Stacey Slater

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EastEnders character
Lacey Turner.jpg
Stacey Branning
Portrayed by Lacey Turner
Introduced by Louise Berridge
Duration 2004—
First appearance 1 November 2004
Classification Present; regular
Profile
Date of birth 8 November 1988
Home 23 Albert Square
Occupation Unemployed

Stacey Branning (née Slater) is a fictional character from the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lacey Turner. She made her first appearance on 1 November 2004.[1] The character was introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager, an extension of the already established Slater clan. She has featured in numerous high profile storylines, including abortion, drug abuse, mental illness, and an affair with her father-in-law Max. Stacey has proven popular with fans and critics, and Lacey Turner has won multiple awards for her portrayal.

Contents

[edit] Creation

In September 2004, an official BBC press release announced the arrival of a new addition to the popular Slater family; a new "feisty female" named Stacey Slater, Charlie Slater's great-niece and cousin to Kat, Lynne, Belinda, Little Mo and Zoe. According to the report, Stacey "looks like a Slater and shares the same family attitude but with one difference - Stacey is one hell of a bitch! […] She is going to be trouble!"[2]

16 year old actress Lacey Turner was cast in the role. Turner had originally gone to audition for a part in the Miller family, but was given the part of Stacey instead.[3] Commenting on her role, Turner said "I was speechless when I found out that I had been cast as Stacey Slater especially as I knew I would be working with Jessie Wallace who is my favourite actress. I've watched the show since I was about four years old, and I used to live in a house that backed onto the EastEnders set so I used to watch them filming all the time. I always dreamt of being on the show and so I can't believe that I've fulfilled my greatest ambition!" She added, "I'm not like Stacey at all although I love playing her! She's a real challenge […] I think people are going to love to hate her like they did with [the character] Janine Evans."[2]

Stacey Slater as she appeared in 2004.

[edit] Development

[edit] Personality and lineage

The character appears to be tough, stubborn, fiery and very bitchy, however, as actress Lacey Turner explains, this is just a front and "underneath she's very vulnerable".[2] Stacey has been described as "sarky, sassy and...realistically streetwise."[4] Lacey Turner has described her character as a cross between two other EastEnders characters, Janine Evans and Kat Slater.[3] Indeed, her "malicious tongue and wicked ways" led to her being heralded as "a junior Janine" in 2004, by Tony Stewart of the Daily Mirror.[5] Lacey Turner commented, "She's very naughty, but she has her reasons for her nastiness."[3]

Over the course of the character's narrative, it was revealed that one of the reasons for Stacey's tough and malicious exterior, was her troubled family life. In specific, the death of her father, disappearance of her brother, and her mother's bipolar disorder. Addressed in a storyline that aired in December 2005, Stacey returned to live with her "disturbed" mother Jean, played by Gillian Wright, amidst one of her mental breakdowns. Scenes showed Jean, who had "sank into the dark despair of her illness", living in squalor, off her medication, starved, petrified, suicidal, and being abused and ridiculed by her neighbours. Stacey was forced to admit her to a mental institution for her own safety. The episodes, described as "harrowing and bleak", were praised by critics in the media. Actresses Lacey Turner and Gillian Wright were complimented for giving "graphically powerful performances",[6] and the storyline won a Mental Health Media Award in September 2006.[7] Prior to the airing of this storyline, Stacey was portrayed as a "hateful tearaway", but it has been commented that the episodes allowed the audience to see a softer side to the character, while caring for her mentally disturbed mother.[8]

[edit] Romance with Bradley

In 2006, scriptwriters decided to pair Stacey with a new character, Bradley Branning, played by Charlie Clements. Mismatched, one reporter commented, "geeky...goody-twoshoes Bradley doesn't seem like the type of lad she would normally go for", however they added that the couple "may be chalk and cheese, but with [Stacey's] history of emotional turmoil, [Bradley] is probably just the stabilising influence she needs."[9] The couple were hailed as the nearest thing Walford had to Romeo and Juliet.[10] Explaining the characters' attraction, scriptwriter Sarah Phelps has said, "Bradley's gentleness makes Stacey a little bit gentler, and Stacey's toughness makes Bradley a little bit tougher."[11] Discussing the union between her character and Bradley, Turner has said, "I love working with Charlie — he's such a laugh. They're such different characters. It's nice, because it's not what anyone expected for her. Stacey doesn't want to rush it because he's the first person she's ever really cared about. If she's had boyfriends before, it's been all over after a week."[12]

