Elinor Lawless discusses the major storylines coming up in Casualty
Prepare to spend Saturday nights perched on the edge of your sofa now that Casualty has got stuck into its new nail-biting 12-episode story arc A History of Violence.
Highlighting how life at the cutting edge of emergency medicine has never been tougher, this mini-series also marks the beginning of the end of Derek Thompson’s tenure as nurse Charlie Fairhead — a character he’s played since the show’s first episode on September 6, 1986.
The series opened with Tinderbox (available on BBC iPlayer), an episode that saw junior nurse Ryan Firth (Eddie-Joe Robinson) fighting for his life after a brutal assault.
This week's second episode Aftershock sees Charlie determined to protect his team with the help of consultant Stevie Nash…
Here, Elinor Lawless, who plays Stevie and is central to Charlie’s departure, gives What To Watch an exclusive guide to the upcoming twists, turns, entrances and (sob!) exits…
Casualty spoilers beyond this point
Elinor Lawless — exclusive Casualty interview
Elinor, thanks for taking some time away from filming to talk to us today. To kick off, can you set the scene for this new 12-parter please?
“Yes, A&Es are highly charged environments and in that opening episode [Tinderbox] there’s a horrific act of violence that ultimately culminates in an exit for one of our characters early on. It also serves as the catalyst for a zero tolerance approach headed up by a very shaken Stevie.
“But what really makes this block particularly special is that we say goodbye to Charlie Fairhead played by Derek Thompson. This is going to be a monumental series in terms of his exit story…”
The trailer for A History of Violence closes with a worrying image of Charlie’s name badge covered in blood. Derek’s exit story is (quite rightly!) under guard, but can you tell us anything definite about his dramatic departure?
“Oh yes, the final image with blood on his lanyard! We want there to be an element of ambiguity around what that means but what I can say is that there’s a definite sense of nostalgia and high emotion for this entire run.
"All the characters, including Charlie, become embroiled in a debate about how far do we go to protect the people, places and things we love? Charlie is the linchpin in the Holby universe. As the figurehead of Casualty and, after 38 years, he deserves a huge exit, but it is bittersweet for us.”
How do Stevie and Charlie’s fates become intertwined during A History of Violence?
“Their relationship grows out of the horror around them. At different times they find themselves on both sides of the line, whether that's trying to do the right thing or falling short. Charlie is part of a big dramatic score that leads to Stevie being arrested, which is very much tied into a new visiting character called PC Harry Sinclair played by Rod Hallett [Red Rose, The Last Kingdom]. He comes onboard to promote a sense of safety in the ED, but Charlie and Stevie are not sure what to make of him...”
ED clinical lead Max Cristie, played by Nigel Harman, is deathly ill with kidney failure and is also leaving during this timeline. There's a big question mark over whether he’ll survive, what can you tease?
“When it comes to Max, never say never! What I can tease is that Stevie becomes an unexpected ally at a very significant time for Max and is let into his inner circle. You will see Max’s journey in terms of his health and his relationship with his daughter, nurse Jodie Whyte [Anna Chell]. This all comes to a head against a backdrop of incredible stress and tension for all your regular characters.”
Happily, it’s not all departures! What can you say about Coronation Street star Melanie Hill’s arrival as new clinical nurse manager, Siobhan McKenzie?
“Melanie is an absolute dream to work with and comes in with so much experience and heart. Her character Siobhan is a matriarch who’s not to be messed with yet with a whole big dose of heart.”
Excitingly Sunetra Sarker is making a guest return as former regular Dr Zoe Hanna, who she played from 2007 until 2018, for Derek’s exit!
“Yes! I’ve filmed scenes with Sunetra and Will Beck [Dr Dylan Keogh], and Derek. To be in the mix with these three characters, as well as Zoe and Dylan’s double-act - which was such a huge part of the fabric of the show for a long time - was a real honour. Zoe turns up at a time where you really need her and is a welcome face at a very difficult time.”
Do you think Derek and Charlie share any characteristics?
“The one thing that Derek and Charlie have in common is that they are both an everyman. They will speak to anyone and everyone, are interested in hearing people’s stories, have compassion, and no time for hierarchy. Charlie is the heart and soul and I think he and Derek definitely have that in common.”
Finally, what do you think the future may hold for Casualty post-Charlie?
“The beautiful thing about this show is that we are uniquely placed to explore the stories of a group of people who come to work together every day and are at different parts of their journey. One of the things that's vital with Casualty is that we tell brave, bold, sometimes hilarious, sometimes shocking, stories of humanity at its most vulnerable. It's a celebration of a health system that is entirely unique.”
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