Beth Brennan
Beth Brennan is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Neighbours, played by Natalie Imbruglia. She made her debut screen appearance in the episode broadcast on 6 January 1992. Beth is characterised as a nice person who lets people take advantage of her kind personality. Beth works as a builder's apprentice in the construction industry and this meant she was supposed to have a "tough" persona. Writers never developed these traits and Imbruglia felt that they had let the character down. Instead, Imbruglia described Beth as "too nice" and just "goes all ga ga and cries." In her backstory, Beth is a product of a broken home and was sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend. The character was also portrayed as a virgin, which played an important part in forming her early stories. Beth's main relationship was her long-standing partnership with Brad Willis. Beth jilted him on their wedding day when she discovers Brad has been having an affair with Lauren Carpenter. Imbruglia believed the story was unrealistic but provided good drama.
Other stories include facing gender discrimination in the workplace and her relationships with Rod Baker and Wayne Duncan. Imbruglia and Michaelson decided to leave Neighbours. She was unhappy with the fame that came from acting in a soap opera. Beth's characterisation also began to irritate Imbruglia to the degree that when she left, Imbruglia "had enough of her". Their departure story featured Beth and Brad leaving Erinsborough and moving to Perth after their second wedding goes ahead. The character returned briefly in 1994 for the naming day of Brad's nephew, Zac Willis. In 2022, Imbruglia reprised the role for a cameo in the final episode of Neighbours.
Casting
Of her casting, Imbruglia told Susan Chenery from The Sydney Morning Herald that "I was jumping all around the living room. It changed my life overnight." The show's casting director Jan Russ recalled meeting Imbruglia in her audition, stating "she was a gorgeous looking young girl. She has a wonderful, natural quality, a lot of charm, a lot of self-confidence, and inner determination. She exuded this magical component. She played a girl from a small town and she had that sort of naïve quality." Imbruglia was sixteen when she auditioned for and was cast in the role of Beth.The actress had to relocate from Sydney to Melbourne for filming. Imbruglia's character was initially written into the show for just a few weeks and she had to wait two months to find out whether she would become a permanent cast member. Imbruglia told a reporter for Inside Soap that "it was eight weeks of sheer torture. Every time the phone rang my nerves jangled, too. When my agent finally called to break the news, she knew how nervous I was so she told me to get a chair and sit down." Imbruglia's agent told her that the show's producers wanted to sign her for a year and she believed the permanent position would allow her to prove herself.
Development
Characterisation
Beth is the product of a broken home and was brought up in the countryside by her forceful mother, Bunny Lawson. Beth is characterised as immature and had old-fashioned values. Beth has long brown hair and Imbruglia has claimed that she was not allowed to cut her hair for two years. The character also dresses like a tomboy, she is sweet and naïve and her old-fashioned ways make her unlike other girls living during the 1990s. Beth does not fit the female stereotype because she chose a career in the construction business. In one story she faces prejudice from a male employer who would not offer her an apprenticeship. Working in the construction industry meant Beth was originally supposed to be portrayed as a tough female, working in a male dominated business. This persona was quickly dropped as further scripts were developed. The result was Beth just being portrayed as a nice person, but Imbruglia thought she was too nice. She told Louise Manson writing for Soap that "I'm not that nice. No-one is that nice. I'm a lot stronger than Beth. She thinks she's tough but she's not. She was originally supposed to be a lot tougher, being a builders' labourer. But the scripts didn't develop that part for her."Beth was rarely seen getting angry which confused Imbruglia. The actress stated that she would have been "throwing punches" if people treated her the way Neighbours did Beth. Crying was the character's usual emotional outlet writers chose. Imbruglia observed that "she's too nice for own good, people walk all over her. Beth doesn't let her anger out very much. She just goes all ga ga and cries." Beth's characterisation frustrated Imbruglia and this made her dislike the character. She told Caro Thompson from Woman magazine that "she was frustrating because she was so immature. She had this old-fashioned idea that she should marry the first man she slept with. I found it very hard to identify with her and by the time I left, I'd had enough of her."
In the book Neighbours: The First 10 Years, author Josephine Monroe described Beth as a "country girl" at heart who went on a journey during her time in the show. Beth came to Ramsay Street in search of a new life, having been abused by her stepfather, Keith. Monroe described Beth as a "principled and sweet-natured girl". She was portrayed as a virgin desperate to shed her innocence after Annalise Hartman's harsh words. Beth was often portrayed as being "terrified" of sex because she was sexually abused by her stepfather, Keith. After she came across as over keen and desperate, on different occasions asked Brad Willis to sleep with her, later begging him to stay with her.
