Bethany from Corry

[molly]

Am I alone in being a bit concerned about the little girl who plays the part of Bethany. In the story her ' Nan' keeps saying things like, ' Mummy won't love you when the new baby arrives' and at the graveyard, ' that's your Daddy lying there'. Surely this little 3 year old is too young to understand the difference between acting and real life. It seems to me the things that are said to her are at best confusing, at worst quite disturbing for her.

[carlos]

A friend of mine went to visit the set of Peak Practice a few years ago. I was wondering the same thing but she told me that while on the tour someone asked the same question. They were told that when a scene like that is filmed, the actor mouths the words and the audio is put on after, during editing. This seems to make sense as when things like that are said the child generally doesn't take any notice of the adult like they would in a normal scene.

[andy hughes]

Editing is a wonderful tool in television. If you notice, next time Bethany is in shot, there will be a camera angle change,usually to the adult talking to her, who will speak their lines. Bethany is out of shot, because the little girl is not actually there on set - to avoid exactly the kind of concerns you voice. You will also notice that she often looks past characters on set to someone behind camera - chances are it is her mum, it's usual for mums to be on set at all times when toddlers are filming, to keep them secure and avoid any tears.

[molly]

Thanks. Your answers are reassuring. I couldn't imagine a high profile programme like Corry would deliberately upset a small child. I wonder if the audio is put on later when Bethany is asked if she wants some treat like a sweet or that trip to see Santa?