Daphne Clarke Marriage to Des Clarke
When did she marry Des Clarke?
When did Daphne Clarke marry Des Clarke?
The first episode of Neighbours saw Daphne hired to strip at Des Clarke's (Paul Keane) bucks party. When the night was interrupted by a neighbour, Daphne left some belongings behind and returned the following morning to collect them. Des's fiancee assumed she had spent the night and called the wedding off. Realising that Des needed a lodger to help him pay the mortgage off, Daphne moved in. Des was instantly attracted to Daphne, but he tried to hide his feelings and became awkward around her. Josephine Monroe, author of Neighbours: The First 10 Years, wrote that the local men queued up to date Daphne, but it was Shane Ramsay (Peter O'Brien) who first caught her eye and they soon began a relationship.  During Neighbours' first-season finale in 1985, Daphne broke up with Shane and proposed to Des, who accepted. However, on the day of their wedding, Daphne's bridal car was hijacked by a bank robber and she was late to the church. Having been stood up five times in the past, Des gave up waiting and left. The couple failed to sort out what had happened and their relationship ended. Daphne rekindled her romance with Shane and they became engaged, but Daphne became worried about rushing into marriage on the rebound and they eventually ended their engagement. Following advice and encouragement from his mother, Eileen (Myra De Groot), and friend, Clive (Geoff Paine), Des tried to "woo Daphne back."  In June 1986, Stephen Cook from TV Week announced that Daphne would accept a proposal from either Des or Shane, which would definitely result in her getting married. Smith told Cook "I don't know whether Daphne actually needs a man in her life but she's certainly got two men there. It's a triangle that's developed, but to try and give a rational explanation to it is next to impossible." Smith thought Daphne was ideal for Shane and that she had a great deal of love for him. On the other hand, Daphne also loved Des, who she trusted and had become good friends with. O'Brien stated that as far as Shane was concerned, Daphne was the only woman he ever loved and thought that he was more suited to her than Des. Keane commented that despite being engaged five times and stood up once by Daphne, Des had always loved her. He added "It was love at first sight for Des."  Cook later revealed that it was Des who would propose to and marry Daphne. The wedding episodes were broadcast in July and Cook quipped that from the moment Daphne moved into Ramsay Street, there had always been a feeling that she and Des would eventually marry. Despite Shane having once been Des's "rival in romance", he acted as best man. Cook added that the wedding, which saw most of the regular cast on-set, was "no small affair". A few months after the wedding, Daphne became pregnant. Her pregnancy lasted over the usual nine months and Smith explained that the producers had stretched it out for longer, so they could tie it into other storylines. Daphne and Des's son, Jamie (S.J. Dey), arrived in July 1987 and became the first baby to be born in Neighbours. CANNOTANSWER
The wedding episodes were broadcast in July
Daphne Clarke (also Lawrence) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Elaine Smith. Daphne was created by Reg Watson as one of Neighbours' twelve original characters. The producer had originally wanted Rebecca Gibney to play the role, but she joined the cast of another television series. When Smith came in to audition for a guest part, her appearance, particularly her short haircut, caught the attention of the casting director, who had been looking for an "outrageous image" for the character of Daphne. Smith won the role and she made her on-screen debut in the soap's first episode, which was broadcast on 18 March 1985.

Daphne was portrayed as a smart, confident and independent woman from a good background. She sported a short haircut and bright clothing, which made her stand out from the other female characters on television at the time. Daphne was not embarrassed by her profession as a stripper and her "no-nonsense approach" to life made her an immediate favourite with the viewers. Daphne gave up stripping when her grandfather gave her the lease to the local coffee shop. She used her position to help customers with their problems and gained the trust of many of the teenage characters, particularly Mike Young (Guy Pearce).

