Sarah Beaumont

Sarah Beaumont
Neighbours character
Portrayed by	Nicola Charles
Introduced by	Bill Searle (1996) Ric Pellizerri (2005)
Duration	1996–99, 2005
First appearance	25 September 1996
Last appearance	27 July 2005
Classification	Former, regular
Profile
Home	London
Occupation	Model Fashion Boutique Partner Barmaid (1997) Waitress Receptionist (1997–98) Nurse at Erinsborough Hospital (1998–99)
Family Husband Peter Hannay (1999–2003) Mother Bess O'Brien Half sisters Catherine O'Brien Daughters Antigone Hannay

Sarah Beaumont (née Shakira Sunshine O'Brien, previously Hannay) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Nicola Charles. She made her first on-screen appearance on in 25 September 1996. Sarah departed on 13 July 1999. In July 2005, Charles reprised her role for the show's 20th anniversary celebrations.

Character creation and casting

Charles landed the role of Sarah after moving to Australia to be with her boyfriend, Scott Michaelson.^[1] A drama coach suggested that Charles try out for a part on Neighbours. The producers were impressed and they created the role of Sarah especially for her.^[2] Charles said it was "very exciting" to be joining the cast of Neighbours and she added "At home in England I was a big fan of the show. I used to rush home from school to watch Jason and Kylie."^[1] Charles' character, Sarah, is the half-sister of Stonefish Rebecchi's (Anthony Engelman) girlfriend, Catherine (Radha Mitchell). She arrives in Erinsborough "trying to escape a tortured past."^[1] The writers incorporated Charles' English and Brazilian background into the character of Sarah.^[1] Of Charles' casting, a spokesperson said "Nicola has real star potential. We think she's going to be a big hit."^[1] Charles initially trained to be an actress and a dancer, but she spent six years modelling.^[1] Of her struggle to fit in and be accepted by the cast of Neighbours, Charles said "I was seen as an ex-model and no one expected I'd be able to act. But I knew I could do it and I think I shocked them all. Soon after I joined, the script editor told me he thought I could handle any storyline he threw at me, which was a huge compliment."^[2]

In 1999, Charles become engaged to London-based actor Jason Barry, while she still had a year long contract with Neighbours.^[3] Charles had to choose whether to stay with the show or quit to be with her fiancee.^[3] She decided to stay and see her contract out as she did not want to let anyone down.^[3] Charles filmed her final scenes as Sarah in April 1999.^[4] In January 2005, it was revealed that producers were trying to lure back Charles for an appearance in the show's 20th anniversary episode.^[5] A month later it was confirmed that Charles had agreed to reprise her role as Sarah.^[6]

Development

Karl Kennedy

One of Sarah's most notable storylines saw her fall in love with and kiss Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher). Sarah and Karl revealed their feelings for each other at the end of the 1997 season and Craig Platt of The Age called it one of the serial's "most memorable" cliffhangers.^[7] Sarah and Karl's sexual tension became central to the show throughout 1998 and the storyline gave Neighbours a large ratings boost.^[7] Karl was married to Sarah's friend Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne) and when Susan found out about the affair, she was devastated.^[8] Karl and Susan's daughter Libby (Kym Valentine) was also upset as she was close friends with Sarah and knew that Sarah was in love with a married man.^[8] Sarah's life starts to fall apart when she is unable to let go of Karl and Susan is not happy when she learns that her husband is maintaining a friendship with Sarah.^[9] Charles wrote the storyline between Sarah and Karl, but not the script. She told Inside Soap that she had no idea it would be so successful or have such an impact.^[10] In 2005, it was revealed that Karl and Sarah did have sex.^[11] Fletcher told The Sun: "At the time the producers hadn't actually decided if they did or not to allow people to make up their own mind and use their imagination."^[11] Fletcher said that meant Karl had lied to Susan when he was trying to reassure her about the kiss.^[11]

