Falling in love all over again
David Platt from Coronation Street must have walked under one too many ladders. What else could explain his relentless run of bad luck?
The character (played by Jack P. Shepherd) has, over the past two decades on the Street, had more setbacks than the rest of us have had hot dinners.
He suffered an especially bad misfortune over Christmas when his wife Shona (Julia Goulding) was accidentally shot in the head and lost her memory. After this, she failed to recognise David as her husband and rejected him.
But in a major development, Shona is discharged from hospital and returns to the cobbles to live with Roy Cropper (David Neilson).
This furnishes David and Shona with the opportunity to try tentatively to rekindle their romance. However, as is always the case with David, nothing proves to be straightforward.
As well as providing a compelling new chapter in the rollercoaster relationship between David and Shona, the storyline was also a way of explaining Goulding’s absence early this year. The actress was on maternity leave and gave birth to a boy called Franklin Wolf Silver.
Shepherd, who has played David since 2000, details what he thought of this plot when he was first told about it.
“Shona and David had just got married, so it was a really clever way to explain how one person would disappear for four months and then come back,” says Shepherd.
“David’s always had bad luck in between the comedy scenes that he has with the Platts and his relationship with Shona. Also, these
characters have the range to play the comedy and the tragedy, so it keeps things interesting.”
The actor says that David, who got married in the Bistro on the day he was released from prison after serving time for stealing from his grandmother (Audrey), is committed to winning Shona back.
“David nearly gave up when he went to the rehab centre. The final nail in the coffin was when Shona said she wanted a divorce.
“But when Shona comes back to the Street, it encourages him and gives him hope.”
For all that, the 32-year-old actor believes that, unfortunately, David and Shona’s relationship will be irrevocably changed by their latest stroke of terrible luck.
According to the actor, “I get lots of people messaging me all the time about Shona and David’s relationship, so there is a lot of love there for them.
“But, ultimately, I don’t think the relationship will be the same again. Shona will have to fall in love with him all over again, and he will have to fall in love with her all over again.”
As they gingerly tiptoe towards resuming their romantic relationship, David and Shona go for a meal together at the Bistro. It does not go smoothly, however.
Shepherd, who has also appeared in Where The Heart Is and Clocking Off, outlines why.
“Shona and David come out of the Bistro, and Shona has Ray’s wallet.
“David starts laughing and Shona thinks he is taking the mick out of her, so she throws the wallet and storms off.
“David catches up with her and explains they met because Shona stole David’s wallet.”
Shona then makes an advance on David, but he thinks it is still too soon.
Shepherd says that, “Although it’s his wife and she has just got out of hospital after four or five months, David’s reaction is to say no and wait for her to be ready. He is trying to be respectful.”
Despite these problems, Shepherd goes on to express the hope that at some point in the future David and Shona might be able to enjoy a second wedding.
“No one wants to get married in the Bistro and David was wearing prison clothes. I’d like them to have one in a big cathedral.”
Shepherd has had great fun playing David over the past 20 years, but that does not necessarily mean that the actor would rush to befriend him in real life.
“David flies off the handle a bit too much for me to be friends with him,” Shepherd laughs.
“He’s always throwing his toys out of the pram, running out of the house and slamming the door. I think he is nice in small doses, but I wouldn’t go on holiday with him. It would be too much.”