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Phyllis Pearce

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Phyllis Pearce
Coronation Street character
Portrayed byJill Summers
Duration1982–1996
First appearance20 September 1982
Last appearance1 May 1996
ClassificationFormer; regular
Introduced byBill Podmore (1982)
Mervyn Watson (1984)
In-universe information
OccupationWaitress
FatherJoshua Grimes
MotherViolet Grimes
HusbandHarold Pearce
DaughtersMargaret Whiteley
GrandsonsCraig Whitely

Phyllis Pearce is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, played by Jill Summers.

Casting[edit]

Summers had previously played the role of Bessie Proctor in 1972, a cleaner who worked with Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander) at the Capricorn Club venue.[1][2] When Summers took on the role of Phyllis, she expected it only to last a couple of weeks, which was the length of her original contract. Phyllis proved popular with viewers and producers asked Summer to stay on.[3][4] However the role was expanded and Summers was kept on to build the character further.[3]

Development[edit]

Characterisation and introduction[edit]

Phyllis is introduced into the series as the grandmother of Craig Whitely (Mark Price). She tracks Craig down to Number 9 Coronation Street, where he is living with his paternal grandfather Chalkie Whitely (Teddy Turner).[5] Phyllis' daughter Margaret had previously died of cancer and Craig moved in with Chalkie following her death. Phyllis is also widowed when she debuts and she decides to reconnect with Craig because he is her only remaining living family.[5][6] When Chalkie moved to Coronation Street, he decided not to tell Phyllis his new address because he wanted to exclude her from their life, due to her interfering ways.[7] Craig's father, Bob Whitely (Freddie Fletcher) goes to work on an oil rig and leaves Craig in Chalkie's care.[8]

In the book, Around the Coronation Street Houses, author Daran Little revealed that Phyllis and Chalkie had previously lived on Cromwell Street together and the pair did not get along.[9] Chalkie was upset when his son, Bob married into the Pearce family via his wedding to Margaret. Phyllis believed that Chalkie was a chauvinist and he viewed her as cantankerous.[9] When Phyllis reconnects with Craig, she urges him to move into her home instead but he tells Phyllis he prefers living with his grandfather.[8] Chalkie allows Phyllis to remain in contact with Craig.[8] She continues to appear in numerous episodes visiting Craig and taking every opportunity to criticise Chalkie's suitability as a parental guardian.[10] Producers introduced Bob into the series later that year and he announces that he is moving to Australia and taking Craig with him.[8] Writers portrayed Phyllis as pleading with Bob to reconsider, fearing she will never see her grandson again. Bob also orders Chalkie to sell the house and Phyllis tries to get him to move in with her. He refuses but then wins money on a horse racing bet.[8] He decides to use the money to purchase a plane ticket to Australia. Phyllis was distraught over Chalkie's departure because he was her last link to her family.[11] Phyllis loses her home in nearby Omdurman Street and moves into a bungalow in Gorton Close.[12]

Phyllis is a widow and in her back story, she was married to Harold Pearce.[8] Phyllis later gains employment at Jim's Café.[2] Phyllis is characterised by her interfering ways and her trademark blue-rinse hair style.[7][2] She is also "man-mad", often portrayed trying to find a new partner.[2] Another memorable characteristic of Phyllis is her husky voice.[13] Summers was given the opportunity to develop Phyllis' character and she used her vast showbusiness knowledge to build the character.[3] She told Little in his book, The Coronation Street Story that "I loved it and then Phyllis grew on me and grew up as a character." Summers added that Phyllis is a "lonely lady" who just wanted some company.[3] In the book Coronation Street, 1960-1985 : 25 Years, Graham Nown profiled her as "bossy, blue-rinsed" Phyllis who "likes a man who gets things done."[10] He added that she is portrayed as making Chalkie's "life a misery" via her "constant carping".[10] Phyllis later loses her job at Jim's Café and takes employment as Des Barnes' (Philip Middlemiss) housekeeper.[4]

Percy Sugden[edit]

Writers created a partnership between Phyllis and Percy Sugden (Bill Waddington), which nearly lasted through out most of her duration.[2] Phyllis is portrayed as having unrequited love for Percy, who makes his feelings known. Despite this, Phyllis never gives up the pursuit of romance with Percy.[2] Nown assessed that Phyllis "visibly melts in his presence" but he always refuses to succumb to her advances.[10] Summers believed that Phyllis is a lonely woman who latches onto Percy for comfort. She told Graeme Kay, author of Life in the Street that "Percy can't stand Phyllis but he does use her. Wherever he goes, she chases him." Summers opined that some women think "boring men" such as Percy are "marvellous" and Phyllis certainly does.[2] She added that Percy "can do no wrong for Phyllis, talking about Burma and the war. She's very lonely, really, and all she can think of is Percy, even though she knows he doesn't want her, but he's her life."[2]

