Claire Sweeney – I had a baptism of fire on Coronation Street, this role is life-changing

Claire Sweeney was over the moon to win a dream part on her favourite TV soap Coronation Street on her birthday – and then she got a gift of a scene with Dame Maureen Lipman.

Claire is playing Cassandra Plummer, the long-lost mother of Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) and the estranged daughter of Evelyn Plummer (Dame Maureen Lipman) and has been a fan of the soap her whole life.

She makes her debut on Wednesday 28th June.

Brimming with excitement and nerves, Claire was relieved when she didn’t have to remember any lines on her first day and could just soak in the atmosphere.

However, her second day was a different story.

“The first day I didn’t say anything but on my second day I had a massive scene – a 14-page two-hander with Dame Maureen Lipman – so that was a baptism of fire!” says Claire. “That was my first time speaking and I was very nervous but I was very prepared.

“I didn’t need to worry because Maureen was so kind to me that she’d even taken me out to dinner the night before with castmate David Neilson, who plays Roy Cropper. Maureen went out of her way to make me feel more comfortable and that really helped,” says Claire. “She was so supportive, as was David. The pair of them took me out and it was just a lovely thing to do. She’s amazing and working with her was like a masterclass.”

Claire is also full of praise for Alan who plays her son Tyrone. “He’s not only a brilliant actor but he’s super, super nice to work and spend time with – I’d be happy to be his mum in real life!”

Despite having already triumphed in practically every genre of show business, soap operas are Claire’s great love, so she’s very thankful to have been chosen by Corrie producer Iain MacLeod.

“I was wanting to get back into on-screen drama,” she says. “I was working and very busy but as much as I love theatre I still had that hunger to land that one plum, dramatic screen role and it takes that one person to believe in you and that was Iain for taking a chance on me. I just feel very lucky and very grateful.”

One of Claire’s ultimate icons is Bet Lynch played by Julie Goodyear, 81. Earlier this month, Julie’s husband Scott Brand broke the news that the acting legend is suffering from dementia. Claire is deeply saddened, hailing Julie as a genius of the soap genre.

“When I had my second audition for Corrie, I went down a bit of a YouTube rabbit hole watching a lot of Bet Lynch scenes,” shares Claire. “In one scene she
was in the back room at the Rovers. She was crying her eyes out because she’d been dumped or something awful and then she walked through the Rovers to the front and put on her game face and that transformation was so brilliant. She was such a wonderful character.”

Coronation Street breeds unforgettable women and Pat Phoenix’s Elsie Tanner, Beverley Callard’s Liz McDonald and Sarah Lancashire’s Raquel Watts were also icons for Claire.
So does she think Cassie will become one of Coronation Street’s wonder women?

“Gosh, I wouldn’t even dream of that, it’s down to the audience. All I can do is my best and hope they love it.”

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