A Casualty exclusive with Kirsty Mitchell
Faith Cadogan’s secret addiction takes a terrible twist this week in Casualty episode Pull Together, Push Apart (BBC One, 8.25pm, Saturday 12 August 2023) when the tormented nurse tells a despicable lie to hide her drug addiction.
The dramatic events kick off after clinical lead Max Cristie (Nigel Harman) reveals that someone is stealing diazepam from the hospital and asks his senior staff — including Faith’s best friend Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) — to be on high alert.
Meanwhile, a major incident is declared following an acid attack at a rave. As casualties arrive at ED, desperate Faith tries to pilfer more pills in the chaos — only to be caught and confronted by suspicious Stevie! Cornered, desperate Faith can see no way out and lies about having cancer.
Will Stevie believe her?
What To Watch caught up with Casualty star Kirsty Mitchell, who plays advanced clinical practitioner Faith Cadogan, for an exclusive chat and to learn more about this climatic chapter in the troubled nurse’s addiction story...
What To Watch Casualty exclusive with Kirsty Mitchell
How does Faith feel when she learns Max and senior staff are on the lookout for a drug thief in the ED?
"Fear grips her heart. Yet, even in the face of this formidable adversary she pushes forward, undeterred and driven by addiction, navigating the obstacles that stand in her way. Then Stevie's suspicions are raised when she notices a patient's medication is missing…"
Fear grips Faith's heart
Why does Faith tell such a terrible lie when she’s caught by Stevie?
"It all begins when Faith is faced with cancer patient Viv Collins’ [played by Ania Marson] profound words about how having cancer makes people forgive you anything…
"Initially, Faith contemplates revealing the truth to Stevie. But fate has other plans and before she can even fathom the consequences, this horrendous lie escapes her lips. She convinces herself that this lie buys her precious time to reclaim control over her life and free herself from the grip of addiction."
She's driven by addiction
It sounds like Faith has created a new problem for herself. Can you tease how this is going to play out?
"Stevie's unwavering support and desire to be involved in her journey to receive the much-needed cancer treatment leaves Faith at a crossroads. Can she bear the guilt of this deception? Or will she find the strength to come clean and accept the love and aid her friend offers with open arms?"
She convinces herself that this lie buys her precious time
There are impressive night shoot scenes throughout this episode, with Faith running the show outside the ED. How was it to film?
[Laughing] "Cold! I had about 10 heat pads stuck all over my body. Seriously though, playing Faith's assertive side and working with the great team at Casualty makes every episode a joy to work on."
How do you feel about night shoots — do you love them or are they’re not your favourite thing to do!?
"It depends on how late they go on. Since my body clock is set to wake up by 6am, night shoots can be a bit of a difficult adjustment. But anything after our usual filming hours feels like we're staying out past curfew and is loads of fun.
However, if we're still shooting at 3am, I tend to get slightly delirious and eat every two minutes to stay awake! But we're all in it together so we keep each other laughing and morale is always high."
Can she bear the guilt of this deception?
Casualty episode Pull Together, Push Apart airs on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 8.25pm on BBC One and will be available on BBC iPlayer after transmission.
This interview is the second instalment in a three part special with Casualty star Kirsty Mitchell.
Part one — Kirsty Mitchell reveals what’s at the heart of Faith Cadogan’s spiralling drug addiction
Part three — Kirsty Mitchell reveals that time is running out for Faith Cadogan
