*******FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MONDAY MAY 18TH 2015******
A WEEK OF EXPLOSIVE DRAMA ON CORONATION STREET NEW PHOTOGRAPHS RELEASED TODAY
Coronation Street viewers are in for treat with explosive drama from the BAFTA winning soap every night next week.
The residents of Weatherfield find themselves caught up in a huge fire at Victoria Court -‐ but who is behind the blaze?
Viewers can follow the drama and watch it unfold at 9pm every night from Monday May 25th to Friday May 29th.
There are surprises and shocks in store in each episode as secrets and lies are exposed.
Tracy Barlow is out for revenge after Carla Connor unwittingly scuppers her evil plan to take over the Rovers with secret lover Tony Stewart.
With her Rovers dream in tatters, Tracy will be consumed by rage for those she feels have wronged her -‐ and if there’s one thing we know about this Barlow it’s that her revenge has no bounds...
As these sneak preview photos show, Tracy chooses Steve and Michelle’s wedding day to bring the whole house of cards tumbling down.
She tells a stunned Liz McDonald about her affair with Tony before turning her attentions to Carla, sneaking into her flat as she sleeps. Does she have murder in mind?
And when fire takes hold at Victoria Court it seems Tracy’s revenge has gone to a whole new level.
Also in this roller coaster of a week Leanne is thrilled when Kal asks for her hand in marriage, and Maddie is stunned to discover the truth about Jenny Bradley’s plans for Kevin’s son Jack.
Photographs are available here: https://www.plustransfer.com/download.php?id=1f426f49e2963fa35230304bed502046
HOW THE FIRE WAS CREATED
The fire at Victoria Court is the biggest fire ever seen on Coronation Street and was created
by Danny Hargreaves and his BAFTA winning team from Real SFX.
Real SFX, who were the effects team behind the Tram Crash and the Rovers Fire, have also
worked on Doctor Who, Sherlock and the US series Outlander.
Danny said: “This is the biggest fire and explosion we have ever worked on for Coronation
Street. Bigger than the tram crash explosion and the Rovers fire.
“We had 30 large gas bottles and a huge amount of explosives. A special effects team of six
controlled the fire ignition and we worked alongside the firefighters from Rapid Fire who also
work on a lot of TV and film fires.
“The temperatures within the sets were extreme and I was very impressed by the cast who
did some of their own stunts. Everyone had to wear fire-proofed clothing and all the sets are
coated to ensure that nothing actually catches fire. The fire can literally be turned on and off
in seconds.
“A set of the interior of the flats was built off site in a huge warehouse. For the exterior
filming a drone was used in some of the shots and we had to be aware of where that was at
all times so we didn’t blow it out of the sky with the explosion!
“The local fire brigade were advised of what we were filming but the effects were so realistic
that a resident nearby heard the explosion and dialled 999. Even though they knew we were
filming they still had to come out and check everything was ok.”
FIRE FACTS AND FIGURES:
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Carla's flat was shot across 2 locations. At the beginning of the episode as Carla and
Michelle prepare for the wedding, the flat is in the Coronation Street studio as usual
and was shot on day 1.
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Once that filming was finished the set was stripped all of the dressings, including
pictures and even the light switches, to be re-dressed in a completely new location the Burn Stage - situated in another part of Trafford Park.
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Carla's Flat was completely re-constructed using a mix of fireproof materials called
Superlux and a double skin of plasterboard and took 5 weeks to build and dress.
New sets like Carla's bedroom and the Victoria Court hallway, as well as a duplicate
balcony, were also built in this stage.
●
All fabrics, including soft furnishings and clothing had to be made from natural fibres
and the filling of the cushions, sofa and the padded "feature wall" were re-stuffed
using a ceramic wool.
●
The exterior night shoots were shot between 7pm and 6am over a period of 7 nights
and the interiors at the stage took 3 days.
●
The full week of episodes took 5 weeks to shoot. There were over 80 crew involved
and most of the principle cast.
●
Stunt co-ordinator Neil Finnegan oversaw the entire shoot. The Director was David
Kester.