Relationship with Peter Hannay

A love interest for Sarah, in the form of Dr. Peter Hannay (Nick Carrafa), was introduced to Neighbours in May 1999.^[12] Peter knows Sarah's mother and when he mentions that he is spending some time in Erinsborough, Bess suggests that he visits Sarah.^[12] Peter takes Sarah out to dinner and they get on well. They then begin a relationship.^[12] Peter shocks Sarah when he asks her to marry him after only five weeks, but she accepts.^[13] Inside Soap said Sarah had not had much luck with men in the past, but hoped that Peter would break the pattern and mend her broken heart.^[13] Sarah asks Lou Carpenter (Tom Oliver) to give her away and Amy Greenwood (Jacinta Stapleton) to be her bridesmaid.^[14] Charles helped design her character's dress at the same time she designed her own. She said "I was working on both gowns at the same time and trying to keep them different."^[14] Sarah is left stranded and late for the ceremony, but Karl comes to her rescue and gives her a lift to the church.^[15] Of the wedding, Sydney Morning Herald writer Doug Anderson said "Can Sarah Beaumont make it to the altar on time to tie the knot (around her neck preferably), with Dr Peter Hannay? All the leftover mishaps from the stage play, Secret Bridesmaid's Business, are slathered over the screen as Karl sulks darkly somewhere and Lou carries on like a counter lunch. Not for the fainthearted."^[16] Peter and Sarah marry and the wedding scenes featured a specially-written song called "Flowers" by Janine Mulder. The single was made available to purchase from the Neighbours website after the wedding episode aired.^[17] Shortly after she marries Peter, Sarah and Karl kiss in the vestry, which Peter almost sees. Inside Soap explained: "Sarah and Karl give into the feelings they've been stifling for months, and share an illicit passionate kiss."^[15] Sarah then leaves the country with Peter, so she can accompany him as he treats patients around the world.^[15]

Storylines

Sarah arrives in Erinsborough and takes a job at the clothing store where Danni Stark (Eliza Szonert) works. She then contacts Luke Handley (Bernard Curry) about renting a room at Number 30 Ramsay Street. Sarah's eagerness to live on Ramsay Street arouses curiosity from several residents and her motives are soon revealed when she mentions her half-sister Catherine lives on the same street. When Catherine returns from visiting their mother, Bess (Diana McLean), in Tasmania, she is surprised to see Sarah and wonders why she changed her name from O'Brien to Beaumont. Sarah admits she used her father's name when she became a model.

It soon transpires that Sarah was engaged to an English lord, Steven Harrow (Stewart Morritt), but she jilted him and subsequently fled to Australia. Sarah is then followed by the press and tries to flee, but Catherine talks her into staying. Steven flies to Australia and he and Sarah talk about their relationship and agree to part as friend. Toadfish Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney), Sarah's neighbour who is infatuated with her, tries to pick a fight with Steven, but falls over injuring himself in the process. After Sarah gives Toadie a kiss on the cheek for his attempt at chivalry, he then begins bragging to his friends that he and Sarah are an item. Sarah then admonishes him and tells him she wants nothing to do with him, thus hurting Toadie in the process. She then realises she was a little harsh and agrees to be friends with Toadie.

Sarah later takes a job at the local pub, Lou's Place, but is unable to adjust to being leered at by male customers and accuses one man of sexual harassment, which causes headaches for the landlord Lou Carpenter (Tom Oliver). She then seeks employment at Karl Kennedy's (Alan Fletcher) surgery and finds herself battling Marlene Kratz (Moya O'Sullivan) for the title of "Receptionist of the Year". The two women battle back and forth, trying to sabotage each other's title hopes much to Karl's dismay. Sarah withdraws when she realises the competition is actually to find a model rather than a competent receptionist. However, Sarah's fortunes change when she saves the life of the patient when left alone at the surgery one day and later decides to take on a basic first aid training course.

When Sarah and her housemate Ben Atkins (Brett Cousins) begin advertising for applicants to fill the spare room, policeman Matt Compton (Jonathon Kovac) is interviewed and impresses Sarah, but becomes a thorn in Ben's side after he pulls him over for speeding and begins a relationship with Sarah after moving in, making Ben feel like a gooseberry in his own home. Matt later receives a transfer to a station in Port Campbell and leaves after he and Sarah agree to a long-distance relationship. After several weeks, they call off the relationship.

Sarah, feeling depressed at work one day is comforted by Karl and the pair share a kiss. Karl tells Sarah he is a married man and nothing can come of it and Sarah quickly agrees to forget it, but she cannot and things are tense in the surgery. Several sets of circumstances cause Karl and Sarah to be thrown together, arousing suspicion. The truth is soon revealed by Toadie, who Sarah confided in to Billy Kennedy (Jesse Spencer) who promptly tells his mother, Susan (Jackie Woodburne). Susan throws Karl out and the street is divided.

