Casualty has not been kind to Faith Cadogan of late. Since her husband Lev Malinovsky’s tragic death the advanced clinical practitioner became a single mum to their three grieving children overnight.
There was a light in the darkness, however. When Faith's old university pal Stevie Nash came to work at Holby ED it felt like she was given permission to blow off some steam with after-hours drinks and clubbing. That was until last week when Casualty fans saw Faith (Kirsty Mitchell) make an error in judgement that led to her being robbed in her own home by volatile stranger Angus (Call the Midwife’s Jack Ashton).
In this week’s Casualty Faith suffers a double betrayal. First, she discovers Angus has been using her bank card and blocked her number. Then she learns that Stevie (Elinor Lawless) has confided in Dylan Keogh - Faith’s former lover - about what’s been going on in her personal life.
Here, in a lovely interview, Casualty star Kirsty Mitchell, 47, talks to us about Faith’s flings, friendships, and future…
Are you enjoying playing this side of Faith?
Kirsty Mitchell: "The fact that I get to work with Elinor so much and go out [of the hospital] is fun! I’m sure people can tell we're improvising some of the dialogue. Elinor is hysterical and we get on really well."
Why do you think Faith is in this particular headspace?
KM: "Faith married at a very young age and had three kids. Her and Stevie have this history where they would go clubbing and to Ibiza. Then Faith got pregnant, married, and her life changed, while Stevie continued with the whirlwind of being in her twenties. Faith missed that and is trying to recapture it."
What feedback have you had on these recent storylines?
KM: "Faith keeps making people very angry! She’s been through a lot. Lev cheated on her while their son, Luka, was having chemo. She didn’t cheat on him. She finished it and then went off with Dylan Keogh.
"It’s interesting. When we were filming the club scenes there were a lot of supporting artists in their forties saying that they’d started going out again. That they were in Faith’s position.
"It’s a common thing to go out to try and rediscover yourself. To push some boundaries and discover what you like and don’t like again. But if you’ve not been dating for twenty-odd years, you don’t know that it’s a bit different!"
Which brings us to Angus! What was going on for Faith when she hooked up with him last week?
KM: "Faith went out, met this guy and they sneaked away, leaving Stevie in the club on her own. Faith thought, ‘I’m going to behave the way other people behave towards me.’ How many times has Stevie done that to her in the past? But it’s really out of character for Faith to take someone back to her and her kids’ space."
What was going through her mind when she tried to kick him out of her home?
KM: "It was going well and Faith plucked up the courage to take him upstairs - until she saw a picture of Lev with the family and it destroyed her. She asked Angus to please leave - then it all went horribly wrong and got a bit scary. He was angry and didn’t want to go, so she texted Stevie. Just as Faith begins to feel a bit sorry for Angus, Stevie breaks in and it all kicks off. Stevie’s injured, Angus leaves, they go to hospital - it’s an eventful evening."
Why did she invite him back later?
KM: "She did it because Stevie got under her skin at the hospital by saying that next time she’ll choose Faith’s men. Faith thinks - ‘I'll show you I’m over Lev’. But texting Angus is the wrong choice. He steals her stuff. It’s a real shocker!
"The really nasty bit is when he writes a note saying ‘Thanks, had a great time’ and sticks it over Lev’s face in the family photo!"
Did you know Jack Ashton, who plays Angus, before filming?
KM: "Yes, Jack and I are godparents to the same little girl! It was so nice to see him again and have him on set."
Could he make a return to the show?
KM: "Angus disappears but we're campaigning for him to come back! Those were lovely episodes to film with Jack and Eli. It was just hysterical - you know, their fight... it was brilliant. It was a really sad episode to watch but we had a really good time doing it.
"I think he should turn up and give Faith her jewellery back, but it causes more pandemonium!"
This week Faith and Stevie discover that Angus has robbed her. Can you tease what else happens next?
KM: "As Faith is usually the super reliable friend Stevie doesn’t know what to do. She thinks the next sensible option is to talk to Dylan Keogh (William Beck) and that maybe Faith will listen to him. It’s a betrayal. Faith is like ‘You did what?!’ They fall out because this is something Faith doesn’t want Dylan to know. But Stevie doesn’t see it like that because she’s so erratic with her boundaries!"
Speaking of Dylan Keogh - any chance Faith could renew her romance with him?
KM: "We still don't know if anything is ever going to go anywhere with those two again. There's always an underlying massive respect. They know so much about each other. Dylan is not the person Stevie should have gone to!"
What do you hope the future holds for Faith?
KM: "Faith has had a rough time. She's trying to figure stuff out. Anything that goes on with her I think is forgivable. I think she'll find her way back."
And finally, are the dance scenes in the club filmed without music?
KM: [Laughing] "Yes! Eli and I are screaming ‘woo!’ and so are the supporting artists. Everybody’s getting into it, but you’re dancing with nothing going on, which is why we’re all off time. As an ex-dancer it’s very upsetting! You can’t think too much about how you’re dancing to nothing. You just throw yourself into it!
"When doing the dialogue scenes you always have to remember that there will be music under it, so everyone’s shouting to each other. Sometimes Eli and I forget. You get to laugh at yourself as you're dancing and shouting to no music!"
Casualty airs on Saturday nights on BBC1. See our TV Guide for listings.