BEVERLEY CALLARD -‐ WEEK 22
How serious is Liz about selling up and moving to Spain?
I think she’s very serious, Liz thinks she’s met the man of her dreams and they are going to make a fresh start together. Liz is a very loyal person and Tony is very persuasive. She fancies him, she’s in love with him, she knows Tony’s a bit of a wheeler dealer but she is very attracted to that sense of danger.
So Liz must be devastated when Tracy tells her what Tony has been up to?
At first she doesn’t quite believe it, it’s the morning of Steve and Michelle’s wedding when Tracy comes and pays her a visit. She starts to tell her that the man she’s been with is not as true to her as she thought. At first Liz says no she doesn’t believe it but then Tracy starts showing her text messages and reveals they’ve been having an affair. Liz still doesn’t quite believe it until Tracy hits her with the killer blow that they’ve been trying to get the Rovers from under her. That just puts the lid on it for Liz and the only thing she can think is I can’t ruin the wedding as she’s worried Steve will sink back into his depression so she just puts a brave face on it.
After Tracy drops the bombshell on Liz is it Carla that she tells first?
Carla is the first person she tells yes, then Eileen and Erica, so at some point Tony will have to face this posse of vengeful women who all feel immense hatred towards him.
How does she stop herself from instantly confronting Tony?
She’s just thinking about Steve and Michelle’s wedding day and what a delicate place Steve is at with his recovery. But she can’t bear for Tony to touch her, all she can do is keep looking at Tracy and Amy, this is not just any woman who’s betrayed her it’s the mother of her grandchild, the daughter of her best friend. Liz is just waiting, which is brilliant.
Is she annoyed with herself for not spotting something was amiss in the relationship?
It kills her, she asks Eileen how she could have been such a mug, all that time and not one bit of it was real.
Will Liz look back and wonder if the way she treated Tony, i.e. leaving him to look after the pub while she went out, fixing toilets etc. might have contributed to why he had the affair?
She certainly might, but the thing with Liz is she would have always put Steve and his illness first because she’s that sort of woman. She goes through moments of thinking she asked for it but then as soon as that thought comes into her head and she thinks about Tracy she realises no I didn’t ask for this. Is she upset or more angry?
Both, she goes from one extreme to the other, there’s enormous explosions which is great but you have to wait quite a while for that. She’s trying to be sensible and react with dignity but she can’t quite keep hold of it all the time which is fantastic to play. It’s constantly bubbling just beneath the surface.
Does Liz want revenge on Tracy and Tony?
At first she’s just a bit numb but it does start to get worse and worse, Tracy is just so irritating, you’d want to batter her. Tracy always has an agenda and Liz is just the opposite; she’s open, if she wants to say something she just says it, whereas Tracy manipulates and is much more devious and Liz can’t get her head round that really.
How quickly does Liz move onto her new man Dan? Is it a rebound relationship?
It’s definitely a rebound relationship, under other circumstances she might have stepped back a bit but she has to show Tony he’s not the only man alive and there is live after Tony. Dan’s quite sexy, obviously he’s younger than Liz, they all are! Liz knows him already because he works at the brewery, he’s previously taken a shine to Liz and she almost said yes to a date with him in the past but then Tony came along (nb. this is backstory). So she sees him again and they begin to date but what Liz doesn’t know is that he has history with another woman on the street already.
So is Liz going to be unlucky in love again?
I hope not but I would think so.
Is Tony now out of Liz’s hair for good?
Well he’s not on the scene at the moment but he has still got a share in the Rovers and I’m not sure he’s prepared to let Liz go without a fight. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Tony.
KYM MARSH -‐ WEEK 22 QUOTES
Is Michelle worried about Liz selling her share of the pub?
