One Flue Over The Shepherd's Hut - Discuss The Archers Here

[PseudoBadger]

I do hope Lynda has a carbon monoxide monitor in there...

Henry is a real problem.

We get that you can't really try and have a 5 year-old pretend to have witnessed DA and a stabbing etc. That even if you could, finding a child actor who could do this convincingly would be nigh on impossible.

So dear SWs, pls stop putting that boy at the centre of the plot!!

That even if you could, finding a child actor who could do this convincingly would be nigh on impossible.

Henwee isn't convincing as a child already. Is he acted by a child?

I'm sure you could get a teenage female actor to do a convincing child's voice.

I think Henry being written convincingly but played by Barry White would be better than the drivel they give this poor child

And he sounds far too young so the casting was poor anyway

And and and - there are loads of child actors who play roles that are traumatised etc and they seem to manage it without traumatising the actor

Yes there is a problem with the child actor, I don't think he sounds too young btw. But there can be hearsay used by the adults. And have the actor say 'Daaaddy' quietly or whatever.

I was interested to read on that 1st thread that back then we thought Henry was far too eloquent to be a 2 year old, and now many of us think he sounds too young.

I have a 5yo who is a couple of months older than Henry and although she can sound a bit babyish compared to her friends she sounds very grown up compared to him!!

I've been a C\M to 12 children mainly under 5, have 3 of my own and was an EY teacher. The actor they have playing Henry sounds fine to me. They're all different like adults are of course.

I think he sounds too young in voice but some of the lines they give him are too old. So it all comes out a bit wrong. It probably irritates me more because I am listening to a 5yo all day!!

I'm not sure why they give him so much airtime tbh. It must be a faff for them to get it recorded and then they have to slot it in. It just seems unnecessary unless they are trying to get work experience for some luvvies grandkid

And you're right that as they record him separately they can easily get him to say things 'frightened' 'said etc without traumatising him as it is all out of context.

That kid in The A Word is meant to be 5, isn't he? The actor may well be older, but he's streets ahead of Henry actor.

And what about her blood pressure? After last time, when she suddenly swelled up, was rushed into hospital and given a caesarean the same evening, you would have thought there would be concern

I'm worried about this but neither Tony/Pat not any of their relatives seem to have remembered Helen is pregnant. I'm waiting for the conversation between Rob and Arsula.

Maybe some of these questions will be answered when Helen starts to talk. Maybe

Augusta You're not expecting him to actually ACT are you? If some of the adults can't hack it then IMO it's crazy to expect a radio actor to act at the age of 5

Helen was going to stay with Kirsty.

When Kirsty arrived with the pie, Helen said that she was planning to leave Rob, although I think only on a temporary basis, and that she was going to tell him that evening. She said she just needed space to think. I think that Kirsty then asked if Helen was going to stay with Pat and Tony and Helen said that there would be too many questions. Helen asked if she could stay with Kirsty and Kirsty said that she could.

Really Kirsty wasn't in a position to agree to this. She's a lodger in Roy's house so ought to have asked him first. Roy's house has three bedrooms so does have a spare room but when Jazzer asked later on if he could move in Kirsty said that the spare room was needed for when either Mike or Phoebe stayed over.

I suspect that Kirsty was willing to agree to anything to get Helen away from Rob. Roy wouldn't turn her and Henry away, at least on a temporary basis, and I'm sure that Kirsty would then try and persuade Helen to disclose the abuse to her parents and move in with them.

I'm listening again having a little chuckle - Ursula is treating Rob just how he treats Helen. Go and lie down, sit down, have some more tea. Funny how he doesn't like it either.

I'm not sure why they give him so much airtime tbh. It must be a faff for them to get it recorded and then they have to slot it in

And the fact that he delivers the lines without any range of emotion (without acting) makes it worse.

Well, it would be ever so nice to have someone who could act, ppeat

Didn't Pat have a conversation with Anna about the pregnancy, e.g. whether Helen could have the baby in hospital and whether there would be a guard present?

I would assume her pregnancy gets monitored in prison and the doctors there should have got hold of her notes. Though that depends how efficient they are. If she's in one of Gove's privatised prisons, she's stuffed.

Is there any possibility Rob could rock up in the delivery room?

Arsula's voice! Ugh

He could try but I would hope they'd ask Helen whether she agreed. However, I fear there is nothing to stop him waiting immediately outside and demanding the baby at the earliest possible opportunity.

No don't think that would be allowed legally I would of thought.

Just LA, Tony is now irritating me far more than Pat. He barely sounds like he gives a shit about any of his family!

It would be psychologically incorrect to have a 5 year old 'acting' (especially heavy stuff). Because they can hardly tell the truth from pretence at that age.

There would be a traumatised little boy just for a radio play, not necessary IMO.

Yes suppose he may be in his rights to wait outside to meet the baby, surely ultimately the baby has to stay with mum though... I hope!

ppeatfruit. I wasn't suggesting Henry should act. I was trying to say because he can't do the acting, there are big limitations to him playing a central role.

Didn't Pat have a conversation with Anna about the pregnancy, e.g. whether Helen could have the baby in hospital and whether there would be a guard present?

Wasn't the conversation with Helen? Pat asked Dominic about the remand and was told she would be well looked after. I'm not sure old Guardian reading Pat would have been so reassured.

Surely no father has an absolute right to be at the birth, regardless of whether the mother is on remand. I would hope Anna will be onto safeguarding the baby after birth, as soon as Helen starts talking.

of course it's real

The whole thing is getting more and more bizarre.

I don't understand why P and T haven't got any legal advice themselves over Henry - even an informal chat with Usha. Why are the rest of the Archer family so absent? Only Jill appears to have been any help. Why aren't Jenny Darling and Lilian rallying to Tony? Why isn't Brian or Adam asking if they need help on the farm as they did when Tony was ill? Why hasn't Tom tried to see Helen? Why haven't any of them interrogated Kirsty about what she knows? Why haven't we heard Ursula asking Rob what on earth happened?

And can anyone tell me what rights Rob really has over Henry, if Pat and Tony try and get him back?