Barry Barry
Barry Barry is a fictional character from the BBC school-based drama series Waterloo Road, played by Carl Au. He first appears in the eleventh episode of the eighth series, entitled "Bad Boy", broadcast on 3 January 2013. The character is introduced as part of the Liverpudlian criminal Barry family, with his mother Carol Barry, and sisters Dynasty Barry and Kacey Barry. Barry is characterised as a villain who is unfocused and troublesome, but also has a complex personality. The absence of Barry's father has impacted his personality and created a dislike for authority. Au extensively researched troublesome children with absent fathers for his portrayal of the character.
Barry's mischievous personality is a recurring theme throughout his storylines. Following his arrival, Barry establishes a feud with Jack MacAllister after it is revealed that Barry is dating Jack's mother, Olivia MacAllister. The character is also developed through his interactions with other characters, including a vendetta against deputy headteacher Sian Diamond which concludes when Sian slaps Barry, a romantic relationship with Gabriella Wark, and the breakdown of his relationship with Kacey after she struggles with her gender identity. Barry is also used to highlight the topic of sexting after he shares explicit images of Rhiannon Salt.
When almost £10,000 is raised towards a boxing scholarship for Kacey, Barry steals the money, but is exposed as the thief, resulting in his exile from the Barry family. Following a short absence, Barry returns for a handful of episodes leading to Au's departure from the series. Barry departs in the ninth series episode "Dynasty's Choice", broadcast on 26 February 2014, when he is arrested for human trafficking after being reported by Dynasty. Au thought it was suitable that Dynasty reported Barry and opined that the character's exit needed to be drastic. The character received a mixed response from television critics: the family were criticised for being a bad representation of a Liverpudlian family, while Clemmie Moodie of the Daily Mirror praised Au's performance in the role.
Character creation
Barry is created as part of the Liverpudlian criminal Barry family, consisting of single mother Carol Barry and her three "unruly" children: son Barry Barry and daughters Dynasty Barry and Kacey Barry. The children join Waterloo Road's new Pupil Referral Unit in hope of making them exemplar students. Lucker liked the "outrageous" family unit, but admitted, "you just wouldn't want the Barrys in your neighbourhood!" Au felt welcomed by the cast and crew of Waterloo Road and enjoyed working in Greenock, where the drama is filmed. The actor enjoyed portraying the character because he differed to other characters that he has played. He added that he felt privileged to portray a multi-dimensional character.Development
Characterisation and introduction
Barry is introduced as the drama's new "bad boy" character. Au thought that this could make his character unpopular with the audience, but believed that those who disliked the character would still enjoy watching him. Barry is 19 years old and has been held back to continue his education. Lucker described Barry as "very wayward", unfocused and troublesome, and said that Barry is not afraid of anyone except Carol. She also called Barry "the apple of Carol's eye". She added that Barry seeks his mother's affection. Barry is smart and witty; Au believed that if he applied that to school, he could be a good student. Au also called Barry a "very complex" character and said that he always had reasons for his behaviour. The actor wanted to explore the complexity of Barry's character and the reasons for how he acts. Barry does not share his feelings and Au thought it would take a particular character to manage that. He also told Elaine Reilly of What's on TV that Barry craves "attention and love". Au explained that while Barry appears to be a "cool, rebellious individual", he has many layers to his personality. He also believed that Barry is unaware of his true capability, and should Barry become "extreme", he could be "terrifyingly dangerous". The actor also mentioned an interest in seeing the character undergo "a revelation and sort himself out".Barry's criminal father, Neil Barry, is never seen and only referenced in the show as he is in prison for armed robbery. Au noted that following his father's imprisonment, Barry has "been trying to fill his shoes" because he wants to maintain the family's reputation. In preparation for the role of Barry, Au researched the behaviour children with absent fathers and discovered that it leaves an impact on them, explaining an aspect of Barry's behaviour. Au believed that Barry's "swagger and intimidating persona" could conceal his "underlying fears, resentments and anxieties" relating to his father. A part of Barry's characterisation is his dislike for authority and his disdain for the teachers at Waterloo Road. Au explained that this stems from his connection to his father and is the reason why Barry is not afraid or intimidated by anybody.