Stacey's affair with her father-in-law-to-be Max Branning

The couple were shown to face problems in August 2006, when Stacey declared she was pregnant with Bradley's child, and on the advice of his father, Max (Jake Wood), Bradley convinced Stacey to have an abortion; an episode that Jane Simon of The Mirror has described as "incredibly powerful" and "brilliantly played by Lacey Turner every horrible step of the way".[13] Scriptwriter Sarah Phelps has described Stacey's abortion as "a dagger in [her] heart [...] Stacey thought that if this is what [Bradley] really wants [...] 'OK I'll go through with it', but she really didn't want to. He broke her heart."[11] Bradley and Stacey were shown to grow steadily apart after this, as Bradley invested time in a new job he acquired in city bank, neglecting Stacey's needs and ignoring her depression over her lost baby.[14] When Bradley purposefully excluded Stacey from a work function, she showed up anyway and humiliated him in front of his colleagues. In scenes shown directly after, Bradley dumped Stacey, declaring that the reason that he wanted to abort their baby was because he could not bear the idea of bringing up a child with Stacey.[10] The end of Stacey and Bradley's relationship facilitated a plot twist that saw Stacey seducing Bradley's father Max. In episodes that aired on Christmas Day 2006, Stacey slept with Max as payback for Bradley's mistreatment.[15] A BBC insider commented, "Stacey likes the idea that even if Bradley doesn't want her, his dad does."[16]

Although Stacey and Bradley split up at Christmas 2007 when her affair with Max is revealed, they get back together in December 2009 following Stacey's diagnosis with bipolar disorder (see below). Executive producer Diederick Santer commented on the storyline, saying "Bradley and Stacey are together – that's what I want, that's what the audience wants and that's what the characters want. Together, they're very strong and they can take on the world. She's good with him, she takes her medication and on the face of it, she's the Stacey Slater we've always known. As ever with Stacey, though, there's a lot hidden. There are a lot of vulnerabilities there but she and Bradley want to make a go of things."[17]

[edit] Bipolar disorder

After losing her friend Danielle Jones, Stacey began acting strangely in May 2009, and the character has to come to terms with the prospect that, like her mother, she also suffers from bipolar disorder. The storyline was developed as of the BBC's Headroom campaign, which aims to encourage people to look after their mental wellbeing.[18] Series Consultant Simon Ashdown had been developing the storyline for about a year.[19] To accurately reflect the issue, EastEnders worked closely with various charities such as Mind and MDF The BiPolar Organisation, medical practitioners and bipolar sufferers when researching the storyline.[19][20] The story was moulded around what Stacey would do in that situation and what the research led the team to believe was the most truthful way events would develop.[19] Executive producer Diederick Santer said that the initial buildup of the storyline was an extension of how the character has always been, "a character of highs and lows, of great passions and dark moods,"[20] but these highs and lows would become more contrasted, and viewers would realise that Stacey's mood is more complex than just being upset over her losses, adding, "It's the beginning of us getting to really know and understand who Stacey is and what makes her behave the way she does."[20] Turner hoped that she could do the storyline justice, saying that she believed it was great that EastEnders continued to raise awareness of the issue.[20]

The poster for the fictional game Deprivation.

The first signs of Stacey's odd behavior were quite subtle, eventually building up into more extreme acts.[19] One of the first signs of Stacey's odd behaviour was her paranoia over a poster for a fictitious video game, Deprivation, featuring two large eyes on a black background.[21] Ashdown got the idea for this from his research notes, saying, "There were similar sorts of images described by bipolar sufferers when they were experiencing extreme paranoia."[19] In the episode broadcast on Friday 15 May 2009, every shot was either of Stacey or from her point of view, allowing viewers to see the world through her eyes.[22]

Mind's Chief Executive, Paul Farmer, commented on the storyline, "It's fantastic that a high-profile soap like EastEnders has been prepared to tackle the challenge of exploring a mental health issue through the experience of Stacey — who is such a well-loved and popular character. The degree of research and consultancy they have undertaken to ensure an accurate and honest portrayal of how mental distress affects not only the individual but also family and friends is to be commended. [...] We hope [...] to dispel the myths about mental health problems and help the public to be more informed about this issue."[20]

[edit] Storylines

[edit] Backstory

Stacey had a troubled childhood, due to her mother suffering from bipolar disorder, and the death of her father, Brian, when she was 11. Stacey struggled to cope with her mother's suicidal and erratic behaviour, resulting from her illness. For a long time, she was Jean's sole carer as her older brother, Sean, had disappeared, unable to cope with Jean's condition.

