Felicity Newman’s emotional episode of Home and Away, in which she faces her assailant Jeremy Holding in a meeting at the police station, is set to air.
The Summer Bay soap opera is delving into the subject of restorative justice, which gives victims of crime a voice and the ability to hold offenders accountable.
After hearing different opinions from her friends and family, who are unsure about the meeting, Felicity decides to see Jeremy. In a poignant moment, Felicity confronts Jeremy and tells him straight up what she thinks of him, humiliating him in the process.
The actress who plays Felicity, Jacqui Purvis, spoke exclusively with Digital Spy about the plot lately.
“To be honest, I was unaware that this was the direction the plot was taking. At first, I only paid attention to the sexual assault plot since I knew there would be one. We investigated all of it and did that.
“We’re actually going to do Restorative Justice, where Felicity meets her attacker,” the head writer subsequently revealed to me. I then had to begin preparing for everything.”
Did you know a lot about Restorative Justice prior to reading this narrative?
“No, but that’s what made it so amazing. I had no idea it existed until head writer Lou [Louise Bowes] told me. It gave me the knowledge I needed to educate myself and realise that, if it brings them clarity or some other kind of purification, people can meet their attackers.
“Oh my god, that’s terrifying—it’s amazing that it even exists. All you need to be is extremely calm, extremely organised, and extremely brave. I have the utmost admiration for anyone who has accomplished this in real life, as I can only image how difficult it must be.”
What is the aim of Felicity’s meeting with Jeremy?
“Felicity wants to find a solution. In the sense that it will always be a part of her, I don’t think she will ever be able to go past this. She will fight with it forever.
“Felicity has to tell this man what’s on her mind and make sure he hears it. She needed that cleansing and closure once the words left her mouth in order to try to move on and live her life.
“After all is said and done, Felicity realises that this awful person has heard what she had to say. It was crucial that Felicity found her voice as a woman and a human being. You must express your truth. She was acting appropriately and legitimately when she did that.”
Did you find it interesting that Eden, Mac, Cash, and Harper all had varying perspectives on restorative justice throughout the show?
“I did; that is so human. In real life, everyone has an opinion, and that is how things work. Seeing that grow and mature on TV was incredibly enjoyable: “How would you feel if your best friend was going through this?” What guidance would you provide them?
It’s a very difficult decision, and it’s particularly difficult on your brother, your partner, and your family. Everyone may be wondering if this will make things worse because they just want you to be safe and well.
It was great to hear everyone’s viewpoint and demonstrate it to the crowd because it is another extremely important issue. It gives viewers the freedom to form their own opinions; they are not told that there is only one correct way to do things.”
How was the process of filming Felicity’s confrontation with Jeremy?
“I was fortunate that the situation was crafted so skilfully. Felicity was a little nervous at first, as you might understand, wondering, “How can I speak to this person?” But suddenly it all just spills out when she can take it no more.
“I must admit that scene was incredibly difficult for me. I was collaborating with the amazing Ian Watson, the director. He’s such a talented director that I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to helm it.
I was restraining myself as an actress. I believe that I was holding back on my performance because I was so afraid. I was aware that it would be really intense if I let it fly.
“There was therefore a hint of Felicity and a hint of Jacqui holding back a great deal. I was just afraid, but Ian told me that I had to let it all out, Jacq.
Knowing that this was “the scene,” I put a lot of pressure on myself. This concludes the plot. Felicity gets to say her piece at this point.”
What happened after that?
Finally, I overcame myself, and we see that on television. That sequence was actually edited differently, and I didn’t like that because they also held back on it.
When I approached the producers, I told them, ‘You can’t do that!’ No, it’s not ‘can’t,’ because I have no say in the matter! (Giggles.) However, I thought, “Guys, this is a really big scene.” We have to put everything on the line and make this huge, strong, and powerful. We had to reedit it as a result.
“So there was a lot going on and it was actually a lot harder than it maybe looked.”
How was it to collaborate with Jeremy’s actor, James Dyke?
“My luck couldn’t have been better. James is an amazing performer as well as a really attractive dude. In that scene, he played off so brilliantly. It was a pleasure for me as an actress to work with him since he was really transparent.
It simply made things a lot simpler. To be honest, I didn’t have to do much because he was a highly skilled dick player! which he isn’t in real life—he is stunningly gorgeous.”
When Tane learns that Felicity scheduled the meeting without consulting him, he becomes upset. What is the outcome of that?
“Learning about a partner’s experience with this terrible circumstance was incredibly pleasant. Felicity is not the only one who experiences it; those around her also have to.
“Being able to explore those themes and demonstrate to the audience what a partner does was incredibly cool for Tane’s actor, Ethan Browne. How would you handle this? which, I’m sure, a lot of people have actually experienced. That narrative was incredibly cool, and Ethan did a really great job.
Because there is so much stigma associated with it, flick is withholding it from Tane. She wishes she didn’t have to accept that this is true. She feels awful, used, and disgusting as a result of it. When she’s with her spouse, all she wants is to feel attractive, seductive, and adored, yet a terrible cloud follows them everywhere.
Felicity initially tried to behave as though it weren’t genuine, but Tane and Felicity eventually worked past that. It is quite lovely to witness two spouses functioning as a cohesive unit.”
Do you look forwards to a respite from the drama after finishing a narrative this size, or do you always search for the next big plot point?
“Oh my goodness, I couldn’t bear to stop watching for the next one! Getting a plot with such intensity is so much pleasure. It’s a dream job for an actress because you get to practise and perform all these incredible things.
“I must admit, though, that I was mentally and physically spent. However, I only see breaks as something like a day, after which I want to resume and continue! (Giggles.) The writers have given me more of a break than I wanted and have been a little too kind! All I’m doing is waiting for the next great plot.”
