Nancy's story took an emotional turn in Call the Midwife last Sunday, as Nancy tracked down one of the nuns at the convent where she grew up.
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She learned from the nun, now going by her birth name of Kathleen Flanagan, that her mother had given her to the convent's care because she and her entire family had tuberculosis – something Nancy had come to suspect earlier in the episode. Kathleen suggests that Nancy was the only one to survive either because of natural immunity or vaccination.
Nancy star Megan Cusack attended the Radio Times Covers Party 2024 on Tuesday 30th January, and spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com about her initial thoughts on reading the emotional scenes coming up for her character.
"I remember reading it, and I was like, 'Oh my God'. You get, like, a little bit of backstory on you as a person, but you don't always know the full ins and outs. So reading the script, it was like, ‘Oh my God’. And then when she goes and she meets the woman in the house, it was very emotional.
"And the woman who played [Kathleen, played by Mary Larkin], she was amazing, she was gorgeous. Yeah, it was very emotional.
"I haven't watched it yet, but I did get a message from my friend who said that it made her cry. So that’s what I take. I don’t look at any reactions on Twitter because people are mean."
Miss Higgins (Georgie Glen), Nancy Corrigan (Megan Cusack) and Kathleen Flanagan (Mary Larkin) in Call the Midwife. BBC / Neal Street Productions / Olly Courtney
Cusack also described filming the scene in which Nancy visits Kathleen, saying: "So, you know, on that day where we're filming a lot of that, it says 'cry' in the script. So you're like, ‘that's a lot of pressure’.
"And suddenly we're, like, outside and there's a bird going off in the background, there's a car running through, and I was like, ‘Well, how am I supposed to cry when there's all this noise going on?’
"And then I look at Georgie Glen, who obviously plays Miss Higgins, who I adore. She's my gal, her, Bassett, gals. And she's so amazing, and she really just, like, settled me and grounded me.
"And so I hope we got what we needed. Obviously, I don't watch it, because I can’t watch myself, but she was happy, so I was happy. That's the main line, and the director was happy, so I was happy.
"You can't dwell on it. It’s that thing, you can feel something and it doesn't translate. And then sometimes you don't feel anything and it really translates. And the director says, that was amazing. So you go ‘yep, I trust you. I believe you. There we go’."
See more photos from the Radio Times Covers Party 2024 in the new issue of Radio Times magazine, on sale Tuesday 6th February.
Call the Midwife returns to BBC One at 8pm on Sunday 4th February 2024. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