Sarah soon completes her nursing diploma and begins working at Erinsborough Hospital and meets Alex Fenton (Guy Hooper) and they begin dating and often doubling with Toadie and his girlfriend Karen Oldman (Pia Miranda). This later falls apart when Sarah and Toadie are shocked to find Alex and Karen have been seeing each other. Sarah later encounters a stalker in the form of Richard Downing (John Arnold), a psychiatric patient from hospital who had become obsessed with her. Sarah decides not to press charges after Richard arrested.

After resuscitating Deidre Kaufmann (Lidia Faranda), a patient who had gone into cardiac arrest while nobody was around, Sarah is reprimanded by hospital officials for her actions as she is not qualified enough to perform such procedures and suspended. Karl tells her to fight her corner. During this, Tad Reeves (Jonathon Dutton) and Paul McClain (Jansen Spencer) use doctored photos of Sarah on their own website. Sarah then takes revenge by photographing Tad coming out of the shower and puts up copies all over Erinsborough High.

Bess arrives and she and Sarah clash. but after a while they make their peace before Bess leaves. After learning Bess has set her up with Peter Hannay (Nick Caraffa), Sarah is reluctant until she meets Peter and the two fall in love. Within a matter of months, the couple are engaged and prepare to marry. On the day of the wedding, the bridal car breaks down and Karl offers Sarah a lift. After a second breakdown, they finally make it to the church thanks to a passing police car. While Sarah is getting ready in the vestry, Karl tells her how beautiful she looks and they share one final kiss and are nearly caught by Peter. Sarah and Peter marry and bid Ramsay Street farewell as they set off to start a new life in Amsterdam.

In 2001, Sarah attends Catherine's wedding to Malcolm Kennedy (Benjamin McNair) in London along with the Kennedy family and Joel Samuels (Daniel MacPherson). It is revealed that Sarah and Peter have a daughter, Antigone. Two years later, Sarah splits from Peter and she phones Karl for a reference as she is looking for a new job. Karl willingly obliges but Susan rewords the reference before Karl sends it off. Sarah then arranges for several bags of manure to be dumped on the front lawn of Number 28 in retaliation.

When Annalise Hartman makes a documentary about Ramsay Street starring former residents, Sarah is one of them and she talks about her experiences on the street and tells Toadie that she was not fooled when he sent her Bib, a dog almost an exact double of her pet, Bob. Sarah then says that she learned a few hard lessons in Erinsborough and that some people could be narrow-minded, before blowing Karl a kiss.

Reception

The BBC said Sarah's most notable moment was her affair with Karl.^[18] Viewers voted Sarah's wedding to Peter the second "Best storyline of 1999" in the Neighbours.com Awards.^[19]

