MAYA’S MESSY AFFAIR

Emmerdale star Louisa Clein on the fallout from her character’s night of passion with David Metcalfe

Emmerdale’s latest recruit can count Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy and Russell Brand among her drama- school contemporaries, and Benedict Cumberbatch as a close friend.

And Louisa Clein – who trained at the Drama Centre in London in the 1990s – says her acting buddies can’t wait to see her beamed into the UK’s living rooms five nights a week. ‘Soaps now are so respected. You have to be on your game on the first take – it’s like theatre – so my friends are looking forward to seeing me.’

Louisa, who plays David Metcalfe’s new love interest Maya Stepney in Emmerdale, knows all about theatre. A year after drama school she was in Trevor Nunn’s adaptation of Ibsen’s The Lady From The Sea with such greats as the late Natasha Richardson, Tim McInnerny and Benedict.

‘ It was in a theatre where I’d worked as an usher as a student,’ she recalls, ‘so to go back as an actor was special. And Benedict introduced me to someone who then introduced me to my husband.’

Louisa has won critical acclaim for subsequent theatre performances, while TV fans might recognise her for playing Judge John Deed’s rebellious daughter Charlie in the hit series from 2001-7.

Having more recently appeared in Casualty, New Tricks and Holby City, Louisa finds herself thrust into Emmerdale as the disaffected wife of village doctor Liam Cavanagh.

This week Maya will spend her first night with David ( played by Matthew Wolfenden). ‘They’re both going through marriage breakups and find comfort in each other.’ However, the day after they sleep together, cancer survivor David has an appointment with Dr Liam. He’s found out

David and Maya have been together and has shocking news from David’s ex-wife, Tracy, which he shares with David. ‘Liam will be jealous. No matter what their marriage is like, he won’t be happy,’ says Louisa.

Another fly in the ointment could be Maya’s work at the village school, teaching both the troublesome Leanna – Liam’s daughter and Maya’s stepdaughter – and David’s son Jacob.

Louisa says, ‘There’s the dilemma of telling the children about the new relationship, and how they’ll react. How Jacob will react to his dad moving on from Tracy, and Maya

leaving Leanna’s father. On top of that, Maya’s their teacher.’

Louisa, who grew up in Dorset and lives in north London with her three young children and her husband, was always likely to become a performer: her mother is a professional violinist, her sister is the cellist Natalie Clein, and her cousin, the playwright Julia Pascal, was the first woman director at the National Theatre.

Louisa says Emmerdale is up there with anything she’s ever done. ‘The whole team is amazing, it’s a thrill. There are exciting things to come.’