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This television-related article describes an aspect of the series in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (October 2009) |
| Audrey Roberts | |||||||||||||
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| Sue Nicholls as Audrey Roberts in 2008 | |||||||||||||
| Coronation Street | |||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Sue Nicholls | ||||||||||||
| Duration | 1979— | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | 16 April 1979 Episode 1904 |
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| Book appearances | Coronation Street: The Complete Saga | ||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||
| Occupation | Hairdresser | ||||||||||||
| Residence | 5 Grassmere Drive | ||||||||||||
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Audrey Roberts (née Potter) is a long-standing fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Sue Nicholls, the character first appeared during the episode aired on 16 April 1979.[1]
Contents |
Creation
Background
The character of Audrey Roberts was created as the mother of established character Gail Platt. After appearing as an occasional character for several years, she became a permanent addition to the core cast in 1985.[2]
Casting
Actress Sue Nicholls audtioned for the part of Audrey Potter and went onto secure to the role.[2] At the time the actress had been in many theatre, cabaret and TV roles and was continuing with her career whilst appearing in the show on a recurring basis until she was offered the chance to become a permanent cast member.[2]
Development
Personality
Of her character Nicholls said in 1991 during an interview with Graeme Kay that: "Audrey's not quite as loud and brazen now, I've tried to take her down a bit, which fitted in with the fact that she married Alf, who is quite serious and sombre. Likewise she's brought him up a bit. Some people see in my character things that I don't. I'm stopped all the time by people who say, "Isn't she auwful to Alf?" or "Isn't she a cow".[2]
Storylines
Audrey Potter made her first appearance at daughter Gail's engagement party to Brian Tilsley. As an unmarried mother, Audrey was considered an unsuitable match for widowed local councillor Alf Roberts. With Alf, she gained respectability and a stable life. Audrey Potter had previously shown little interest in her daughter Gail's life. She married Alf, in an episode on 23 December 1985, later enjoying the social status of mayoress and believing herself to be better than the other Street residents. Audrey had two attempts to revive her career as a hairdresser, and the second time managed to talk Alf into buying the salon from Fiona Middleton. She was devastated by Alf's sudden death in 1998, but threw herself into work and even stood for council herself, retaining her seat until 2001.
Over the years, Audrey mellowed from a social climber to a more sympathetic character. The existence of another illegitimate child, Stephen Reid, in Canada, was revealed some years later. She has never been short of love interests, and has had romantic entanglements with Fred Elliott and undertaker Archie Shuttleworth, among others. Audrey's best friend was Alma Halliwell. Audrey was devastated when Alma died of cervical cancer in June 2001.
Audrey nearly became a victim of her serial killer son-in-law Richard Hillman when he discovered she was worth a lot of money, inherited from Alf. In late 2002, viewers saw him subtly give Audrey, grounds of questioning whether she was experiencing the onset of dementia, through such things as unlocking doors she had locked, hanging out washing that she (of course) could not remember hanging out, turning on lights she had switched off, leaving a dress in to be dry-cleaned, to her surprise as she could not remember leaving it in. Finally, he tried to kill her in a house fire, made to look like the result of her dementia, with the battery removed from the fire alarm. However, she was rescued by Steve McDonald.
After her colleague at the salon, Maxine Peacock, was bludgeoned to death in January 2003, Audrey suspected that Richard was to blame. She urged Gail to leave Richard as both she and the children were not safe but Gail refused to listen to her accusations which caused fraut relations between the pair. Audrey challenged Richard at Maxine's funeral, accusing him of Maxine's murder, much to the indignation of the mourners. However, Audrey found an ally in Ken Barlow who believed that chief suspect Ade Critchley wasn't to blame for the crime. In March 2003, after Richard attempted to kill Gail and the kids by driving them into the canal, Audrey reunited with her daughter.
In October 2006, Audrey spoke to her close friend Fred Elliott, who was due to marry Bev Unwin later that week, and told him she wished he was marrying her, not Bev. This caused Fred to have doubts about marrying Bev but decided to go through with the wedding. Audrey told Ashley she would not be coming to the wedding, which led to Fred borrowing Bev's car to visit her. After a heart-to-heart, Fred was about to leave Audrey's house to return to the church but collapsed in the hall and died. Audrey, accompanied by the police, told Ashley and Claire at the church.
Audrey struck up a relationship with old friend Bill Webster, in late 2006. However, on Christmas Day, Bill's wife Maureen turned up, and their affair was revealed. Bill returned to Germany but came back to the street early in 2007 and rekindled his relationship with Audrey, and he subsequently moved in with her.
In September 2007, Audrey's grandson, David. moved in with her after he was kicked out by Gail. Son Stephen returned at Christmas 2007 to offer David a job in Italy. He accepted but Audrey found drugs in his drawer at the salon and Stephen withdrew his offer. Jason, Sarah and Bethany decided to go, but Jason left Bethany and Sarah at the train station. Eventually, Audrey grew fed up with David, especially after she learned he had pushed Gail down the stairs in a fit of rage. She was dumbfounded when Gail refused to press charges, and still has a reticent relationship with her grandson.
In spring 2008, Audrey was contacted by Ted Page, Gail's biological father. He didn't know about their daughter. Audrey met him and told him he had a daughter. He was surprised, and Audrey was equally surprised to learn Ted was gay. This led characters such as David's girlfriend Tina to jokingly question whether or not Audrey had "turned" Ted gay, which he denied.
On 4 August 2008, Audrey was returning from a 'booze cruise' in France with Bill, Janice and Roger. It was an awful trip for her and she felt that Bill had ignored her. Bill had been drinking so Audrey drove. While driving, Audrey and Janice began having an argument. Janice accused her of being a fortune hunter and not caring about Alf or Fred. Audrey was furious, even more so when Bill chose not to defend her, saying she'd been unhappy the whole trip. The argument caused her to career off the road and through a small group of trees crashing into a grey box and Audrey injured her arm. This made her consider ending her relationship with Bill, and she asked him to move out.
Critical response
Sue Nicholls won the award for 'Best Comedy Performance' at the 2000 British Soap Awards.[3] At the 2003 British Soap Awards, Sue Nicholls won gongs for 'Best Dramatic Performance' and 'Hero of the Year' for her role in the highly successful Richard Hillman storyline which ran between 2002 and 2003.[4]
References
- ^ Webmaster (2007). "Coronation Street - Cast & Characters". ITV.com. http://www.itv.com/Soaps/coronationstreet/castandcharacters/qtoz/AudreyRoberts.html. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
- ^ a b c d Life in the Street. Boxtree Limited. 1991. p. 58. ISBN 1-85283-161-8. http://www.book-info.com/isbn/1-85283-161-8.htm.
- ^ Webmaster (29 April 2008). "Weekly roundup - Previous Winners". ITV. http://www.itv.com/Soaps/coronationstreet/galleries/Weeklyround-up/Previouswinners/default.html. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
- ^ "Winners of the Soap Awards". BBC. 11 May 2003.
External links
- Profile of Audrey Roberts at ITV Soaps
- Profile of Audrey Roberts at What's on TV
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