Daphne's marriage to Des Clarke (Paul Keane) was central to many of her storylines. After a brief relationship with Shane Ramsay (Peter O'Brien) and two engagements, Daphne married Des in July 1986. She gave birth to their son, Jamie (S.J. Dey), in July 1987. That same year, Smith announced her departure from Neighbours. Not wanting to kill off a popular character, the producers sent Daphne to care for her dying father. However, viewers were not satisfied with this ending and Smith returned to conclude Daphne's storyline. The actress asked for Daphne to be killed off and the producers agreed. She made her final appearance on 25 March 1988, becoming the first regular character to die.

Creation and casting
Daphne is one of the twelve original characters conceived by the creator and then executive producer of Neighbours, Reg Watson. When it came to casting, Waston had initially wanted actress Rebecca Gibney to play the role. However, she joined the cast of children's television series Zoo Family instead. Elaine Smith had previously made several small appearances in various established television series. In 1984, she came in to Neighbours to audition for the guest role of Lorraine Kingham and her short, spiky haircut caught the attention of the casting director, who asked her to do a screen test for Daphne. Smith told Hilary Kingsley, author of Soap Box, "The casting director of Neighbours was looking some outrageous image for Daphne, this stripper – he didn't quite know what, but my haircut was it!" Smith revealed that the idea of playing a stripper amused her and quipped that Daphne was the only stripper who never had to take her clothes off.

Development

Characterisation
The character of Daphne was introduced to Neighbours as a "saucy stripper with a heart of gold." In their 1989 book, The Neighbours Factfile, Neil Wallis and Dave Hogan wrote that Daphne came from a rich, but uncaring family. They were rarely mentioned on-screen, making her past somewhat of a mystery. Daphne had received a good education and worked in an office as a secretary, until she told her sexist boss to "jump in a lake." Daphne then chose to become a stripper rather than ask her mother, Tina (Beverley Dunn), for a loan. Of Daphne's profession as a stripper, Smith explained "The whole point of Daphne being a stripper is that she's completely counter to the black stockings and garters cliche. She's a bright girl from a good background who gets fed up with being ogled and pinched by men in her secretarial job and says, right I might as well make some money out of it."

With her spiky hair and bright clothing, Daphne stood out from other female characters on television at the time. She was portrayed as a strong, smart and independent woman. She was often shrewd and "a warm friend" to those around her. Tony Johnston, author of Neighbours: 20 years of Ramsay Street stated that Daphne had "an appealing mix of cheek, savvy and the-girl-next-door." She was a woman in charge of her own life, which helped her to become the serial's first "sweetheart." Smith told Kingsley that her favourite aspects of Daphne's personality were her confidence and stubborn streak. Smith also commented that Daphne wore "zanier clothes" than she did and was more outgoing. The fact that she embodied a "no-nonsense approach" to life and was not embarrassed by her profession as a stripper, meant Daphne became an immediate favourite with viewers.

The way she treated the serial's teenagers as adults also endeared her to the younger viewers. Daphne gave up her career as a stripper to run the coffee shop, which her grandfather Harry Henderson (Johnny Lockwood) gave to her, after he won it in a poker game. Kingsley commented that Daphne ran the business like "a pro". Daphne's position in the coffee shop meant that customers often confided in her and she helped mediate between several parents and their children. She also gained the trust and affection of the teenage characters, most notably Mike Young (Guy Pearce), who she took under her wing, later becoming his legal guardian.

Marriage to Des Clarke

The first episode of Neighbours saw Daphne hired to strip at Des Clarke's (Paul Keane) bucks party. When the night was interrupted by a neighbour, Daphne left some belongings behind and returned the following morning to collect them. Des's fiancée assumed she had spent the night and called the wedding off. Realising that Des needed a lodger to help him pay the mortgage off, Daphne moved in. Des was instantly attracted to Daphne, but he tried to hide his feelings and became awkward around her. Josephine Monroe, author of Neighbours: The First 10 Years, wrote that the local men queued up to date Daphne, but it was Shane Ramsay (Peter O'Brien) who first caught her eye and they soon began a relationship.

