, I think people just enjoyed the story. Kids were kind. I don't think I got anything horrible – I was quite surprised."


    How long are you going to stick around on Corrie for?

    "Hopefully at the moment they have me until spring – until the daffodils start blooming. Fingers crossed."

    Could Rosemary come back to the show after this story?

    "Who knows? I just have to count my lucky stars that I'm here now and enjoy how the story unfolds. You don't know half of it – a bit like life – and then you get the scripts and go 'Ooh, golly, that's going to happen!' Helen talked about that and said she likes taking things as they come because it's more like life then. I thought that's very wise."


    Digital Spy

  3. #3
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    A little bit of Spirit??

    Looking forward to seeing this storyline develop as so many people get comfort from it, Sophie played a good part when she tortured Ben MItchell in EE when he was a little lad,
    can see she will be convincing.

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    be good if she could talk to phelan's victims maybe not tell eileen as probably wouldnt care

  5. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to lizann For This Useful Post:

    mysangry (13-03-2018), tammyy2j (21-03-2018)

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    As Lewis is returning, are they working together?

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    Perdita (21-03-2018)

  8. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by tammyy2j View Post
    As Lewis is returning, are they working together?
    I think so, Claudia (Rula Lenska) will also be involved or related to Rosemary ....

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