Relationships
Beth's main relationship was with Brad, their relationship was a long-running storyline, it started when Brad was dating Lucy Robinson. Beth was jealous and she showed her strong side of her personality when she began competing with Lucy for Brad's affections. Through Brad, Beth was portrayed at times begging and pleading for him to stay with her. They later married and left the serial. Brad ultimately chooses to remain with Lucy and Beth has to accept that she has lost Brad. Beth decides to move on quickly, with producers creating an unconventional romance for Beth with Rod Baker. The storyline was controversial because Rod is a Vietnam war veteran and is twenty years older than Beth. Given Rod's age, other characters disapprove of their relationship. They express their concerns and opinions that Beth would be better suited to someone her own age. Writers quickly developed Beth's new romance and they soon become engaged. Rod wants to consummate their relationship and invites Beth to his hotel room for sex. Beth has to decide whether she is ready for such a commitment. Imbruglia sympathised with her character's predicament but defended Beth and Rod's romance. She told a reporter from TVTimes of her belief that age differences should not matter and there was "nothing wrong" with romancing an older man. Imbruglia added "it all depends on attitude it's what's in the mind that counts." Beth decides she cannot commit to Rod and decides to end their engagement.Lucy decides to move to Singapore without Brad, leaving him devastated. Bell had decided to leave the series and this left production with the opportunity to develop Beth and Brad's romance. Some of Beth's scenes referenced the sexual abuse she had endured in her backstory. The experiences left her with trust issues and she remains a virgin. Imbruglia told Daphne Lockyer from Woman that "as a result she's never been able to have sex because she's terrified, she's actually still a virgin." Writers committed to portraying the issue sensitively. Beth's fears about sex are conveyed when she turns down a date with construction worker John Bridges. Imbruglia told a reporter from TVTimes that Keith's abusive ways made her have a "mental block about sex". She is "curious" and "terrified" at the same time. She decides to confide about her issues with Brad, who encourages her to give John a chance. He offers her advice and tips which she takes too literally and ends up propositioning John with sex. He refuses Beth's but she does not let it lower her confidence. She then realises that she should ask Brad instead. Imbruglia declared that Beth's offer to Brad is the "biggest surprise of his life". She defended her character's actions stating "there's no reason she shouldn't" because "Beth is being very sensible". Beth chooses Brad because she thinks he will be "gentle and thoughtful on this very important occasion."
Imbruglia believed that with Brad, her character had finally found someone she "can really love and trust." Writers created scenes in which Beth decides she is ready to have sex and propositions Brad. He ultimately turns her down. Michaelson was surprised when he read the scripts and learned that Brad would be respectful. Michaelson told producers of his worries that viewers may think Brad is homosexual for refusing sex. He told Lockyer that he thought it was a "daring" story for Neighbours to take on so "they couldn't have them leaping into bed together immediately." They later consummate their relationship in a workman's caravan. Michaelson praised the show for modernising itself and not avoiding the issue like it once did. He added that "it's a lot more realistic" and Imbruglia opined that "what matters is the subject is handled responsibly." Writers ensured the scenes were factual and educative, with Beth and Brad discussing sexual transmitted diseases and Brad using a condom. Michaelson said that despite its preaching, the scenes are "tender, funny and moving." He enjoyed working with Imbruglia on the storyline and was so proud that he branded it "the best work either of us have ever done".
Writers decided that Beth and Brad would get engaged. The story begins when Brad buys Beth a friendship ring. She mistakenly assumes it is an engagement ring and he is forced to propose. Brad begins an affair with Lauren Carpenter. Beth could not forgive him and left him on his wedding day. Imbruglia did not think that Beth handled the situation in a "realistic way", but thought it "makes good drama" for a soap opera. Brad's relationship with Lauren soon ended and they began to date other people to make each other jealous.
After some time off-screen, Beth returns and begins dating school teacher Wayne Duncan. Their relationship begins after their friends expect Beth to reconcile with Brad. He is so determined to prove them wrong that he sets up a date between Wayne and Beth. However, Brad never intended for Wayne to fall in love with Beth. Seeing Beth happy with another man makes Brad realises what he has lost. Writers then played Brad vying to win back Beth's affections. Imbruglia told Soap's Manson that "it was all a bit of a love triangle." They begin competing and both propose marriage to Beth, which leaves her emotionally confused. Imbruglia told Donna Hay from What's on TV that "most girls would be thrilled to be wooed by just one of these groovy fellas. And here's Beth with two of them!" Beth eventually decides to give Brad another chance. Imbruglia claimed that she always knew Brad was not serious about a future with Lauren. She added "deep down we knew they'd always get back together. It was really just a fling for Brad."