Writers devised the family as being "very individual and loud", which Au said forced the actors to "take it by the horns and go with it". He explained that the Barry family are "outrageous" and fearless in regards to "status and competition". The actor told Kilkelly that he is "very passionate" about the Barry family and believes that Liverpool should also be proud of them. Despite this, he felt no pressure for the representation of Liverpool and instead focused on creating entertainment through the family. Barry has a tense relationship with Dynasty, although they do love each other dearly. Au explained that their relationship is fraught because Barry dislikes Dynasty's "crazy attempts to distance herself away from the family". Mavers noted that Barry and Dynasty share a "love-hate relationship" with Dynasty regularly suggesting that she hates Barry.
Barry first appears jumping out of a window, which Au thought was memorable. After enrolling in the school with his sisters, Barry soon establishes a feud with Jack MacAlister and they fight. It emerges that Barry is in a relationship with Jack's mother, Olivia MacAlister. Despite promising to keep the relationship subtle, Barry humiliates Jack in front of school by sharing a sexual video of him and Olivia. Headteacher Michael Byrne gives Barry a warning and when Carol discovers what Barry has done, she arrives at the school to confront Barry, before slapping him in front of his peers at school. Lucker was shocked by Carol's actions and did not feel that she could actually hit Au. The actress had to "psyche up" for her character hitting Barry. Lucker found the scene unforgettable to her as it was an unfamiliar concept. On the scene, she commented, "I couldn't believe anyone would do that to someone they love."
Relationships
Kacey Barry
Barry has a close relationship with his younger sister Kacey and in their fictional backstory, they would frequently play football together, which has resulted in Kacey's talent for the sport. Shortly after the family's arrival, Kacey is featured in a storyline exploring gender identity. In the plot, Kacey realises that she is more comfortable as a boy and confides in Barry about her realisation. He reacts badly and cannot accept it, resulting in argument which is overheard by the rest of the school. Ellis thought that Barry reacts as such because he is worried that their family will become an "embarrassment", and Au believed that Barry reacts badly because he realises that he "doesn't know the person he grew up with", which surprises him. He added that Barry is struggling to comprehend the situation as much as Kacey. Ellis also pointed out that Barry's "mental" reaction causes other people to behave differently around Kacey. Au thought it was vital to show that Barry does not accept Kacey as it reflected real life. He confirmed that Barry would be shown to struggle with Kacey worrying that he does not love her anymore. Au explained that Barry still loves Kacey, but he is struggling to convey that love. He also looked forward to seeing how the audience responded to Barry's reaction.Sian Diamond
Through his place in the PRU, Nikki Boston, the head of the unit, teaches Barry, although they do not bond due to Nikki's "commanding attitude". Barry is consequently paired with science teacher Sian Diamond, who he bonds with. Barry likes how Sian respects him and treats him with maturity, so he "puts a bit of a guard down". Barry is also attracted to Sian and her strong-willed personality. Kacey telling her family that she is a boy creates tension between them and Sian tries to mediate, irritating Barry and Carol. Au explained that Barry dislikes Sian getting involved in the family's drama. He commented, "Sian thinking that she knows Barry's sister better than he does is something he will not stand for." Barry then starts a "vendetta" against Sian, planning to "bring down and destroy ".As part of the feud against Sian, Barry breaks into Sian's home to steal her underwear. He also discovers a personal photo of Sian and Michael, which Au stated that Barry plans to "use against her". Barry wants to remove Sian from the school. After going to Sian's classroom, he reveals the underwear to her class, so Sian slaps Barry. Au said that Barry is "genuinely surprised" by Sian's actions since she has acted differently to other teachers. He added that Sian is equally shocked by her actions, and revealed that Barry plots how to use the situation to his benefit. The story forms Sian's departure from the series following Jacobs' decision to leave. Au and Jacobs repeatedly rehearsed the slap scene with the stunt coordinator and when they first filmed the scene, Jacobs accidentally slapped Au, which she was not supposed to do, shocking the actress. Au enjoyed working with Jacobs and off-screen, they bonded over their shared theatre training and music interests. Between filming, the actors would sing together to lighten the mood.