She’s a bit concerned because Steve and Michelle no longer have their share of the pub, so when Liz says she wants to sell her share, that makes their future feel quite uncertain. The Rovers is their work but it’s also their home and now it’s very much in the balance. Michelle doesn’t really know what is going to happen, up until the point where Carla says “I’m going to buy that share”. They’re very much in jeopardy because they don’t know whether these partners are going to want to come in and take over. Obviously when Carla steps in and buys that share, then they feel like they’re safe because there’s only a 50% share gone. Tell us about Michelle & Steve’s wedding day…
It’s at a registry office because they don’t have much money, which is why they’ve had to sell their share of the pub, so they haven’t gone to town. But obviously Michelle being a wedding planner, she’s been able to pull in favours so they’ve done a really nice job. The reception is in the Rovers, it’s all decked out with lots of homemade decorations, they’ve done it all themselves. So it’s all on a budget but it’s beautiful.
What can you tell us about Michelle’s dress?
Well it’s not what Kym would wear. It’s so hard when you go looking at wedding dresses for your character, it’s like when you go looking for clothes, you want to buy something that’s you but at the same time you have to keep in your mind that it’s got to be right be for the character. It’s not massively frilly and huge, it’s a bit vintagey, I think the whole theme is quite vintagey. I went shopping with our costume team, it was only the third one I tried on, I was like “that’s the one!” Did you turn into a Bridezilla?
No not really, but there were certain dresses where I was like “no, I’m not wearing that.” But when you get to know your character so well it is easier, she wouldn’t have the kind of big dress that Becky had, but maybe she’s still a little bit more out there than myself.
What’s Michelle’s hen night like?
It’s fairly sedate, it’s in The Rovers as Michelle’s not really up for going out because at that point Liz is still selling her share of the pub to Travis Ltd and Michelle feels they’re on the verge of losing everything. It’s only that night that Carla says “I’m going to see if I can buy Liz’s share.” So it’s just a low key few drinks in The Rovers.
Does Michelle ask Carla to help or is it Carla who offers?
Michelle goes to tell Carla what’s going on because she’s like her sister, they’re probably two of the closest people on the street, they we talk to each other about everything and save each other from everything. Michelle doesn’t expect her to step in, she’s literally just gone to pour her heart out.
And they’re totally unaware that this is angering Tracy…
No-‐one has a clue, which is even better, we’ve loved filming it! There’s a scene at the solicitor’s where Carla rocks up to save the day. What does Tony say to try and prevent that from happening?
He can’t really do anything because if he says too much it would be obvious that he’s behind the deal from Travis Ltd. He’s like “well, the deal’s already on the table”, but when Liz says “why would it be better selling to a stranger?” he can’t really answer that. So he can’t really do an awful lot other than brood really, which he does ever so well. We’ve loved doing all this stuff with Tez, I absolutely love Tez, I think he’s brilliant.
On the day of the wedding Tracy reveals all to Liz, this goes off in parallel to Steve and Michelle’s wedding, will she ruin the day?
Steve and Michelle are totally unaware of the drama that’s unfolding at first. Liz and Carla do their best to protect them from it but when Tracy’s hell bent on revenge she won’t let anyone get on the way so anyone could be in the firing line. Do you want Steve and Michelle to have a happy ever after?
Simon always says that we’re the Ross and Rachel of Coronation Street, it’s quite funny. It’d be nice for them to stay together, I think it would be weird if they didn’t now because they’ve been through so much to get to where they are, not just recently with the depression but over the years with Becky. They’ve got such history that for them to get married and not live happily ever after would be a little bit odd. But who knows, especially when Tracy Barlow’s involved. It’s soapland, so you never know do you?
As the wedding approaches, is Michelle confident that Steve’s going in the right direction, in terms of his recovery?
Yeah, absolutely, obviously when we saw him propose and he had the money worries, she was concerned that he’d asked her to marry him and yet they had all these problems, so she didn’t want to push for the wedding to happen because she knew they had to sort out that first. But now I think she’s absolutely confident that they’re both heading in the right direction and she’s very much there for him and he knows that.
Do Steve and Michelle find out about Tracy’s affair on the big day?
News of the affair does come out but Liz is desperate to keep it hidden from Steve and Michelle but whether or not it ruins their big day I can’t really say.
