How would you describe Jenny Carrington?
Jenny Carrington is new to the hospital. She has applied for the post of Matron which means she will have probably been a nurse for ten or fifteen years. She beat Adam Fearnley to the
role and is in a difficult position, because she has to try and win people over while trying to make sure the hospital runs efficiently. She has some very definite views as to how she would
like that to be. I don’t think she suffers fools gladly, and she doesn’t make herself too popular initially because she’s too busy trying to implement new rules and regulations. At the heart of it,
Jenny wants the hospital to work and doesn’t really mind if she doesn’t win any popularity contests on the way. She does tend to keep things close to her chest, so we don't really know a
great deal about her initially.
Jenny’s first day in her new job doesn’t quite go to plan. Explain what happens?
Jenny's looking forward to making a good impression on her first day, but unfortunately she falls ill with appendicitis and becomes a patient in the hospital she's supposed to be helping to
run. It's slightly puts her on the wrong foot and she meets some of the members of staff, particularly Dr Ormerod, in quite an intimate fashion! Dr Woods operates on her, but at least
she gets to see first hand how the hospital is running! The minute the surgery's over she’s working from her bed on the ward with her laptop.
Describe the relationship between Jenny and Adam?
It slightly tricky to begin with because obviously she appreciated that his nose might have been put out of joint. He's initially a little resentful, which she can understand, so she knows she has
to win Adam over. The really key moment, when they realise they can work together, is when there's an emergency delivery which they have to perform on a young woman. She's giving
birth in the corridor and they realise they do actually work quite well together and make a good team. From that moment they have a good working relationship. I'm sure there'll be
antagonisms along the way, but at least they realise they can work well together.
How does Jenny get on with the other medical staff?
There are women of her own age, particularly among the female doctors, but they don't really want to let her into the gang. I don't know what it is and I feel quite sorry for Jenny because she
wants to join in. I think it's more to do with her position as Matron, as hey see her as part of the management which makes her a sort of enemy, a foe if you like. It doesn't matter what she
says, she could potentially report them and she's not necessarily 'one of them'. Jenny's not really allowed to be part of the inner 'clique', but she does get on well with Dr Ormerod. She
offers a helping hand and lends an ear when he needs to talk. I think Ormerod was nice to her when she first begins work at the hospital and because of that they just clicked. He's basically
her only ally. The nurses on the ward do tend to just see her as 'Matron' so once again she's not in a position where she can socialise with them. They have to answer to her and she
always has to tell them off, so again it's not an equal relationship.
Jenny finds herself being held hostage by a drug addict. Tell us what happens?
There's a little bit of a situation when one of the patients, who's a drug addict, takes her hostage in a storage cupboard. Rather than panicking, Jenny decides she appreciates what the
girl may be going through and decides to try to talk to her about her problems. She tries to win her round. She tells the girl a little bit about her life story to illustrate that not everyone's life
experiences are rosy. Everyone has problems and you get to learn more about Jenny at that point. She reveals a little bit about herself, and does well in the situation by not panicking.
Did you do any training for the role?
We spent some time at Leeds General Infirmary Hospital where I met three matrons and asked them what they felt was the key role of the matron today. It's very different from the matron of
the 1960's, which Wendy Craig plays in The Royal. The position has been re-introduced and it’s a very different role nowadays. We spent some time on the wards, but also I drew from my
experience 20 years ago when I worked in a hospital. I was a nurse's assistant on a geriatrics ward which was basically wiping people’s bottoms and taking them to the toilet, making beds
and feeding people. Mercifully, touch wood, I’ve not had that much experience as a patient in a hospital, but have seen it from behind the scenes.
If you were ill, would you mind being a patient at The Royal?
From what I've seen, it does seem like a well run hospital and there doesn't appears to be too much waiting time. It always seems as if there is someone there when you need them. Whether
that's an accurate picture of the hospital, I don't know, but the staff seem to know what they are doing.
Is Jenny anything like Zoe Tate, the character you played in Emmerdale?
She's really different! I was quite nervous when I first started playing Jenny, because obviously I wanted her to be very different from Zoe. She's a stronger and more assertive person than
Zoe. Jenny doesn't have all the baggage that Zoe had. She’s certainly got some baggage, but not to the extent of Zoe's. Jenny isn't going to worry about conflicting with people, or taking
people on. In fact some of the younger cast members run in the opposite direction when I put my stern face on! I do think she's very different to Zoe, but it's not really a conscious decision.
It's just that they are completely different characters. Jenny feels very different; she's more mature in many ways as a person.
What did you do between leaving Emmerdale and starting The Royal Today?
I’ve had two spells in theatre productions. I played Mrs Manningham in Gaslight immediately after leaving Emmerdale with Peter Amory as a brutal and psychotic husband. I then went on
and did another tour called Stranger On A Train in which I played a young 1960's wife whose husband is involved in a murder. I also appeared in an episode of Judge John Deed playing a
bio-chemist scientist and I filmed a part in Doctors before getting this role. I did panto for the first time too and loved it; I played Prince Charming in Cinderella and had an absolute blast. I'm
actually doing panto again this year. I'm playing Fairy Pea Pod in Jack and The Beanstalk. I love panto, and many friends and colleagues told me I should do it. It’s so out of my comfort
zone that I kept putting it out of my head. I thought I'd do it when I got the chance and now I think it's great. Everyday I was so excited about going on stage and just being silly. I'm also
going to film a role for the BBC in Casualty 1907. So I’ve been very busy but it's all varied, so I’m enjoying myself.
What attracted you to The Royal Today?
The first thing that attracted me was that it was ITV Yorkshire again and it means working with people I already know. You also know how things work and what’s expected. Also what
appealed to me was the fact that it's a brand new programme. I'd never been involved in a new drama and it’s really interesting to be in something from the very beginning.
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