Casualty Spoilers 30 October 2010

Saturday 30 October
Time to be confirmed BBC ONE
www.bbc.co.uk/casualty

Feature (interview with Stephen Lord)

With the threat of an inspection looming, Kirsty collapses at work and Mads makes another mistake in Casualty – No Place Like Home.

Jordan rallies the troops – they're due an inspection any time in the next two weeks and he hopes Tess's staff are up to scratch. Big Mac and Noel theorise with Mads that the inspector might take the form of a "mystery shopper" and Mads assumes that hypochondriac patient Alan must be the inspector so prioritises him at the expense of other patients.

Zoe is annoyed that Mads didn't keep an eye on her patient as requested but stands up to Jordan when he questions what went wrong. Mads feels she's failed but learns another important lesson when Zoe tells her if she wants to fit in, she must never admit to being in the wrong.

Kirsty is having trouble sleeping so she takes a sleeping tablet. But she has mistaken the time and, as soon as she takes it, she receives a phone call – she's late for work. Tess is furious and warns Kirsty that she might have to face a formal investigation. Struggling to stay awake and keep her mind on the job, Kirsty tricks Adam into prescribing Ritalin for a mystery patient. Kirsty takes it but, after her cocktail of drugs, she collapses in the shower.

Mads discovers her in the shower and she and Adam sneak her into a cubicle, away from the beady eyes of Tess. Adam is forced to shock her and, when she comes round, he tries to talk to her but she says she just needs to sleep. He commandeers the on-call room for her to have some rest.

Meanwhile Kirsty's tight-lipped husband, Warren, arrives at the hospital complaining that Kirsty is late home from work. Despite Adam's protests, Warren insists on driving Kirsty home. Kirsty gets into bed at home but Warren watches as she lies awake. She's exhausted but, for some reason, she just can't sleep...

Former EastEnders star Stephen Lord has swapped Walford for Holby to play Warren Clements, the husband of popular nurse Kirsty (Lucy Gaskell) in Casualty. In his first few appearances it's clear that all is not well in the Clements household and that Kirsty is hiding a big secret from her colleagues. Here, Stephen talks about his new role as the controlling and unpredictable former fireman who makes life very difficult for his feisty young wife.

"I think Warren was very different years ago to how he is now," explains Stephen. "He married at an early age and I don't feel he coped well with marriage and having a child. His job was his saving grace working as a fireman. It gave him such a huge purpose in life. But now he can no longer work – for reasons we find out later – his actions have gone from bad to worse. He genuinely loves his daughter Nita and he wants his relationship with Kirsty to work but he hasn't got the skills and is fighting a losing battle with himself and others.

"At times he can be genuinely charming, warm and caring. But he's riddled with self-pity, suffers from low self-esteem and on top of that can be extremely manipulative with an explosive temper."

Salford-born Stephen has kept extremely busy since the violent demise of his popular character Jase Dyer in EastEnders with roles in upcoming feature films Route Irish by Ken Loach, Jackboots Of Whitehall by Ed and Rory McHenry and Desperate Measures by Chris Green. What was it like to come back to another long-running TV drama?

"It felt very easy to go into an established show and do what you need to do," says Stephen. "I never have any preconceptions in terms of what any job will be like. All I know is that I enjoy working with people and doing the work. It was a bonus knowing a few regulars from working with them on previous jobs. I actually did one of my first jobs – a film called Shooting Stars – with Jane Hazlegrove, who plays Dixie and is still a good friend.

"And working with Lucy Gaskell was a joy," he adds. "We struck up a nice rapport and working relationship from the start. I always connect easier with actors who have good instincts, who care about the work and are free from ego. I had never worked with Lucy before but I hope our paths cross again after Casualty."

Later in the series viewers find out that Warren has a dark, aggressive streak, and there were violent undertones in Jase Dyer's life too. Does Stephen find it easy to click into that violent mindset for acting?

"Thankfully I have always found it easy to tune into feeling and being violent in order to then play a scene," says Stephen. "I think Warren is a very flawed character despite his best intentions but I do like to find all of a character's qualities and defects and use them in the best way to serve the story."

Married to actress Elaine Cassidy, with a young daughter, Stephen hopes he's a more supportive husband than the controlling Warren.

"I asked my wife and she says I'm 'the best'," laughs Stephen. "And I never argue with the Mrs!"

The character Warren in Casualty has been diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy.

Any judgement of him or his character or motives must bear this in mind. All the posts do not even mention his medical condition.
Muscular Dystrophy is one of the most misunderstood medicals conditions there is.
The episode where he is diagnosed does make some of the correct points. MD is an incurable and progressive
muscle wasting disease. His condition will worsen and need a wheelchair, more and more
muscle groups will be affected including his heart and lungs. Among all the blood and guts of
more popular Casualty themes Warren has one of the most serious dideases yet he is
just ignored. Kirsty told the doctors "you can test him all you like, it is all in his head". Even
the doctors misdiagnosed him and it was only when shaking hands with him that the doctor
realised the degree of myotonia (bad grip) and looked at MD. I went 12 years of
what Warren has been going through before being diagnosed. It is incredibly
frustrating.
I am not saying it titally explains his violent temper and conduct, but it is
a major facor. How would you feel if the whole world and your wife
jusr refuses to accept you have the illness that you know you have.

After the superb episode detailing Warren's diagnosis of Muscular Dystrophy it has all chaged.
At the start even his wife and the doctors do not realie he has a very serious condition, then
we are told the full severity of the MD diagnosis for it never to be mentioned again. We
are straight back to "Nasty Warren".
Even his final demise falling down the stairs is due to his MD. You will nitice there were
very sturdy bannisters on eacg side of the staircase he fell down. An able-bodied person
would have had no problem in arresting their fall. Warren with his Myotonia (bade grip) would not
have been able to stop himself falling. NOT EVEN MENTIONED !! I have had
three nearly fatal falls due to Myontonia / MD and people just do not understand.