| Annabelle Collins | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookside character | |||||||||||||||||||||
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Annabelle_Collins_(Brookside).jpg) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Doreen Sloane | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 1982–1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 2 November 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 9 May 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Phil Redmond | ||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
Annabelle Collins is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, played by Doreen Sloane. One of the show's original characters, Annabelle debuted during the episode broadcast on 2 November 1982. Annabelle is characterised as an intelligent woman who is used to a luxurious lifestyle. She is married to Paul Collins (Jim Wiggins) and they move into Brookside Close during the show's first episode. The move is a downsize from a big house after Paul loses a lucrative management role. Annabelle struggles to adjust to her new lifestyle but eventually becomes active in her new community. She is portrayed as generous and neighbourly, but also displays characteristics of snobbery. Writers created a difficult marriage for Annabelle and Paul.
Annabelle stories were often centric to the problems of her children, Gordon Collins (Nigel Crowley) and Lucy Collins (Katrin Cartlidge). Annabelle struggles to accept her son's homosexuality and her daughter's wayward behaviour. Producers created an affair storyline between Annabelle and Brian Lawrence (Vincent Maguire), which nearly ruined her marriage. Sloane liked the story because she believed it made Annabelle "come alive" and "become human". Other stories include training to be a magistrate and her problematic relationship with her mother, Mona Harvey (Margaret Clifton). Sloane died on 8 April 1990 after being diagnosed with cancer. She had continued to film new scenes regardless of her illness. The character made her final appearance on 9 May 1990. The Collinses departure storyline featured them moving to the Lake District to live with Mona.