It’s a clash of the matriarchs in EastEnders as Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) and Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) go head to-head.
Trouble starts to flare after Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) suggests Albert Square could do with a community choir – which both women think is a wonderful idea.
And, of course, Elaine thinks there’s no doubt about who should be heading it up – her!
The drama starts during Elaine’s big Christmas light switch-on, when she’s the star of the show – and she loves Sonia’s idea of a community choir.
With the Queen Vic sponsoring the Christmas event, Elaine’s right in the spotlight – just how she likes it.
But when Sonia says Yolande should run a choir, Elaine’s left fuming – and determined to prove that she should be in charge.
‘There is very theatrical attention-seeking on both parts!’ says Harriet. ‘These are two women trying to highlight their potential, and it’s very funny. They are both fuelled by their egos, and in those moments, nobody else exists.’
Yolande throws herself into recruiting people for the community choir, but despite her best efforts, it falls flat.
Enter Elaine who decides to wheel out the big guns, trying to bribe potential singers with booze.
That doesn’t impress Yolande at all – and leaves the battle lines between the two matriarchs firmly drawn.
And neither of them are known for backing down…
‘It’s an outrage that Sonia suggests Yolande should run the choir because Elaine’s huge talent for community spirit, as she sees it, is being overlooked,’ says Harriet.
‘She’s her own person upstairs in The Vic flat, where you might see her vulnerabilities if she ever lets you, but downstairs, she’s on show. Elaine loves theatre – it’s been her escape from reality during some tough times in her life.’
Harriet says that playing the scenes between Elaine and Yolande was ‘divine’.
‘We have such a laugh. These are two women trying to highlight their potential, and it’s very funny.
‘Elaine would like to commandeer the Christmas tree lights switch on every year so that it will be the “Elaine show” from the start of November to the end of January. It’d be like panto in the old days – it’d go on for months. That’s Elaine’s dream.’
But will she get her own way with the community choir – or will Yolande triumph?