Does Carla protect her from Tracy again?
Carla and Liz are both determined that the day is going to go off without a hitch and that Tracy’s not going to wreck it, so they’re protecting Michelle from some of the truth.
Will you watch the screen wedding? I’ll watch it, definitely. I like to watch when there’s something big going on, whether it’s my storyline or someone else’s storyline.
Do you feel a sense of anticipation in the build up to the wedding, even though you know it’s not real?
Yeah, you get excited because you’re in makeup and having your hair done, you want to look nice and all the rest of it. Then you put the dress on and everyone says “aww, you look gorgeous.” So yeah, it does feel a bit different.
How would you sum up this particular week of episodes?
There’s going to be a lot of drama happening, there will be some comedy though. There are some great comedy moments but there’s also going to be a lot of drama, a lot of sitting on the edge of your seat moments and a lot of shouting at the TV.
Long term, how do you think it’s going to be in the Rovers?
I don’t think it’s going to be plain sailing that’s for sure, particularly if Tony’s involved, he’s not going to make it easy for anybody. But I think as long as Carla’s still got that share then ultimately Michelle and Steve will be okay, but whether or not it’s going to be who knows.
Will they have different ideas?
More than likely, and I would’ve thought Tony will do anything in his power to stop Steve and Michelle from having any kind of control but again that’s one that we have to see how it unfolds.
How do you feel about the live episode?
I don’t even know if I’m in it yet, we’ll have to wait and see. I didn’t do the last live because I was pregnant with my little girl, so it would be really nice for me to be involved, I’d like to be. But you just have to wait and see.
Do you think you’ll be petrified?
Absolutely, it doesn’t matter how much rehearsal you have beforehand, I think we’ll all be quaking in our boots but it’s a real challenge but one that I’d like to be involved in.
Kate Ford interview week 22 How does Tracy first find out Carla has offered to buy the share of the Rovers?
She finds out through Tony. He comes to her and tells her that their plan hasn’t worked out and he’s not been able to secure the other half of the Rovers. They’ve been gazumped by Carla. She’s absolutely gobsmacked -‐ she wasn’t expecting it. Carla is the worst person it could have been to pip them to the post. How does she react?
Tracy goes crazy, because she feels as though Carla is just getting one up on her all the time and she’s sick of it. This is the final straw for Tracy. Tracy’s not like most people, is she hell bent on revenge? She’s got form hasn’t she…
She doesn’t know what she’s going to do. She’s got revenge on her mind, but she doesn’t have a plan or even really any idea about how she will come back from this or pay Carla back for unknowingly scuppering her plans. Tracy’s actually quite obsessed with Carla. She goes over to Victoria court but she doesn’t know what she’s going to do when she gets there. Maybe she thinks she will go through Carla’s drawers or something and see what she can find. When she gets there Carla’s asleep on the sofa and for a split second Tracy does contemplate killing her but she checks herself in and asks herself what she’s doing. She knows she could do it though, if she wanted to. Do you think she’s got a conscience in there somewhere? Or is she out and out villain? Tracy is extremely reactionary. If something or someone hurts her, she wants to hurt people back. I think whilst things are going well for her she’s actually not that bad. I think Tracy is a really hurt and damaged person and lashes out a lot through bitterness -‐ rather than her being an out and out villain. Can you tell us about the showdown with Liz?
Tracy is so nasty to Liz. Considering Liz is her daughter’s grandmother! I even struggled with it myself, never mind! She tells Liz everything, in excruciating detail. Liz is so shocked -‐ she can’t believe it. She thought Tony was the best man she’s ever had. When Tracy first started seeing Tony it was purely just sex. How does she feel now? She’s absolutely fuming with him -‐ she was using him, ultimately. Tracy tells him he could never hold a candle to Rob -‐ he means nothing and Rob meant everything to her. She questions how Tony could even think he meant anything like Rob did. She says to him that she was using him to better herself and for sex -‐ but that’s where it ended. So they are done then?
Oh she’s gone right off him! Doesn’t take much does it! Would you have really liked Tracy to have become Landlady of the Rovers?
