There are gripping scenes ahead on Coronation Street as Frank viciously attacks Carla in revenge for calling off their wedding. Warning: Spoiler Alert!
Factory boss Frank Foster, played by Andrew Lancel, attacks and rapes Carla, Alison King, when she dumps him the night before their wedding.
Viewers will see Frank pin Carla against the door of her flat when she asks him to leave - the actual rape will not be shown but viewers will see a broken and terrified Carla sobbing on the floor of her flat with Frank standing over her.
Shocked by his actions Frank runs off into the night and a traumatised Carla phones Maria Connor, Samia Smith, herself a victim of Frank’s unwanted advances earlier this year.
In moving scenes to be shown all next week Carla will have to relive her ordeal as she reports the rape to specially trained officers and rape counsellors.
Corrie bosses have said that the storyline was researched with experts from the St. Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester.
A spokesperson for Coronation Street said: “Whilst we don’t see the actual attack on Carla the viewer is left in no doubt about what Frank has done to her. These are powerful scenes which tackle a very difficult subject in a sensitive and moving way.”
Alison King said: “As an actress it’s different to anything I've done before. I've had to go to a few dark places with this plot which has been a real challenge.”
Andrew Lancel said: “These have been some of the most challenging scenes I have ever had to play. Frank is an absolute monster but a great character to play that said the scenes following the attack were very difficult - It was very heavy stuff. I found it very hard. I didn't want to talk to anyone and I was really snappy. We owed it to victims of this sort of attack to get it right and we made sure we researched it thoroughly.”
Coronation Street is on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week, The attack scenes will be shown on Monday Sept 19th.