During Neighbours''' first-season finale in 1985, Daphne broke up with Shane and proposed to Des, who accepted. However, on the day of their wedding, Daphne's bridal car was hijacked by a bank robber and she was late to the church. Having been stood up five times in the past, Des gave up waiting and left. The couple failed to sort out what had happened and their relationship ended. Daphne rekindled her romance with Shane and they became engaged, but Daphne became worried about rushing into marriage on the rebound and they eventually ended their engagement. Following advice and encouragement from his mother, Eileen (Myra De Groot), and friend, Clive (Geoff Paine), Des tried to "woo Daphne back."

In June 1986, Stephen Cook from TV Week announced that Daphne would accept a proposal from either Des or Shane, which would definitely result in her getting married. Smith told Cook "I don't know whether Daphne actually needs a man in her life but she's certainly got two men there. It's a triangle that's developed, but to try and give a rational explanation to it is next to impossible." Smith thought Daphne was ideal for Shane and that she had a great deal of love for him. On the other hand, Daphne also loved Des, who she trusted and had become good friends with. O'Brien stated that as far as Shane was concerned, Daphne was the only woman he ever loved and thought that he was more suited to her than Des. Keane commented that despite being engaged five times and stood up once by Daphne, Des had always loved her. He added "It was love at first sight for Des."

Cook later revealed that it was Des who would propose to and marry Daphne. The wedding episodes were broadcast in July and Cook quipped that from the moment Daphne moved into Ramsay Street, there had always been a feeling that she and Des would eventually marry. Despite Shane having once been Des's "rival in romance", he acted as best man. Cook added that the wedding, which saw most of the regular cast on-set, was "no small affair". A few months after the wedding, Daphne became pregnant. Her pregnancy lasted over the usual nine months and Smith explained that the producers had stretched it out for longer, so they could tie it into other storylines. Daphne and Des's son, Jamie (S.J. Dey), arrived in July 1987 and became the first baby to be born in Neighbours.

Departure and death
In 1987, after two and a half years of playing Daphne, Smith decided to leave Neighbours and asked to be written out.Monroe 1994, p.53. She felt that while Daphne had been "a bit of a challenge at first", she felt trapped by her persona. Smith also believed that the role no longer offered her variety and she did not want to stay to be bored, but comfortable. As Daphne was one of Neighbours most popular characters, the producers chose not to kill her off. Instead Daphne's father, Allen (Neil Fitzpatrick), re-entered her life and told her he was dying. Realising that she only had a short time to make her peace with him, Daphne took Jamie and moved away to nurse Allen. Viewers were not satisfied with this ending for the character, especially as it meant Daphne and Des would have to break up, a situation that they would not accept.

Smith agreed to return for a few days in 1988 to finish off Daphne's storyline. This time, the actress asked for her character to be killed off. Smith told Robyn Harvey from The Sydney Morning Herald, "I wanted Daphne to die. I didn't want to be stuck in a television series for the rest of my life. I'd taken Daphne as far as she could go. She's run the gamut of every life experience she could possibly have. I'd had enough." Smith told Nicola Murphy (TV Week) that she would resume filming in February but was not privy to the details of Daphne's final story because producers withheld her scripts. On-screen Daphne was critically injured during a car crash on the way to her father's funeral and she was left in a coma. Off-screen, representatives from the serial's production company tried to persuade Smith to sign a new contract, but she refused. Daphne briefly regained consciousness to say "I love you Clarkey" to Des, before becoming the first regular character to die.

Storylines
Daphne is hired to perform at Des Clarke's buck's party in Ramsay Street. She returns the following morning to collect her watch and emerges from the bedroom when Des's fiancée, Lorraine Kingham (Antoinette Byron), arrives with her parents to call off the wedding. Daphne comforts Des and helps clean up his house. Shane Ramsay, who hired Daphne for the party, flirts with her and asks her to watch him train at the pool some day. He tells her that he wants to see her again and she agrees to go to dinner with him. Daphne decides to move into Number 28 with Des to help him pay off the mortgage. Daphne becomes good friends with Des and she begins dating Shane. Daphne falls in love with Des and after breaking up with Shane, she proposes to him and he accepts. On the day of their wedding, Daphne's car is hijacked by a bank robber dressed in a gorilla suit and she is late to the church. Des assumes that Daphne has changed her mind and he leaves. After failing to sort out what happened, Daphne moves out, while Des's ex-girlfriend, Andrea Townsend (Gina Gaigalas), turns up and claims that Des is the father of her son, Bradley (Bradley Kilpatrick). Daphne rents a room from Clive Gibbons at Number 22 and her best friend, Zoe Davis (Ally Fowler), also moves in.

