Nonnatus House has a new recruit, and viewers are intrigued by Sister Catherine's backstory and also by the actress who plays her.
It's always exciting when a new midwife arrives to help deliver the babies of Poplar, and the arrival of Sister Catherine to Nonnatus House to undertake midwifery training, is no exception. There is always a slight concern among viewers that new characters are being introduced because another is set for departure - fans have recently been worried that Cyril could leave Call The Midwife, and the threat of Trixie leaving to join Matthew in America looms ever large in people's minds.
However, despite fears of fan-favourite characters bidding farewell to the series, it's always nice to welcome new faces and see the life their stories breathe into the series. Episode 4 of season 14 of Call The Midwife saw new nun, Sister Catherine arrive on the scene - and she's said to have had an interesting journey getting to where she is. Along with finding out more about the character, viewers would like to know more about the actress, Molly Vevers, who has taken on the role.
Who is Molly Vevers in Call The Midwife?
Although she now resides in London, Molly was born in Cardiff and grew up in the Scottish town of North Berwick. She has revealed Cardiff to be the city she feels most at 'home,' but also has great things to say about her Scottish home, telling the East Lothian Courier, "It was a good place to grow up – there used to be an amateur dramatic society and they did the musicals and the plays and I watched [my parents] do that and it certainly sparked an interest from me, even though at that age I still felt quite shy."
For viewers who think they've seen the actress before, Molly has appeared in high profile shows such as Amazon Prime's The Rig, ITV series The Long Shadow, and Starz hit, The Spanish Princess. The actress has also appeared in Clique series 2, Doctors, and Doors Open. Alongside TV appearances, Molly has undertaken extensive theatre work, with an impressive list of credits to her name.
Molly spoke to What To Watch about what it was like finding out she'd landed the role of Sister Catherine, and what sort of preparation she undertook for the part. "It’s exciting joining something that’s so loved," the actress said of landing the role of a lifetime.
Molly added, "once I got the part, I watched it from the beginning and now I’m a superfan! There’s something magical about birth and the show’s about love in all different ways – family love and friendship and community love – but it’s hard-hitting too. I also used to be a nanny between acting roles, so being around babies was a part of this job I was excited about!”
Portraying a midwife when you have no medical training is also extremely difficult, and Molly wanted to be as prepared as she could be for such an undertaking. "When I got the part, I watched documentaries and read books about women of a similar age nowadays who decide to do this [become a nun]," Molly explained.
She continued, "Because I think sometimes when nuns are represented in film and TV, they're almost like saints, whereas I was really interested in the fact that this is a real woman of my age and she's not perfect. She's got all these doubts and normal things going on. I find that really interesting.
I also read a book with stories of what it's like to be a midwife now. That was really useful, because, you just want to try and make it as real and human as possible. I also used to watch lots of One Born Every Minute, so I tried to channel some of that!"
Who is Sister Catherine in Call The Midwife?
Before arriving at Nonnatus House to undertake midwifery training, Sister Catherine was a nurse in a children's hospital and has a particular affinity with children. However, she's also grappling with whether entering into the life of a nun is too much of a sacrifice, torn between a strong religious calling and her family believing she's made the wrong decision.
Sister Catherine's birth name is Sandra, and her parents and three siblings are staunchly non-religious, finding themselves bemused by the choice she makes to build a life in the church. After hiding her faith from her family for a time, Sister Catherine sadly becomes completely estranged from them altogether by the time she arrives in Poplar.
A teaser about her journey on the show from the BBC, states, "The closer Catherine gets to taking her First Vows, the more afraid she becomes. Is she doing the right thing? Can a life lived in the service of God and strangers ever justify the pain she has caused to those who have loved her all her life?" Watch this space...
