On Wednesday night's special live episode of Coronation Street, viewers were left shocked when Kylie Platt whacked evil drug dealer Callum Logan with a wrench, killing him instantly. Paula Lane talks about what it's like playing a murderer…
How did you feel when you were told that Kylie was going to be the murderer, killing Callum in the live episode?
“I was shocked. I was shocked anyway about Sean (Ward) leaving, never mind that I was going to do the deed. I didn't feel too worried because I didn't feel like it was a signal to say: ‘Bye bye you're going now’. I was reassured that the storyline would allow for more scope for stories for Kylie, so I definitely haven't been too worried about it."
There were plenty of people out to get Callum – might Kylie not necessarily get the blame for his murder?
“Yeah, it could be any number of people, they’ve definitely painted the picture that there were a lot of people out to get him and a lot of people looking for revenge against Callum. Todd and Tony torched Callum's car, so that could put them in the frame. There are a lot of people who were accomplices, not just Kylie. Yes, she whacked him on the head but plenty of people wanted to!"
What made Kylie hit Callum – was it just spur of the moment? A reaction to what she saw him doing to Sarah?
“She could hear shouting outside. She went in tentatively to gauge the situation, but then it escalated really quickly. Sarah got up to run to the door then Callum was on top of her. The first thing Kylie clapped her eyes on was one of the builders tools, a wrench, and in that split second she picked it up and hit him. It was just spur of the moment; when she saw Callum on top of Sarah, she hit him on the back of the head to get him off her. I don't think she intended to kill him, she just wanted to stop him."
Kylie feels quite guilty afterwards doesn't she? Is David the driving force in dealing with Callum's body?
“Kylie’s just in shock. I think it's the most challenging storyline I’ve ever had to play out, I mean you don't murder somebody everyday, but I’ve had to play it very numb. Sarah’s hysterical and crying whereas Kylie’s more in shock, so I've had to strip it right back. Kylie gives the game to David, it becomes his task to get them out of it. It’s been quite difficult playing Kylie's numbness and shock - you won't see her crack until about three weeks’ time."
Were you nervous about doing the deed, making it look real?
"I was really nervous, because Callum and Sarah were in the middle of a fight scene we couldn't fully determine what position they were going to end up in, so I had to get myself in the right place. Sean's quite long, so I had to get my legs in the right position to be able to reach to hit him. You've got to trust your co-stars an enormous amount doing a live episode. There was a lot of trust between us all."
How did you feel in the run-up to the live episode, how were your nerves?
"The nerves were OK, they bubbled away underneath. I trained in theatre so I know what’s it like to go live and, if anything, this has really inspired me. I’ve been given such a fix, I loved it. A lot of people said it would be the hardest thing I’d done but having one script to focus on has been great, it’s amazing how you really do retain it. I’ve enjoyed every single minute in the process of making the live. I took it scene by scene and tried not to let it swallow me up. On the night, I just tried to be in control and take it one step at a time."
Do you think we’ll see a different Kylie going forward?
“Yes, I think in a way something will have died in her too that night. Maybe a light has gone out, there’s a haunting that’s always going to be there and it’s David who’s got to try and carry her through. But as the weeks go on lots more things come into play, they start turning on each other – it just becomes one big crazy fight for survival. It’s a mess.”
Will Kylie and David be able to deal with the burden of their secret?
“They’re trapped in this secret and it just escalates until they can’t control it anymore. There are too many people involved; Sarah, then unknowingly Gail, the kids, Nick, their friends. Suddenly it’s not just them covering up this secret, it feels like they’re having to cover their tracks with half the street!”
How do they feel when the police come calling on Friday asking questions about Callum’s whereabouts?
“Kylie’s so on the edge but when it looks like Sarah’s going to be the one who gives the game away then Kylie’s desperately trying to hold it together, for Sarah as well.”
The police aren't the only ones asking questions about Callum's disappearance, how does Kylie react when Callum’s mum Marion turns up on the doorstep?
"It really gets to Kylie, she’s a mum too, so seeing the worry on Marion’s face really ramps up the guilt for Kylie."
So, this definitely isn’t the end of Kylie on Coronation Street is it?
“No, there’s a lot more to come for Kylie. This storyline is going to provide a lot of drama for the Platts. But, morally, if you kill someone in soapland there has to be justice in the end, so I guess I’ll just have to see what happens. I think it’s great that, like me, the viewers will be left wondering for a while.
Tune in for the aftermath of Corrie Live on Friday September 25 at 7.30pm on ITV.