Daphne's grandfather, Harry gives her the lease to the local coffee shop and she gives up her career as a stripper. She renames the business 'Daphne's' and despite an initial struggle, the coffee shop soon begins making a profit. Daphne gets back together with Shane and they become engaged, but she starts to have doubts about whether she is moving on too quickly. When Des learns that he is not Bradley's father, he tries to win Daphne back. Shane becomes jealous of Daphne and Des's friendship and when he verbally attacks them, Daphne breaks up with him. She gets back together with Des and they eventually marry. Daphne and Des become Mike Young's legal guardians when they learn that he comes from a violent home. Daphne helps Mike when he is banned from seeing Jane Harris (Annie Jones) by her grandmother, Mrs. Mangel (Vivean Gray). Daphne soon discovers that Sue Parker (Kate Gorman) has been sending poison pen letters about Mike to Mrs. Mangel and exposes her. Daphne contracts meningitis, but she recovers and then learns that she is pregnant. Daphne and Des's marriage becomes strained when she learns that he has been in contact with Lorraine. The couple eventually talk and Des explains that he had just given Lorraine some financial advice.

Mrs. Mangel offers to help Daphne paint the nursery and she is knocked off a ladder by Mike's pet Labrador, Bouncer, and suffers amnesia. Mrs. Mangel threatens to sue and Des decides to settle out of court, so that Daphne does not become stressed. But when Daphne learns what Des has done, she is angry with him for keeping it from her. During a picnic, Daphne goes into labour and Beverly Marshall (Lisa Armytage) delivers her son, Jamie. Daphne briefly suffers from postnatal depression following Jamie's birth. During Jamie's christening, Daphne's mother, Tina, turns up. She and Daphne sit down and talk through their problems and part on speaking terms. Shortly after, Daphne learns that her father is dying. Des persuades her to make things right with Allen. Daphne then decides to nurse her father and she takes Jamie to stay with him. Months later, Gail Robinson (Fiona Corke) offers to drive Daphne and Jamie back to Ramsay Street after Allen's funeral. During the journey, they are involved in a car crash, which leaves Daphne in a coma. Des stays by her side and is holding her hand when she briefly wakes up to tell him that she loves him. Daphne then suffers a cardiac arrest and dies.

Reception
Josephine Monroe, author of Neighbours: The First 10 Years, stated that Daphne became one of the most popular and colourful characters to have been in Neighbours. While reviewing the show's early episodes, Newsday'''s Terry Kelleher thought Daphne was "surprisingly wholesome for a stripteaser, preferring housecleaning to home-wrecking." A writer for the BBC's Neighbours website thought Daphne's most notable moment was "Going into labour with Jamie at a riverside picnic." 

Claudia Pattison from mobile network operator Orange branded Des and Daphne one of the most popular couples in the serial's history, while a Virgin Media writer thought that they had "one of soapland's happiest marriages". The Sydney Morning Herald's Michael Idato called them Neighbours first supercouple. Mary Fletcher from Inside Soap commented that Des and Daphne's troubled romance was "one of Neighbours' best storylines." The couple's wedding gained a lot of attention in the UK and Terry Wogan even discussed the episode with Rolf Harris on his talk show the day after it aired.

Tim Teeman and James Jackson from The Times named Daphne's death as one of their top 15 most memorable Neighbours moments. They commented "Like, was that her in the bed or an actress with a Daphne wig? The romance of Des and Daphne (Mr Ordinary and the ex-stripper) was an early Neighbours classic so we felt this one hard". A Herald Sun reporter also included Daphne's death in their list of top ten Neighbours moments. The reporter wrote that Daphne was a popular character during the serial's peak in 1988 and called Des "her soulmate". They added that her death was watched by millions of viewers in Australia and the UK.