[edit] 2004–2007

15-year-old Stacey moves to Albert Square in November 2004 to stay with her uncle Charlie as her mother has thrown her out. Stacey causes trouble by trying to seduce Garry Hobbs, who is married to her cousin, Lynne; sleeps with Spencer Moon and blackmails him; leads Lucy Beale astray; steals from the Truemans; and gives her cousin, Zoe, and Chrissie Watts a false alibi for the murder of Den Watts. However, she eventually settles down, taking over Zoe's clothing stall on Bridge Street market, bonding with Jean and Sean, who join her in Walford, and becoming good friends with Ruby Allen.

Stacey is initially unimpressed by Bradley Branning, who moves to Walford in January 2006. Their first night out together ends in disaster after Deano Wicks spikes Stacey's drink, and Bradley is wrongfully arrested for assault. Truth prevails, and in time, a romance develops. Stacey falls in love with Bradley but their relationship hits a bad patch when she tells him she's pregnant. She wants the baby but Bradley, on Max's advice, insists she have an abortion. Disgusted with herself, she and Bradley drift apart and on discovering that Bradley has excluded her from a work party, she embarrasses him by turning up unsuitably dressed and drunk. Furious, he dumps her, leaving Max to comfort her. Unable to resist her attempts to seduce him for revenge on Bradley, she and Max sleep together on Christmas Day 2006, beginning an affair.

Stacey, dressed in Vulcan ears for a Star Trek convention, reunites with Bradley (2007).

Stacey and Max's affair continues during 2007. Bradley and Max's wife, Tanya, are unaware of it, despite them almost getting caught several times. Their affair becomes more serious when Stacey makes more demands on Max, insisting he leave Tanya. Max tells Stacey he loves her and agrees to leave Tanya until he discovers Tanya's pregnancy and changes his mind. Amidst Stacey's threats to tell Tanya the truth, Max takes Tanya and their children to Spain. Heartbroken, Stacey has a one-night stand with Deano, and reconciles with Bradley when he tells her that he still loves her and proposes. Stacey accepts and Max returns to find them engaged. Horrified, he tries to split them up but he fails until Sean discovers their affair. Sean tries stopping the wedding but Stacey blackmails him to keep her and Max's secret, reminding him that he left her - then only 11 - to take care of their mother after their father died. When the time comes, she is unable to say "I do" and flees, telling Sean that she is unsure if she can live with her guilt about sleeping with Max. In the end, Bradley persuades her to continue, insisting he does not care about her past, and they marry. Max cannot give Stacey up and propositions her again while she is changing out of her wedding dress. They kiss briefly but Stacey pulls away, unaware that their encounter has been recorded on Lauren's camera, that she hid earlier that day.

Feeling neglected, Lauren gives a dvd of the recording to Bradley. On Christmas Day 2007, Bradley plays it in front of his family and chaos erupts. After Tanya slaps Stacey and she is shunned by her friends and family, Stacey tries to apologise and explain to Bradley, telling him she loves him, not Max. However, he can't cope with the thought of them sleeping together. Devastated, he smashes up their flat in a fit of rage, throws Stacey out and leaves Walford.

[edit] 2008—

Stacey grows depressed and gets drunk at R&R nightclub, collapsing on the dance floor after taking liquid ecstasy. The experience forces her to re-evaluate her life and she tries winning Bradley back, but while he still loves her, he tells her that he cannot trust her. Stacey becomes closer to her friend, Steven Beale, and they start dating but Stacey is unaware that he is fighting homosexual urges, and when Christian Clarke informs her that Steven has kissed him, she dumps him.

In June 2008, Bradley and Stacey get back together and Bradley suggests starting a family. Stacey isn't sure and keeps taking her pill. In September, Stacey, furious that Bradley accepted money from Max, kisses Callum Monks but regrets it, trying to make her marriage work. She eventually tells Bradley that they are over and Stacey begins dating Callum but he refuses to accept her mother's needs because of her bipolar disorder so Stacey dumps him.