Speaking positively of Sarah, media company Virgin Media stated: "She was the sole reason teenage boys tuned into Neighbours each night between 1996 and 1999. And after Sarah Beaumont had that affair with dishy doc, Karl Kennedy, she quickly became the hot topic around the water coolers nationwide..."^[20] In 2007, Australian newspaper Herald Sun placed Karl and Sarah's affair at number eight on their list of Neighbours Top Ten moments.^[21] They said "In one of the most shocking storylines, no one could believe that the perfect Dr Karl, played by Alan Fletcher, could cheat on his wife of many years, Susan, played by Jackie Woodburne. But, that's exactly what happened when he couldn't resist his receptionist Sarah Beaumont played by the vampy Nicola Charles".^[21] Simon Kent of the The Sun-Herald said Sarah had a "waspish tongue and sharpish put down", while Tony Squires of The Sydney Morning Herald branded her "luscious."^[22][23]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Malins, Sue (27 March 1997). "G'day! I've flown 12,000 miles to be your new Neighbour; Nicola remodels her life". Daily Mirror (Trinity Mirror). http://www.thefreelibrary.com/G%27day!+I%27ve+flown+12%2c000+miles+to+be+your+new+Neighbour%3b+Nicola...-a061108179. Retrieved 7 March 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Smith, Aidan (7 February 1998). "I refused to diet to be a model hit". Daily Record (Trinity Mirror). http://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+refused+to+diet+to+be+a+model+hit.-a061463478. Retrieved 29 March 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Should She Quit Ramsay Street For Love?". The Weekly News (D. C. Thomson & Co.): p. 4. 5 June 1999. 
4. ^ Herbison, Jason (3-16 April 1999). "An Engaging Time". Inside Soap (Hachette Filipacchi UK) (124): 40. 
5. ^ Wilkes, Neil (29 January 2005). "Top 'Neighbours' stars tapped for return". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/news/a18823/top-neighbours-stars-tapped-for-return.html. Retrieved 23 June 2011. 
6. ^ Wilkes, Neil (23 February 2005). "Host of 'Neighbours' stars tapped to return". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/news/a19419/host-of-neighbours-stars-tapped-to-return.html. Retrieved 19 December 2010. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Platt, Craig (16 January 2003). "TV Tales Cliffhangers". The Age (Fairfax Media): p. 2. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=Nicola+Charles+and+Neighbours&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=AGE030116IB5AF2UNUFU. Retrieved 22 June 2011. 
8. ^ ^{a b} Dasey, Annette (17-30 October 1998). "The secret's out!". Inside Soap (Hachette Filipacchi UK) (112): 16. 
9. ^ Herbison, Jason (31-13 November 1998). "All the fun of the affair". Inside Soap (Hachette Filipacchi UK) (113): 36. 
10. ^ "Devil woman". Inside Soap (Hachette Filipacchi UK) (117): 24. 26 December-8 January 1999. 
11. ^ ^{a b c} Wood, Beci (23 May 2005). "Karl's Ramsay beats". The Sun (News International). http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/webchats/article218339.ece. Retrieved 23 June 2011. 
12. ^ ^{a b c} "Just what the doctor ordered". Inside Soap (Hachette Filipacchi UK) (132): 13. 24 July-6 August 1999. 
13. ^ ^{a b} "The right prescription?". Inside Soap (Hachette Filipacchi UK) (133): 15. 7-20 August 1999. 
14. ^ ^{a b} Herbison, Jason (7-20 August 1999). "Wedding day hitch?". Inside Soap (Hachette Filipacchi UK) (133): 42. 
15. ^ ^{a b c} "Holy matrimony!". Inside Soap (Hachette Filipacchi UK) (136): 20. 18 September-1 October 1999. 
16. ^ Anderson, Doug (13 July 1999). "Charmed, I'm sure". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media): p. 26. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=Sarah+Beaumont&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=news990713_0615_2507. Retrieved 23 June 2011. 
17. ^ "Neighbours single says it with flowers". BBC News (BBC). 23 September 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/455382.stm. Retrieved 23 June 2011. 
18. ^ "Character: Sarah Beaumont". BBC. Archived from the original on 13 March 2004. http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20040313011607/http://www.bbc.co.uk/neighbours/whoswho/characterbiogs/index.shtml?content/_sarahbeaumont/page1. Retrieved 23 February 2011. 
19. ^ "Neighbours.com Awards". Neighbours.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2000. http://replay.web.archive.org/200011192117/http://www.neighbours.com/awards/Awards.htm. Retrieved 19 May 2011. 
20. ^ "Neighbours ruined my life – Nicola Charles – Sarah Beaumont". Virgin Media. 2009. http://www.virginmedia.com/tvradio/soaps/soaptrivia/neighbours-ruined-my-life.php?ssid=1. Retrieved 28 April 2010. 
21. ^ ^{a b} "Your all-time favourite moment". Herald Sun (The Herald and Weekly Times). 11 July 2007. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/your-all-time-favourite-moment/story-e6frf99f-1111113933908. Retrieved 11 June 2010. 
22. ^ Kent, Simon (9 August 1998). "Charles in charge". The Sun-Herald (Fairfax Media): p. 9. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=Sarah+Beaumont&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=news980812_0708_4028. Retrieved 22 June 2011. 
23. ^ Squires, Tony (21 January August 1998). "I went to the Ramsay Street party, but it seems I missed all the fun". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media): p. 24. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=Nicola+Charles+and+Neighbours&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=news980126_0396_5336. Retrieved 22 June 2011.