Liam Bairstow joins Coronation Street following ‘workshop audition’

Coronation Street is to introduce their first character with Down’s Syndrome thirty-two years after UK soaps first Down’s Syndrome actor was cast in former ITV saga Crossroads.

ITV Granada recently invited actors with disabilities to audition at a workshop which saw Liam Bairstow impress show casting bosses. The Corrie writers have now devised a character called Alex, who will be the nephew of Cathy Matthews, the latest love interest for café owner Roy Cropper.

“We ran a workshop called Breaking Through a while ago, which was for actors with disabilities. It was recognising that they get so few auditions and  we found a young guy there called Liam Bairstow, an actor with Down’s syndrome. He’s going to be coming in as Cathy’s nephew. It’s not some politically correct thing. We actually found there a really great actor with a wonderful sense of timing. The cast have been really enjoying working with him” – Stuart Blackburn, Coronation Street producer speaking to the Radio Times

Bairstow has performed with the Mind the Gap theatre company and has had a long desire to appear in a British soap opera. Soap’s first Down’s Syndrome actor was six-year-old Nina Weill who appeared in Crossroads. Working with MENCAP the storyline showed both the good and bad times of the life of a young downs child. Running alongside the soap episodes a MENCAP poster campaign featuring Nina promoting the work of the charity. Production company for ITV, Central Television, gained much praise from parents of children wand viewers for the storyline and

“We gave Downs Syndrome children a sense of pride when we showed a downs child and gave an idea what her life was like. Parents wrote in to say they held their heads up high after we did that.” – Jack Barton, Crossroads producer 1974-85

While it may have taken Coronation Street three decades other serials have featured Down’s Syndrome actors including The Bill, EastEnders and Emmerdale. While the Crossroads story was to highlight the work of MENCAP, time has now moved on to hopefully an era of soap opera where actors can be cast on talent no matter what disability they may or may not have.

Liam Bairstow has already begun working at the Corrie studios in Salford and will be seen on screen later this year.