Shelley King is writing a play about her heritage following Coronation Street departure
Shelley King has revealed that she is writing a play about her Anglo-Indian heritage in her first project since her 'Coronation Street' exit.
'Coronation Street' star Shelley King has left the cobbles to write and star in a play about her Anglo-Indian heritage.
The 69-year-old actress departed her role as Yasmeen Nazir in the ITV soap after 11 years last month and explained that she is working on a production that will delve into her background.
Speaking on the Conversation Street podcast, Shelley said: "I've been working on a play which is a project to explore my heritage which is an Anglo-Indian one that nobody really knows anything about because we are the children of the Raj. Born from a mixed marriage, probably in the 18th century and a lot of Anglo-Indians didn't admit their heritage because they always wanted to be known as British and seen as British. It's a very complex and little told story.
"I've been researching and we've been researching into it and we want to make something entertaining, informative, dramatic, funny and sad and there' s not a great deal of conversation on how it happened, why it happened, why this lost race has been lost and denied. The most famous Anglo-Indian is Cliff Richard and for a long time he denied his heritage. But that's what I've been doing and I want to take my time over it and I want to really research it. I don't want to make it just a history lesson but I think it's a fascinating history lesson."
Asked when the project will be ready to share, Shelley added: "I hope in July. Their executive director has offered us a room to have a showing which we will invite some people to and we'll take it from there."
Shelley's alter ego was involved in some dramatic storylines during her time on the cobbles - notably the coercive control storyline that saw her abused by her husband Geoff Metcalfe (Ian Bartholomew) - but the actress explained that it was the right time to move on from the soap.
Speaking about her departure, King said: "Yasmeen has simply gone to London, gone off to do something else. Weatherfield has so many memories and nightmares for her and now she’s got nobody in her life, she’s alone in this house with all the memories; nearly being burnt down, being chucked off a roof, being knifed in the kitchen.
"I’ve got so many ties. I love the people on the Street, I love everyone – the makeup guys, the wardrobe guys, the security guys. Not only the actors, we’re all a family.
"It’s been a great privilege to be part of 'Coronation Street' for the time I have been and for being part of that storyline. But we all have to move on to move forward. I’ve always been the sort of actor who needs occasionally to move on and do something else just to stimulate myself. Approaching 70, I just feel I want to do something else. I think I can come back with renewed energy. I don’t want to become complacent about what I’m doing, I don’t like to do that. Let’s see what happens."