Sarah Megginson from SheKnows placed Daphne's death at number three in her feature on the eight most memorable Neighbours moments. She called the relationship between Daphne and Des "one of the series' classic romances." She added "The couple were the first to tie the knot on the show, so when Daphne was fatally hit by a car, Des – and the Neighbours viewing audience across Australia and the UK – was suitably devastated. A columnist from NOW said that the moment Daphne dies was "a tear-jerking moment."

References

Bibliography

External links
Daphne Clarke at BBC Online

Neighbours characters
Fictional erotic dancers
Television characters introduced in 1985
Female characters in television
Sally Wells is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Rowena Mohr. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 15 October 1987. During her time in the serial her storylines were centered on her on-screen brother Des and trying to find her biological father. Mohr left the cast after Sally was axed because she did not fit in with the direction of storytelling producers were aiming for.

Casting
The character was created as the sister of Des Clarke (Paul Keane) and a new love interest for Henry Ramsay (Craig McLachlan). In September 1987 it was announced that actress Rowena Mohr had been cast as Sally. Of her casting Mohr said she was nervous because the serial was in its peak popularity at the time, but the cast helped her to settle in. Mohr was also given the opportunity to write scripts for Neighbours.

Development
Sally is characterised by her constant need to have things her own way. She has been described as a strikingly pretty woman, catching the attention of all the other male characters, especially Henry. Mohr commented during an interview that "Sally was a bit of a control freak really. I think she liked to think she was easy going but she wasn't at all and she didn't cope very well when things didn't go the way she planned." She added that Sally was "good fun to play" because she is "a bit cranky at times and said what she thought." Mohr believed these character traits originated in Sally's childhood. She explained that "I think she was probably just trying to compensate for not really having any parents and having to make her own way in the world." Mohr has also described Sally as "ruthless, stubborn and pig-headed but likeable. She's straightforward, really, and she gives the boys a hard time." In her backstory, Sally had trained to be an aerobics and gym teacher. Mohr found it difficult because she had never done aerobics. To research the role, she joined a gym and quit smoking cigarettes.

Sally's introductory story featured her arriving in Erinsborough in search of her father, Malcolm Clarke (Noel Trevarthen). Upon her arrival she learns that Des is her half-brother. Their backstory is explored and they discover that Malcolm had a brief romance with Sally's mother Kate after he had abandoned Des and his mother Eileen Clarke (Myra De Groot). Malcolm repeats this behaviour and leaves Kate alone. Mohr told Coral O'Connor from the Daily Mirror that Kate did not tell Malcolm she was pregnant and he does not know she exists. Sally had been working at the local coffee shop and concealing her true identity. Sally hides the her gym instructor career from Des and pretends to be a cook. Mohr defended her characters actions explaining that "she comes to Erinsbrough to look for Des and Malcolm and goes about it in an underhand way because she doesn't know how she will be received." 

When Des discovers that Sally is trying to locate Malcolm, Mohr stated "he doesn't want to know." But Sally soon locates Malcolm and convinces him to visit his estranged family. Trevarthen described Malcolm as an unreliable father and loner, who is reluctant to reconnect with his family. Trevarthen told O'Connor (Daily Mirror) writer that "he is not a reliable bloke. Malcolm is a carpenter. A very ordinary bloke who wants to be alone." Malcolm does not want to visit Des either and Trevarthen concluded that he "gets pushed into it" by Sally.

As a love interest of Henry, the character was at the center of romantic dramas. Writers quickly introduced Nick Carrafa to play Henry's love rival Tony Romeo. Tony soon gets involved in their new relationship leading him and Henry to have a fist fight over Sally. The feud begins when Henry witnesses Tony flirting with Sally. Carrafa told Mark Foster from Neighbours Who's Who that "Henry comes over claiming that Sally is his girl and Tony and Henry end up getting into a fist-fight in front of Lassiters." Tony soon realises that Henry is lying and decides to out do his rival. Carrafa added "Tony finds out Henry and Sally aren't a 'unit' and he decides to ask her out. So he's still in there with a chance." Of Sally and Henry's doomed relationship Mohr stated that "I don't get to marry Henry. He's still single, so there's hope for all you girls yet."

