…and we go behind the scenes at Emmerdale to find out more!
INSIDE SOAP GOES BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE EXPLOSION SITE…
It’s strange to be starting work in the middle of the night, but that’s what
Inside Soap is doing! Nothing gets between us and soapie drama, of which there is plenty as Gillian Kearney (Emma) and Natalie J Robb (Moira) prepare to film the big barn blast.
Although the stars will each have a stunt double on hand, tonight they will also be performing a stunt themselves – as their characters attempt to flee the burning barn just before it explodes! The ladies are putting themselves in a very dangerous situation…
“We did a practice explosion last week and used a stunt man to work out the safe distance away from it,” explains director Tony Prescott. “So tonight, the actresses will run, and we’ll know when they’re far enough for us to detonate.”
When we arrive in the Dales, the costume designers are on their hands and knees outside the sweet factory, covering Natalie and Gillian’s outfits with an ashy black powder.
“Obviously we can’t use any hairsprays or aerosols around the fire!” laughs make-up supervisor Sarah Jane Wilson.
Everyone must wait for the sun to go down before filming can commence, so Gillian and Natalie use this time to rehearse. But as they tussle, we’re amused to hear Gillian apologise to Natalie for being too violent – something you’d never hear from Emma!
As darkness falls, the barn is finally set alight, and the
Emmerdale stars run for their lives as the place is blown to smithereens. After the pair pick themselves up and dust themselves off, their smiling and sooty faces reveal that they’re pleased with the result.
“The explosion actually threw us forward, and we weren’t expecting the debris, so all those were real reactions!” grins Natalie. “I’ve done a few stunts before, but this is the first one me and Gill have done together. And we’ve had a lot of fun, haven’t we?”
“It was a real thrill,” replies Gillian. “The adrenalin’s pumping and I feel like an actual stuntwoman! It’s been an absolute privilege.”
This is their fourth night shoot in a row, and as the cameras finally switch off, there’s only one thing left on Natalie’s mind…
“I’m off to have a wee nap now,” she yawns. “And I’m looking forward to a two-hour shower!”