THE BIG interview
CASUALTY | BBC1 SATURDAY
FORMER CORRIE STAR MELANIE HILL JOINS US FOR A CHAT ABOUT HOLBY CITY HOSPITAL’S NEWEST NURSE MANAGER, SIOBHAN MACKENZIE…
Will I be watching my first Casualty episode? I don’t know actually, I do get a bit nervous about it,” admits telly stalwart Melanie Hill, who joins the medical drama as clinical nurse manager Siobhan Mackenzie this week. “It’s such an iconic show to come into, and it feels like a big responsibility – I just hope I’ve done a good job. Maybe I’ll watch it at 6am when it drops on iPlayer. I’ll see how I feel on the day!”
While it’s reassuring to know that Melanie still gets nervous about watching herself on TV, even after years in the business, there are no such nerves for her character Siobhan when she steps into the ED this week. She’s thrown straight in at the deep end as she contends with managing a team of gossiping nurses, but she soon shows them who’s boss!
Melanie talks us through Siobhan’s hectic first day, and gives us a hint of what’s in store for the medic as she beds into her new role…
How has your Casualty experience been so far, Melanie?
I actually started shooting back in July – we’ve packed a lot in since then! It’s been fantastic, my character’s just growing richer and more interesting with each script that comes out. The stories are really exciting, and I have lots of material there. It’s a new start for me as I’ve pretty much moved to Cardiff. It’s been great getting to know a new part of the country, I’m really enjoying it.
Have you ever played a medic before in your career?
Very early on, I did a show called Cardiac Arrest [playing Sister Pamela Lockley].
So it’s as if I’ve come full circle in a way – I’m drawing on that experience and thinking that could have been Siobhan when she first started out in her 20s, and she’s basically been working her way up ever since. She’s seen it all and nothing fazes her, she uses that life experience in her job really well.
How did that experience on Cardiac Arrest compare to Casualty now?
It was written by Jed Mecurio, who did Line Of Duty, and he actually used to be a doctor in real life.
It was a bit cutting-edge and ground-breaking at the time because it didn’t show the doctors and nurses in a particularly good light, it was more about their flaws and ups and downs. It’s lovely for me to come back to visit the medical profession now, it’s fascinating stuff. Each script I get is really interesting, there are lots of things to learn. The glossaries we get given are intere