Writers played them in comedic scenes, such as a trip to Southport where Phyllis hides Percy's socks and shoes while he is paddling in the sea. This causes them to miss the coach home, so Phyllis can spend more time with him alone.[14] Phyllis' adoration of Percy intensified when works as a lollipop man and saves Phyllis from being run over.[14] In a 1987 storyline, writers featured Phyllis turning her romantic attentions to Sam Tindall (Tom Mennard). He is a friend of Percy's at the local bowls club.[15] Phyllis realises he is wealthy from a prize gained winning a pool competition and pursues him. She uses Percy to make Sam jealous, but her plan fails when Sam thinks she has loose morals. Phyllis blames Percy for Sam's decision, leaving him "outraged" by her accusations.[15] In 1993, writers revisited their connection via a series of competition wins. First Phyllis wins a dinner date from a magazine competition and Percy agrees to go on the date with her.[14] Phyllis wins a poetry competition via a poem she writes about her love for Percy.[6] Despite this, Percy is reluctant to begin a relationship with her. He show's his more caring side when he nurses her through an illness and sleeps beside her.[14] In a 1996 plot, Phyllis' rival Maud Grimes (Elizabeth Bradley) reads her teacup and revealed the man of Phyllis' dreams was waiting for her. She responds by asking Percy to marry her, but he thinks Phyllis was pranking him and leaves abruptly.[14] The two characters later move into the same retirement complex at Mayfield Court.[13]

Reception[edit]

Summers regularly received fan mail from young viewers who told her that Phyllis is "funny" and how they wished Phyllis was their own grandmother.[2] Attitude placed Phyllis eighth in their "top ten women of Coronation Street" feature. A critic branded her a "forgotten gem" of the show and described her as "the old lady with a purple rinse and a voice that sounded a little like a didgeridoo."[16] They added that despite Phyllis being an "old lady" she was never portrayed as a "Emily Bishop-style sherry-sipper" because she drank Guinness and "her filthy Guinness breath was probably the main reason her love for Percy Sugden went unrequited for so many years."[16] Martyn Hett from Manchester Evening News included her eleventh in their list of the fifteen top female characters of all time. Hett agreed she was a "forgotten gem" who "came from the golden age of the purple rinse". He added that Phyllis' "voice was so deep, she could easily have passed for Barry White.[17] After Summers died, Helen Childs from Inside Soap assessed "Weatherfield will never quite be the same again" and "she made us laugh, she made us cry. We're going to miss Phyllis."[4] Childs branded Phyllis "the best loved battleaxe in soap" and her jobs were "perfect for her to keep up with the Street's gossip". She added that Phyllis' "mission in life" was to romance Percy and "never gave up trying".[4]

Television writer Daran Little has described her as an "interfering battleaxe" type of character.[7] Anthony Hayward, author of The Who's Who of Soap Operas described Phyllis as "of the blue-rinse hair do" and that "chasing fellow-pensioner Percy Sugden has become a full-time occupation" for her.[18] Hayward added that Phyllis is "infatuated" with Percy and "wherever Percy goes, she is not likely to be far away."[19] In her book, 60 Years of Coronation Street, Abigail Kemp opined "with her purple rinse and husky voice, pensioner Phyllis Pearce made a lasting impression on Coronation Street thanks to her amusing infatuation with pompous Percy."[13] Kemp added that Phyllis is an "amorous lilac-haired" and a "poor old lovestruck" woman who Percy is "downright rude" to.[20][13] Author Tim Randall branded Phyllis a "randy pensioner".[15] He opined that Summers and Waddington played Phyllis and Percy's storyline to "peeved perfection". He described her as having a "voice like granite" that many viewers impersonated.[14] A writer from the In Your Area application branded the character a "blue-rinse busybody".[21] A BBC News reporter branded her the "blue-rinsed husky-voiced Phyllis Pearce".[22] Stuart Heritage from The Guardian likened Christian Bale's performance as Batman to a "spot-on impression of gruff-voiced blue-haired" Phyllis.[23] Dominic Knight from ATV Today believed that Mrs Mack (Gwyneth Guthrie) from Take the High Road had a voice lowered to levels "that could compete" with Phyllis, adding "she like her Corrie counterpart was steeped in gossip."[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Randall 2010, p.147.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kay 1991, p.55.
  3. ^ a b c d Little 1995, p.164.
  4. ^ a b c d Childs, Helen (25 January – 7 February 1997). "Thanks for the memories!". Inside Soap. No. 67. (Attic Futura UK Ltd). p. 16.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  5. ^ a b "Phyllis Pearce". CoronationStreet.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 September 1999. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b Little 1995, p.257.
  7. ^ a b c Little 1995, p.163.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Little 1997, p.114.
  9. ^ a b Little 1997, p.113.
  10. ^ a b c d Nown 1985, p.52.
  11. ^ Little 1997, p.115.
  12. ^ Little & Hill 1992, p.159.
  13. ^ a b c d Kemp 2020, p.108.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Randall 2010, p.156.
  15. ^ a b c Randall 2010, p.145.
  16. ^ a b "The Top Ten Women of Coronation Street". Attitude. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  17. ^ Hett, Martyn (21 October 2015). "Coronation Street's top 15 female characters of all time". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  18. ^ Hayward 1991, p.55.
  19. ^ Hayward 1991, p.56.
  20. ^ Kemp 2020, p.86.
  21. ^ "Nostalgia: The Coronation Street café where drama and a cuppa was served up over the years". In Your Area. 30 January 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Former Street star dies". BBC News. 9 September 2000. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  23. ^ Heritage, Stuart (23 October 2009). "Who other than Tom Cruise has inspired Christian Bale?". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  24. ^ Knight, Dominic (11 November 2021). "High Road's Gwyneth Guthrie dies High Road's Gwyneth Guthrie dies - ATV Today". ATV Today. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
Bibliography

External links[edit]

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