Having briefly tried being the barmaid I now know it’s extremely hard work so on a personal level i was quite pleased! Also when you work in the Rovers you’re never out of work as effectively you’re in every episode! It’s exhausting if your character runs the Rovers -‐ so I’m ok with it! Tracy would have been awful running the pub too. For her it was never about actually wanting a pub, more about what status it would give her on the Street. Do you ever get nervous or anxious about having to insult Bev on set?! Sometimes Tracy is just so nasty but if you don’t say it with conviction then it’s just not going to work. So you just have to say it and get on with it! So what does it mean for Tracy when she realises she’s not going to get the Rovers? How does she feel? I think she’s put all of her eggs in that basket and she was hoping it would be her chance to prove to people that she’s worth something and isn’t a loser! Now she feels she’s failed at something yet again -‐ and she’s so angry and upset. Does she not think they could try and get a pub elsewhere?
No because it isn’t about having a dream to run a pub -‐ she wants the Rovers and the Rovers only. Tony still owns half though so is that not something?
No because I don’t think she actually even likes him! If he can’t give her the Rovers 100% then she’s not interested. If she was in love with him or if it were Rob then she’d consider a little country pub somewhere in Cheshire, but she doesn’t want it. She’s not interested in running a pub -‐ she wouldn’t have a clue what she was doing! She just wanted everyone to look and think, Oh my God, Tracy Barlow owns the Rovers! But actually when it came down to it I think she’d find running it really boring! She wouldn’t have any punters -‐ she would bar them all. Tracy just wanted a moment of glory, that’s all. What kind of a reaction do you get in the Street to Tracy?
People either love her or hate her. You get so many people saying Tracy should be punished, but then you get some saying they love her and that she’s so much fun. She’s one of those Marmite characters. Is Tracy worried that she’s crossed the wrong person as Liz is quite feisty? I think she will soon live to regret her actions. She’s so reactionary and does crazy things but she never really has that remorse. She’s just very bitter.
How are you feeling about Tracy’s ex Robert Preston coming on to the show? Yes I’m excited -‐ we’ve done some screen tests. Does Tracy try and ruin the wedding? She doesn’t try and ruin it but she does something on the day which will definitely put a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. She doesn’t want anyone to be happy if she can’t be -‐ she always feels she has been treated the worst.
Would you like Tracy to have a good friend on the Street?
She does have friendships but they never last! I don’t think it would be very ‘Tracy’ to have a close best friend. The closest thing she has is Beth. What about filming the fire scenes -‐ how was that?
We had 10 night shoots -‐ it made me realise how hard it must be to work night shifts. It was really hard. When do you drink your red wine?!
Does it feel quite scary when you’re doing big stunts? It’s really exciting at first but after doing it many many times it’s amazing how it becomes normality. Everyone is all together which is great. We used a drone camera which we’ve never used before. Will the feud with Carla go on? There will never be friends -‐ they are almost too similar in a strange kind of way. They jar because they are both so competitive. Although Carla would probably be quite pleased for Tracy if she did well -‐ Carla isn’t a nasty person in that way. Tracy is just so jealous of Carla. I think she wants her life and status. does she want to escape No1?
She’s embarrassed that she lives at No1 with her family. She is still so eaten up by the Rob situation and she’s still angry about it. Tracy still thinks Carla is to blame for that -‐ she thinks Carla messed it all up for her. That’s the way she sees it. And now Carla has scuppers her plans yet again. How much fun do you and Ali have together? We have a lot of fun -‐ we’re good friends and we get on really well. We’re lucky as we have a lot of scenes together and it makes coming into work nice. Does Tracy let Amy go to Steve and Michelle’s wedding? Yes she does. Ken says he had to talk Tracy into it but that it was a good thing for Tracy to do. It gives her a day off as well! Any hint of jealousy over Michelle marrying Steve?
No, I think that has long gone. That ship has sailed. For a time I think she thought they’d always be a thing but then she met Rob, who she was madly in love with and she realised there is life after Steve.