Following the death of her friend, Danielle Jones, in April 2009, Stacey began behaving erratically. She steals money from her family, seduces various men and drinks heavily. Jean tries calming her down, telling her that she could have bipolar disorder. Refusing to believe it, Stacey disappears for several weeks and on her return, her hair has been dyed blonde and she is covered in cuts and grazes. Despondent, Stacey is upset further when Bradley asks for a divorce but signs divorce papers, becoming obsessed with finding out who Max Branning is seeing and accuses Whitney Dean of having an affair with him. She talks to Max, saying they're now best friends, and Max says that he is not seeing anyone. Stacey thinks he wants her back, but when she takes Tanya a present, Max is there, making Stacey angry as she feels Max lied. Tanya accidentally knocks her over, making her eyebrow bleed so she goes to hospital where she tells a counsellor that she thinks she is ill. Jean arrives and tells Stacey she will look after her, alarming her, and she leaves the hospital. At home, she again denies that anything is wrong and tries to keep her illness from Bradley but he finds out, telling her that he wishes he could have been there for her, despite now dating Syd Chambers. She stops taking her medication and, a few days later, Bradley receives the divorce paperwork, ending his marriage to Stacey. Fearing the news will worsen the situation, Jean doesn't tell Stacey who enters a talent show at The Queen Victoria, giving a rambling speech and is chatted up by Ryan Malloy, (Whitney's half-brother), and they sleep together.

Stacey's behaviour worsens as she suffers paranoia and Ryan takes over her market stall. Jean realises that Stacey isn't taking her medication and tries to get her to see the doctor. When asked, she tells Jean that she has seen him but Jean later discovers that she lied. After hearing Jordan Johnson telling Ryan that his mother, Trina Johnson has died, she believes Ryan killed her and tells his father, Lucas Johnson, this. Lucas tells her that Trina was not murdered but she goes to Trina's funeral, expecting Ryan to be there. Thinking she hears a noise from the coffin, she jumps into the grave to open it, screaming for help. No one does and she accuses everyone there of being in on it and runs home. A few days later, she starts having hallucinations of the daughter she aborted and believes that Ryan and Archie Mitchell are planning to kill her, so she hides at home. Max convinces her to go to Bradley's leaving party, where she accuses everyone, including her mother, of planning to hurt her. She tells Jean that she has not taken her pills for three weeks, and Jean runs for the doctor, telling him Stacey needs to be sectioned immediately. Stacey is at home in the dark when Jean returns and tries to convince Stacey to take her medication. Stacey decides she must apologise to Bradley but Syd tells her that she and Bradley are now divorced. Devastated, Stacey goes home to find Doctor Al Jenkins, two colleagues and two police officers waiting for her. Despite assurances that she is fine and will take her medication, she is told that she must go to hospital. Determined to escape, Stacey becomes violent but falls to the ground outside and is restrained by police officers who take her away in a police car, leaving Jean distraught.

Jean visits Stacey in hospital but she is unresponsive. Her friend, Becca Swanson, interrupts and Stacey talks more to her than she does to Jean. The next day, Jean tells Stacey that Bradley is back, asking her to come home for one day. Becca tries convincing Stacey not to go but when Bradley and Jean come to collect her, she says an emotional goodbye to Becca and goes home where Jean leaves her and Bradley alone. He insists he cannot return to Canada because he loves her. She tells him she thinks she loves him and they kiss. Stacey tells Bradley he should go back to Canada to think about it but he tells Syd that it is over between them and he is staying in Walford with Stacey.

Bradley and Stacey go on a short break to the Lake District and on their return, she collapses. After Doctor Jenkins checks her over and she is fine, he then asks her to do a pregnancy test, which is positive, much to Stacey's horror.

[edit] Reception

Wiki letter w.svg This section requires expansion.

In 2007, Jim Shelley, television critic for the Daily Mirror, commented that Stacey "has been EastEnders' best character since she arrived...".[4] In 2009, Shelley criticised the writers for her bi-polar storyline, as he said it "reduces her to an Issue", saying, "Making Stacey bi-polar does Turner a terrible disservice. Until now, she had made Stacey the only character in the series who was multi-dimensional."[23] Kris Green from entertainment website Digital Spy responded to Shelley's 2009 article by saying "With hereditary connections and strong environmental conditions linked to the advancement of bipolar disorder, it's not surprising that Stacey, the daughter of Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) — a long-suffering manic depressive — has developed the same disorder. [...] Granted, the 21-year-old shoulders a fair whack of the programme, but this material is pushing her acting abilities to unseen levels. Lacey's one of the BBC soap's finest actresses and to be handed a story with scenes as powerful as those in last Tuesday's episode must be nothing short of a privilege. The subject matter, however, may be difficult and the portrayal of the condition quite probably more so. It's a given that Stacey's a superb specimen and one of the best female characters in soapland, but quite how the plot is doing the actress a disservice, I'll never know."[24]

