The Chase
The cast and their characters
Keith Barron is George Williams
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Keith explains: "George is a very experienced vet. He runs the practice and
is looked up to by his customers. He's the best of what vets are – concerned
about people and their animals. And if they can't pay their bills he'll still
treat them.
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"The practice is an interesting mix of people – it's
not a sterile, quick in and out practice. As the family live in it, the
practice atmosphere is that it's an extension of their house.
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"What I like most about the drama is that it's about the relationships they have with each other as much as about helping dying budgies and boa constrictors.
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"It's about people who happen to work as vets. And it's
a chaotic household – no-one ever gets away from it.
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"It's full of big emotions. And that's what life is like – things happen out of the blue."
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Keith admits that even though he's playing the head vet, he hasn't had to get too close to many animals.
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"Just enough to show what it's about!" he jokes, "but
I do love them. We have a beautiful beagle called Barney who we've had for
about 12 years. Before that we had one called George
who we had as a puppy.
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"Beagles are very sweet in nature but you can't train
them. They're slightly indifferent: if they don't want to go for
a walk they won't but they're very affectionate."
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Having been in the business since the Sixties, Keith reveals that he still holds a secret ambition. "I love musicals and that side of theatre.
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"My son, James, is in the business and is performing in Phantom
[of the Opera] at the moment. He's got a great singing voice. When
you see a good musical it's wonderful, life enhancing. Especially when
people demonstrate such skills like tap dancing and singing.
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"But I can't
sing. I'd like to be in a musical where I don't have to sing – I could
learn to tap dance!"
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Gaynor
Faye is Anna WilliamsÌý
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Gaynor Faye is Anna Williams
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Gaynor describes Anna as: "a warm family-orientated woman.
She's moralistic and the sort of person you'd like to have as your friend
because she'd never tell your secrets especially if they would hurt someone
else.
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"She's a salt-of-the-earth character who sees good in
everyone but her morals can be slightly old-fashioned."
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And Gaynor admits that she's fulfilling one of her earliest ambitions. "I wanted to be a vet when I was little. I was always rescuing animals our cat had attacked. But strangely, during filming I developed an allergic reaction to dogs.
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"I was working with a little terrier and he was really
excited and kept licking my face and I suddenly came out in huge red wheals.
It was horrible. I had to take antihistamines every time I was working
with them from then on.
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"Fortunately I didn't develop any allergies towards children," she jokes, "as I was also working with three kids and a baby."
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Gaynor's involvement in The Chase doesn't stop on screen. Before casting took place, Gaynor was originally contracted as a script writer for the series. "I wrote my first episode before I was cast which is good, as I might have found it odd to try and write for myself!
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"It's a privilege to do a Kay Mellor drama as she mixes quite heavy drama with lots of light comedy. She can make you laugh and cry.
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"For me, writing seems like a natural progression as I've been involved with scripts all my life. Kay's asked my opinion, I helped spell check, and so on. I feel as though I've been around scripts for ever and served my apprenticeship with Kay.
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"I first started out drafting material for Fat Friends and I absolutely loved it. I was amazed at how free and creative you can be. Your characters can say or do anything. It's an exhilarating feeling and I got the bug.
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"I was filming Playing the Field at the time and Kay suggested the producer should
try me out for scripts in the final series. So I did a trial script and ended
up writing the first and second episodes. What a great way to start your writing
career getting two hours of drama on the Â鶹ԼÅÄ!"
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Nicola
Stephenson is Sarah WilliamsÌý
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Nicola Stephenson is Sarah Williams
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Sarah has been away for three years and hasn't seen any of her family during that time. She's carved out a life for herself in London with a new job and a new boyfriend, David.
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When David gets his other woman pregnant, Sarah heads back
to Leeds having ditched him but unsure about how she will be received.
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"She goes home and faces her fears," explains Nicola. And then at the wedding reception George drops the bombshell of his retirement.
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"Her dad is going to Malta and leaves the practice to her
and Anna. She's desperate to be anywhere but working with Anna, Tom and
Fiona but she's drafted in to help out. And she loses the plot and tries
to run away.
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"They don't know that she's not been a vet for two years
because she killed a dog.
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"To everyone else she seems a self-assured, moody
cow but really she's insecure with very low self-esteem. Sarah doesn't
feel she's good enough to be a vet or be part of her family. And her
default is to run away.
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"Anna and Sarah have a big fight when memories of her mother are challenged and Sarah decides she doesn't want to be like her mum – she wants to stay and help the family."
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Yet, that still leaves Sarah's huge dilemma unsolved. The reason she ran to London wasn't her mother's death but the fact that she caught her brother-in-law having sex with their friend and cousin, Fiona.
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"Sarah carries around this secret but now she's back and
she has to face it. Or she has to carry on lying and she doesn't want that.
She's been having a relationship with a man who is seeing someone else
as well so she knows how awful it is.
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"Sarah has just got her family back. Fiona threatens all of that. Anna might never forgive her and that would be all Fiona's fault. She's a massive threat to Sarah's future."
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But all is not doom and gloom back in Yorkshire. Sarah hooks up again with her
first love, local farmer Adrian Huby.
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"It's very romantic," admits Nicola. "Sarah
lost her virginity to him when she was a teenager and having him back in
her life scares and entices her all at the same time."
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