Anne Charleston’s secret prank during Madge Bishop death scene

Veteran actress Anne Charleston has revealed secrets from her famous Neighbours death scene in which Madge Bishop passed from cancer.

Speaking at the recent Neighbours: The Celebration event in Melbourne, she said of the 2001 scene, “It was quite fun actually. I got the Art Department on side, and to lighten the entire day I got whips, leather and god-knows-what hanging behind the bedroom door.

“It was all going to be so turgid we had to have a bit of fun.”

Ian Smith (Harold Bishop) quipped that he was so busy acting “I didn’t notice them!”

More seriously, asked about the challenge of shooting the scenes, Anne said, “It was quite emotional yes, because I wasn’t expecting to meet up with her again. And when I did it was only as a ghost.”

As Ian Smith explained, “I don’t know if you’ve ever lived with anyone who is dying but it is the worst time in the world. Every morning you wake up and you’re reminded, someone is dying.

“That’s what it was like shooting in the studio. We were constantly waiting for this woman to die.

“And the bugger wouldn’t die.”