"Katie just wants to make people speak to each other"
Sacha Parkinson plays Katie McKee - the daughter of Vince and Ros McKee - in The Driver. Here, Sacha talks about her character, what it was like to play a teenager again, and how The Driver is very firmly rooted in reality.
One choice has a snowball effect, and this drama just shows how easily that can happen.Sacha Parkinson
What do you think is special about The Driver?
For me personally, what I love about it is that it鈥檚 very true to home in a sense. It鈥檚 set in Manchester and some elements of the drama are a mirror image of some families I know 鈥� my family included 鈥� working class families, people that are quite content in their steady lives and marriages, but they want a little more excitement. I think that鈥檚 quite relevant in everybody鈥檚 relationships, families and lifestyle, because people think the grass is always greener, and people are always craving that little bit more.
Danny Brocklehurst is a fantastic writer and he has a knack for writing about families and family relationships beautifully. His writing has so much truth to it that you never have to invent anything. It鈥檚 a pleasure to be involved in a drama that has such great material. He writes so naturally, and that鈥檚 what鈥檚 going to make it so relatable for the audience to watch.
What was it like working with David Morrissey?
He鈥檚 just brilliant. It鈥檚 ridiculous how talented he is. I learnt a lot from him actually, he鈥檚 really brave in the choices he makes. I wasn鈥檛 on the shoot for a long time to be honest, but in those shots I learnt a lot just watching him, and how he approaches his scripts. He has a mine of knowledge about films and things, and I was just asking him questions all the time!
What is Katie鈥檚 relationship like with her Dad?
She loves him to pieces, which is probably why she is the way she is. The thing is, ultimately in this family, she鈥檚 became an only child because her brother Tim left, and the family don鈥檛 want to speak about it. Her Mum Ros never wants to speak about the situation with Tim whenever his name is brought up, and neither does Vince. That isn鈥檛 in the script but we talked about it; Katie has just had to deal with it and she鈥檚 very aware that most of the time there鈥檚 a big lack of communication within the family.
I think Katie's just taken a step back and got used to the fact that subconsciously no one has really shown her that much attention. Really, she tries to do things to provoke a reaction, to get something from them. That is because she loves them, because if she didn鈥檛 she would just do nothing. She just wants to make people speak to each other.
Did playing Katie remind you of your own teenage years?
It鈥檚 the first time I鈥檝e been in a uniform again since Coronation Street! The way Katie鈥檚 written, it would have been quite easy to just play her as an irritating, moody, angry teenager but she isn鈥檛 just that. I like the fact that she鈥檚 quite chilled and subtly winds her Dad up a little bit. Also, I can relate to those scenes where she loses it, and all of those hormones fuel this anger inside a teenager鈥檚 body. I was a very angry teenager and my hormones were terrible! So actually it was quite good that I had that experience, because now I can go back to that and use it. It was quite easy for me to go back to being a 16 year old actually! I remember it well.
What do you hope audiences will take away from watching this drama?
It鈥檚 so sad because we just go about our everyday lives and get quite blinded by the fact that people get themselves into these sticky situations, and so easily. One choice has a snowball effect, and this drama just shows how easily that can happen. Actually growing up Manchester, like anywhere, I know that these things are quite easy to get involved in 鈥� it鈥檚 just knowing to make that choice of not to do it. No matter how exciting it is at that moment in time, you just have to think about the bigger picture, but obviously Vince is blinded by the present. This drama is fuelled by adrenaline - in everyone鈥檚 case really - my dad and his big secret, and smaller elements like my mum constantly exercising and Katie鈥檚 cries for attention.
How would you summarise The Driver?
It has all of the elements of an action film - all of the stuff that gets your heart pumping - but then there's an added element of the family lifestyle that people can relate to. So it鈥檚 got so many positives, it鈥檚 a great mix.