Turner has won multiple awards for her portrayal of Stacey: in 2005, she won best newcomer at the TV Quick Awards, and in 2006 she was awarded best actress at the British Soap Awards.[25]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Billy plans a new life", bbc.co.uk. URL last accessed 2008-05-18.
  2. ^ a b c BBC Press Office (2004-09-26). "New Slater to join EastEnders". Press release. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/09_september/26/eastenders.shtml. Retrieved 2008-02-11. 
  3. ^ a b c BBC - EastEnders - Backstage - Cast - Lacey Turner
  4. ^ a b A wed loss for Enders' Stacey - Mirror.co.uk
  5. ^ STACEY GETS RACY - Mirror.co.uk
  6. ^ STACEY'S FAMILY STRIFE - Mirror.co.uk
  7. ^ "Mental Health Media Awards 2006". BBC.co.uk. http://web.archive.org/web/20070207053634/http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/news/news_content/news_20060905_n1.shtml. Retrieved 2006-09-25. 
  8. ^ Exclusive: Square'S Lacey On Life After Those Saucy Cctv Snaps - Mirror.Co.Uk
  9. ^ STACEY PUTS IT ALL ON RED - Mirror.co.uk
  10. ^ a b "SOAPVILLE". The Mirror. 2006-12-22. http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/tv/tvland/2006/12/22/soapville-89520-18308207/. Retrieved 2008-04-26. 
  11. ^ a b "EastEnders Affairs: Max and Stacey". EastEnders Revealed. BBC. BBC Three. 2007-11-02.
  12. ^ "SQUARE'S LACEY ON LIFE AFTER THOSE SAUCY CCTV SNAPS". The Mirror. 2006-06-17. http://www.mirror.co.uk/archive/2006/06/17/exclusive-square-s-lacey-on-life-after-those-saucy-cctv-snaps-89520-17245914/. Retrieved 2008-04-26. 
  13. ^ "WELCOME TO THE BRAD DAD CLUB". The Mirror. 2006-08-31. http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/tv/todaystv/2006/08/31/welcome-to-the-brad-dad-club-89520-17654356/. Retrieved 2008-04-26. 
  14. ^ "EASTENDERS". The Mirror. 2006-12-15. http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/tv/todaystv/2006/12/15/eastenders-89520-18266582/. Retrieved 2008-04-26. 
  15. ^ "CHRISTMAS IN THE SQUARE". The Mirror. 2006-12-16. http://www.mirror.co.uk/archive/2006/12/16/christmas-in-the-square-89520-18249955/. Retrieved 2008-04-26. 
  16. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: BRAD'S DAD BEDS HIS GAL". The Mirror. 2006-12-20. http://www.mirror.co.uk/archive/2006/12/20/exclusive-brad-s-dad-beds-his-gal-89520-18289578/. Retrieved 2008-04-26. 
  17. ^ Green, Kris (17 December 2009). "'EastEnders' exec teases 2010 storylines". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/scoop/a189597/eastenders-exec-teases-2010-storylines.html. Retrieved 17 December 2009. 
  18. ^ Hilton, Ewan (8 June 2009). "When a soap character’s mental health issue is shown as part of life it can help others". WalesOnline.co.uk. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health-news/2009/06/08/when-a-soap-character-s-mental-health-issue-is-shown-as-part-of-life-it-can-help-others-91466-23811426/. Retrieved 11 June 2009. 
  19. ^ a b c d e "Find out how the EastEnders Series Consultant and writer developed the story arc and episode that revealed Stacey's bipolar disorder.". BBC Online. 15 May 2009. http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters_cast/interviews/interview_simon_a.shtml. Retrieved 15 May 2009. 
  20. ^ a b c d e "Stacey Faces Bipolar Disorder". BBC Online. 14 May 2009. http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/news/news_20090514.shtml. Retrieved 14 May 2009. 
  21. ^ "Who's Watching Stacey?". BBC Online. 13 May 2009. http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/news/news_20090513.shtml. Retrieved 15 May 2009. 
  22. ^ Simon, Jane (15 May 2009). "We love telly". Daily Mirror. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/05/15/we-love-telly-115875-21360585/. Retrieved 15 May 2009. 
  23. ^ Shelley, Jim (27 July 2009). "Stacey Slater: Why it's madness to ruin the best character in EastEnders". Daily Mirror. http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/shelleyvision/2009/07/stacey-slater-why-its-madness.html. Retrieved 29 July 2009. 
  24. ^ Green, Kris (29 July 2009). "Just Another Manic Monday?". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a168020/just-another-manic-monday.html. Retrieved 10 September 2009. 
  25. ^ The Tv Quick Awards: Cobbles! - Mirror.Co.Uk

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