Chelsea Halfpenny explains why Casualty dissects doctors Alicia and Eddie’s versions of the truth, after she reports him for rape...
For months viewers have watched Alicia Munroe (played by Chelsea Halfpenny) go through hell after she drunkenly took junior doctor Eddie McAllister home. This week she tells the police he raped her. What follows is an intense episode where the entire evening is revealed to viewers…
Here Casualty star Chelsea Halfpenny, who plays Alicia, reveals what to expect from the dramatic conclusion of this difficult storyline…
What happens when Alicia reports Eddie to the police this week?
"We get to see the police interview process and something is revealed about the evening that the audience knows nothing about yet. It may well shift people’s opinions, as it gives the story another layer…"
Is the police interview process tough on Alicia?
"It’s a really thorough, uncomfortable interview and no stone is left unturned. It’s really hard on Alicia. It’s her business and she doesn’t want people judging her. She goes through so much. Eddie’s arrested at the ED but, like many cases, there isn’t enough evidence at the end of the day. But that’s not the end of the story. You think it’s going to end there and it doesn’t!"
After Eddie’s released on bail, he confronts Alicia at home with shocking consequences! How much can you reveal?
"During their confrontation there are a lot of flashback scenes. So you see it from both Alicia and Eddie’s points of view, and then you see what actually happened. It’s a really interesting way to show it, I think. Life isn’t always black and white and that’s what we’re putting across. The Casualty writers worked really closely with Rape Crisis to get this right."
Was it tough to film this week’s emotional showdown?
"Joe [Gaminara, who plays Eddie] is a really lovely guy and we talked a lot about how to create the right relationship between Alicia and Eddie. We were both nervous about doing these scenes because it was so important to us to get them right. It was a night shoot that ends up with us outside, and it was a really full-on night of filming. But it was one of those days when you come home from work really satisfied that you’ve worked hard. This storyline is probably the hardest couple of months of my working life, for sure!"
Despite the traumatic nature of the story, have you enjoyed filming it?
"I’ve absolutely loved it, because I got to play every sort of emotion and it was super intense. It was almost like an Alicia and Eddie special; everything we did was very concentrated. But it’s also so sad. People can really relate to it, which is the saddest thing. In real life it can go for years and years. There’s no beginning, middle and end – I don’t know if it ever ends. It’s an important subject to show on screen and bring to the forefront of people’s minds a bit more."
What reaction to the story have you had from viewers?
"I’ve had a lot of people message me personally on social media, telling me about their awful experiences, which I think is so brave. I’m a stranger to them and yet they feel, through Alicia’s story on Casualty, that they can share something they haven’t told anyone. Our main priority here is that if even one person can share the load and tells somebody, then that’s all we want."
Casualty continues on BBC1 this Saturday at 9pm.
