David in turmoil after his attack
AS DAVID STRUGGLES TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE ATTACK ON HIM, CORRIE’S JACK P SHEPHERD OPENS UP TO INSIDE SOAP ABOUT FILMING THE TRAUMATIC SCENES…
David Platt wakes up to a reallife nightmare this week – as he comes to the realisation that his pal Josh drugged and raped him.
Poor David feels sick to the stomach, and what happens next may be hard for viewers to watch as the traumatised fella struggles to face his ordeal alone. We talked to Corrie actor Jack P Shepherd to find out how his alter ego copes in the aftermath of his harrowing attack…
What was your initial reaction when you found out what David would be going through?
I haven’t wanted to know what was going to happen to David in the past – I prefer to just let things unfold in the scripts. But on this occasion, Kate [Oates, series producer] insisted on discussing it with me as it was serious – and once she did, I realised why. She told me it was less about the actual assault, and more about how David deals with the aftermath. Corrie’s
How does David feel when he wakes up the morning after Josh’s attack?
David is a bit confused at first as to where he is. But then as he comes to he sees a photo of Josh – then he sees his own clothes neatly folded, and a note from Josh saying that he has gone for a run and will catch him later. You can see from David’s reaction that the truth of what has happened is dawning on him.
Does David tell any of his family what has gone on when he gets home?
This is the crucial part of the story – he doesn’t want anyone to know what happened. He is ashamed, and wants to try to pretend it didn’t happen. He feels there is no way he can tell his mum or sister. He is disgusted and embarrassed. And this is the point of the storyline – he should open up and tell someone, and not keep it all bottled up inside.
Can he at least confide in Shona?
Absolutely not. He can’t talk about it at all. It really affects his relationship with Shona as when they start to get intimate, all he can think about is what happened with Josh – so he gets angry and lashes out. He’s not angry with her, he’s angry with himself. And that’s when his relationship starts to fall apart.
Does David choose to confront Josh about the attack?
Josh comes round later that day, and has no shame at all. He even brings David a protein shake – but David throws him out and says he knows what he did to him.
And how does Josh react to that?
David says it very quietly – he knows Gail is upstairs and he doesn’t want her to hear. Josh picks up on this and realises David hasn’t told anyone, which of course gives him the power. Josh is a little bit rattled, but brazens it out and tells David it was consensual. He starts implying David is gay – and because David can’t remember the exact details of what happened, it’s difficult for him to deal with. He starts to doubt himself…
As David tries to cleanse himself of the horrific ordeal, getting rid of all traces of his rape, it’s clear that he’s struggling to face reality. And Jack admits that the hardhitting scenes took their toll on him as well…
What has it been like for you trying to get into David’s head space for these scenes?
This is one of the darkest places that David has been in. He was obviously massively affected by Kylie’s death, but everyone knew about that and was looking out for him. This time he has no outlet at all, and he doesn’t speak to anyone. The viewers need to see how tormented David is – so when he breaks down, it needs to feel real, not forced. It has been really emotional, and after filming one scene I couldn’t stop crying.
Did you carry out any research before filming these scenes?
Yes, Kate and I went to meet someone from Survivors Manchester [a charity that supports men affected by sexual abuse, rape and sexual exploitation], who have helped with all the research. I know David well after playing him for all these years, but if you are going to tackle an issue like this it is important to hear the real human side to do it justice. This is David’s story,
and I trust the scriptwriters to take him on this journey – but I did feel that it was helpful to hear from someone who had gone through what David was going to go through.
What are you hoping
Corrie viewers will take away from this plot?
In showing how David struggles to cope with what happened to him and doesn’t speak to anyone, and the effect that has on him, hopefully people will start talking about the storyline – it could help someone who has gone through something similar to realise they need to open up and speak to somebody.