Coronation Street star Jack P Shepherd has detailed the trick that the Emmerdale cast use to learn lines, leaving co-star Ben Price stunned. With the eagerly awaited Corriedale set to air in the coming weeks, what could he be talking about?
Shepherd, who plays David Platt on Corrie, sat down with co-stars Price and Colson Smith on the On the Sofa podcast to discuss the hotly-anticipated soap crossover, which is coming to ITV next month.
The big event will see characters from both soaps interact in a multi-vehicle pile up stunt-based storyline. Shepherd’s David is one of the Corrie characters crossing over together with DS Lisa Swain, played by Vicky Myers, and Tracy Barlow, portrayed by Kate Ford.
As for Emmerdale, the characters who have been confirmed to take part in Corriedale are Aaron Dingle and Liam Cavanagh, played by Danny Miller and Jonny McPherson respectively, though there will likely be more on the way.
While more stars could yet join the crossover, Shepherd was careful not to give too much away when sharing the behind-the-scenes method that the Emmerdale actors use to learn their lines.
ITV
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“They were telling me what their trick of the trade for line learning [is]. We all know that mine is the old cover and check,” began Shepherd, who has portrayed David on the ITV soap since 2000.
Smith, whose Corrie character Craig Tinker was killed-off earlier this year, explained the method in question involves reading a line, covering it with your hand, repeating it out loud and then checking if you said it correctly.
However, as revealed by Shepherd, the Emmerdale cast takes an extra step when memorising lines, with the actor sharing: “They have Dictaphones or voice notes, so they will record the other person’s lines and leave gaps.”
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“They’ll do that, and then they’ll learn their lines – the old cover and check, universally works – and then they will practice the scene with themselves on the voice note,” he added.
While Price, who plays Nick Tilsley on Corrie, seemed blown away by the news, Smith noted that he would ordinarily learn his lines in the same way as his Emmerdale counterparts.
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX. Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
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