When ‘s Patrick (Stephen McGann) and Shelagh Turner (Laura Main) agreed to foster a young Chinese orphan called May (April Rae Hoeang) whose planned adoptive family fell through in season eight of the period drama fans were delighted to see their family expand.
She brought the number of their brood to four comprised of Patrick’s oldest son Timothy (Max Macmillan) from his first marriage, adopted daughter Angela (Alice Brown) and their biological son Teddy (Edward Shaw).
Speaking exclusively to Stephen McGann revealed there was a very touching reason her adoption was written into the programme as the show’s creator, his wife Heidi Thomas, felt young Alice needed a friend on set.
“One of the things at the back of Heidi’s mind was little Alice, who used to be there from a toddler upwards, sometimes you’d look at her, and it’s a terrible place to be a TV set, and she’d be on her own.
“And although me and Laura were very friendly with her… Heidi said, ‘apart from everything else, I think she could do with a little friend on set’,” he said.
:
The Turner family are an integral part of the Poplar community in Call The Midwife (Image: BBC)
Having decided on the adoption storyline April was hired to play the newcomer and Stephen revealed the young cast members immediately bonded.
“The first day we filmed, I remember the pair of them (April and Alice) instantly bonded, and they played together outside. It was such a lovely thing. Now fast forward and they are 11 and 10 – they have this beautiful friendship. They have this lovely love.
“All the kids are a whole gang now, and… of course, that won’t last forever. Life will take them in different ways. But to watch that, to watch the three of them giving me a hard time – because they they answer back now – they’re all very funny,” he said fondly.
“I look at those kids like I look at my own son when he grew up, and I think I hope they remember this friendship that they had. I hope it’s a positive experience for them working on a program like this, wherever life takes them in future.”
Don’t miss… [EXCLUSIVE] [WATCH]
May was adopted by Patrick and Shelagh Turner in Call The Midwife (Image: BBC)
“It’s been really lovely for Laura and me this year because they are in just a beautiful age. In a couple of years Alice will be 13, and she could be kind of giving me all sorts, giving me the silent treatment, you know, but right now, it’s just lovely.”
The children getting older means they also become integral to storylines. Although the family suffered a lot of stress during May’s adoption process. when it appeared her mother might want her back that was resolved in season 13. Stephen says, “it’s a much more settled time,” for the family this season.
“But there are ups and downs,” he teased. “Because they could be naughty in this year, they can do things. We can get more done with them dramatically.
“We can develop with them to give them things they want to do and that’s really lovely.”
Call The Midwife is on One on Sunday nights at 8pm. Previous episodes are available on the iPlayer.