Evil Tony's Corrie siege!
Corrie residents may have heaved a collective sigh of relief when madman Tony Gordon was jailed for life after terrorising the street but I’ve been missing the charismatic baddie ever since. No one does panto villain quite like Gray O’Brien so I’m eagerly awaiting his return to the cobbles in a string of explosive episodes leading up to a gripping finale next Friday (June 4), and I’m not alone judging by the turn out at a special press screening this week.
Corrie’s finest were excused filming and travelled south to ITV HQ in London for the bash which had everyone buzzing with anticipation as the lights went down. Not surprisingly we were sworn to secrecy by soap bosses but suffice to say it doesn’t disappoint with more turns than Alec Gilroy’s Graffiti Club. Tony breaks out of jail with the help of his old cell mate, played by Vicar of Dibley favourite James Fleet, who acts as sidekick in rounding up Tony’s arch enemies, namely Carla and Hayley.
The evil Scot has shades of Mr Blonde from Reservoir Dogs as he binds and gags his prisoners inside Underworld, torments them at gunpoint, douses the knicker factory in petrol and mutters sinister ‘Our Fathers’ to the sound of Roy hammering helplessly on the door. The stage is set for some serious drama and a fitting conclusion to the storyline that has gripped the nation for so long - but who will emerge from the carnage?
The scenes, which took four weeks to film and are apparently the most expensive ever in Corrie, didn’t look a lot of fun for the actors – namely Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays Hayley, and Alison King, the feisty Carla – but they managed to have a laugh apparently. ‘It was a bit like Stockholm syndrome by the end,’ laughed Julie who revealed that make-up girls had even had to wipe her nose when she was bound and gagged!
Alison King gets the most stunts and underwent gun training in order to look convincing in the scenes which left her shattered and covered in bruises. She had a stunt double for some of the action shots but insisted on doing most of the moves herself. It certainly proved a challenging return for Samia Smith, back playing Maria after taking time out to have baby Freya. ‘I’ve had six months off and I feel that whenever Maria turns up something horrible happens, someone gets killed.’
Guest star James Fleet admitted he loved every minute of his time on the show as it gave him a chance to ‘dip into his inner villain’ adding ‘I was born for this stuff.’
Sadly the man himself, terrible Tony, didn’t make an appearance at the screening as Gray O’Brien was away on holiday - or was that him I saw in the lift on the way out wearing a hoodie? Something about the wild staring eyes….. security!
By Mary Comerford
