Playing the courageous Clarice, who must face off with one serial killer, Hannibal Lecter, to track down another, is Coronation Street star Mollie Gallagher, making her theatre debut with the show. Gallagher has been playing Nina Lucas on Corrie since 2019: she won Best Newcomer at the Insider Soap Awards and a Serial Drama Performance gong at the National Television Awards. She has also appeared on Dancing on Ice.
Gallagher stars opposite John Partridge (Cats, EastEnders) as Hannibal Lecter in this must-see psychological thriller directed by Curve’s artistic director Nikolai Foster (Kinky Boots) and adapted by the Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright and screenwriter Gina Gionfriddo (Becky Shaw, Law & Order).
What’s your history with The Silence of the Lambs?
Mollie Gallagher: I’ve always loved the film. It’s funny, my family actually have a joke going with it. The meme of Anthony Hopkins, where you first see Lecter, and he stands up, we tease my dad that he looks like him! And I always used to imagine that when my mum was younger, she looked like Jodie Foster. Now I actually get to be Clarice.
How did you find your way into Clarice?
Gallagher: She’s such an iconic heroine – everyone loves her. You can’t get much cooler than Clarice. She’s a badass. Physically, it’s been a real transformation for me. The way I hold myself is completely different, and my voice too. I speak quite high, from my head voice, whereas Clarice speaks from a lower place to convey strength. She has to adapt to be taken seriously.
I never would have imagined myself playing an FBI agent. I’m quite airy, whereas Clarice is the complete opposite – she’s grounded at all times. I’m always moving around, and she’s very present, in the moment. She’s so intelligent. She’s got a psychology degree, she’s studying criminal behaviour, and she’s much smarter than I am. I very much have an ADHD brain – my mouth is trying to keep up with it – whereas Clarice is so articulate. I love being her. Weirdly, she makes me feel stronger and more confident. Now, in any situation in life, I can just think “What would Clarice do?”.
Did you find ways to relate to Clarice?
Gallagher: I’m definitely an underdog, and Clarice is a true underdog. She’s from West Virginia, she didn’t come from money, she’s a woman in a man’s world. Just like Clarice, most women have to fight every day to make themselves heard. I’m from a working-class background like hers.
I feel like I have to prove myself every day – coming from my background and also being northern. When I’m speaking to someone, I feel I have to articulate more to make them listen to me – basically speak a bit more ‘proper’. I’m very passionate about working-class actors in this industry. That’s why Corrie’s so amazing – it gives working-class actors a platform.
How did you explore Clarice’s trauma?
Gallagher: Her conversations with Hannibal are so unique because she doesn’t usually open up about her past and her trauma. Not many people know about it. But she’s stuck in this quid pro quo with him. The scene where she talks to him about her father’s death is so dynamic; you get to show every emotion in that one scene. It’s such an iconic moment – I just know the audience will be waiting for their first meeting.
Clarice is at her most vulnerable with Hannibal Lecter: he’s this famous guy, he can see through her, and no matter how powerful, smart and strong you are, that is really scary. I love playing her vulnerable side while also showing her strength. This sort of unusual friendship develops with Hannibal, and by the end, she’s almost sad that her friend is gone and her therapist is gone. She’s wondering, “Who am I now, who do I share these thoughts with?”.
© Marc Brenner
What’s it like working with John Partridge?
Gallagher: The writing is so brilliant, it just flows, and even from the readthrough me and Johnny could look at each other, and we were locked in. We’ve got a similar vibe and similar ideas about who these two people are and how their relationship develops. They’re both super intelligent, so they’re racing to get ahead of each other or catch the other one off guard.
Johnny is amazing – I couldn’t ask for anyone better to do this with. He is the loveliest man, and then he summons this darkness. Sometimes we’ll be chatting, and he’ll do this look, and I’ll be like “Oh no, Hannibal’s here!”.
How does it feel to make your stage debut?
Gallagher: I’m definitely diving in at the deep end, but I’m loving rehearsals so much. I can’t wait to do this with an audience. I know it’ll be scary, Clarice is a big part, but I’m hoping it’ll be really exciting too. Getting to originate this role on stage as well, it literally could not be better.
Are you a fan of the genre?
Gallagher: I am a massive horror and thriller fan. When I was younger, when someone asked me what I would love to act in, I always said “horror, horror, horror!”. So when this came along, it was a dream come true. I’m a huge Mia Goth fan, I love the Pearl and MaXXXine films. We’re getting so many amazing new horror films now, like Obsession – it’s really taken off. Plus, everybody loves true crime. It’s perfect timing for Silence to come to the theatre. If I weren’t in this play, I’d be queuing up to see it.
Are you excited to go on tour?
Gallagher: I love exploring, and this is a brilliant way to get to see all these great venues around the UK. It’ll be amazing as an actor to get to say I’ve performed in those places. My local theatre is the Lowry, so it’ll be really nice to do it there, in a place that feels like home – though also a lot of pressure as all my friends from Corrie will hopefully see it! Mind you, I look so different in costume that they might not even recognise me. This is an experience I’ve never had before, and it’s just been brilliant.
Mollie will appear in The Silence of the Lambs at New Theatre, Peterborough from Tuesday 27th – Saturday 31st October.
The Silence of the Lambs:
The Silence of the Lambs