In 1988, the show's producer axed the character, with Mohr citing that she felt they didn't think Sally fitted in with new storylines they were planning. She then left to pursue projects in the UK, she later revealed that she would never reprise the role. Discussing Sally's departure, Mohr told a reporter from The Sentinel that "the story line for my character is that I leave for a European cruise."

Storylines
Sally had been brought up in Perth by her mother Kate. She comes to Ramsay Street in search of her father, Malcolm. She finds out Des is her half-brother. Sally becomes close to Eileen. Together Des and Sally decide to track their father down. They later track him down and are surprised to find him living locally. Malcolm is happy to get to know his newfound children, they all become close.

Sally then decides to move into a flat locally and stays around. She lets Tony move in with her. Tony pretends he will marry Jane Harris (Annie Jones) when he learns his mother, Elinora (Kate Jason) is coming to town. Jane initially plays along with it, but is annoyed to learn Tony has been trying to romance Sally all along. Sally then starts dating Henry Ramsay, they get along well at first, spending much time together. Henry starts to adore her and they are smitten.

Des' wife Daphne Clarke (Elaine Smith) is killed in a car accident, Eileen has a nervous breakdown. These events begin to take their toll on Sally worrying about her newfound family. Malcolm wins tickets to travel to Europe, he asks Eileen and Sally to join him on his trip. Sally initially is not certain of what to do, but later decides it is the right thing to do. Henry is left devastated and pleads with her to stay with him but Sally leaves for her new life without Henry.

Reception
The BBC said Sally's most notable moment was "Finding out she had a brother she didn't know about – Des." A reporter from the Evening Express branded Sally the "Ramsay Street fitness fanatic". Coral O'Connor of the Daily Mirror branded her "saucy Sally" and a "mysterious redhead".

References

Neighbours characters
Television characters introduced in 1987
Fictional waiting staff
Female characters in television Rachel Steinman Clarke (c. 1882 – November 4, 1944) was a Polish-born American violinist based in Chicago.

Early life 
Rachel Steinman was born in Włocławek, Poland. Her family moved to the United States when Steinman was a child, and she was raised in Des Moines, Iowa, where she graduated from the Highland Park Conservatory of Music. She pursued further violin studies in Chicago and New York, and with Jacques Thibaud in Paris. Her sister Gertrude married actor Raymond Walburn.

Career 
Rachel Steinman was playing violin at Iowa events by 1900.  She toured on the Chautauqua and lyceum circuits with the Midland Concert Company as a young woman, and as head of the Rachel Steinman Concert Company. She toured with her husband in the Edward Clarke Concert Company, from the 1910s into the 1920s. In 1917, for example, the Clarke company gave 142 concerts in 71 cities in 70 days, driving Clarke's Ford over 4,500 miles through Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin in the process.

Clarke was a member of the Chicago Civic Symphony Orchestra, and on the faculty of the Lyceum Arts Conservatory of Chicago.  She also performed for radio concerts. "Miss Steinman is an exceedingly artistic violinist, playing with perfect self composure and so easily and gracefully as to inspire confidence in her music," commented one Iowa reviewer in 1911.

After moving to Florida in 1935, she was a member of the University of Miami Symphony Orchestra.

Personal life 
In 1913, Rachel Steinman married Charles Edward Clarke, a Canadian baritone singer, at a Baptist church in Chicago. She died in Miami, Florida in 1944.

References 

1880s births
1944 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
American classical violinists
Women classical violinists
Polish emigrants to the United States
People from Włocławek
Musicians from Des Moines, Iowa
Musicians from Chicago
20th-century American women musicians
20th-century American musicians
20th-century classical violinists
Classical musicians from Iowa
Classical musicians from Illinois