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Susannah Farnham

Susannah Morrisey
Brookside character
Portrayed by Karen Drury
Duration 1991–1992, 1993, 1995, 1996-2000
First appearance 22 July 1991
Last appearance 29 November 2000
Created by Phil Redmond
Classification Former; regular

Susannah Morrisey (previously Farnham) is a fictional character in the defunct Channel 4 soap opera Brookside. She was portrayed by Karen Drury from 1991 until the character's death in 2000. Susannah was no relation of later Brookside character Dan Morrisey.

Susannah is the first wife of Max Farnham, and is mentioned frequently from the very first introduction of Max and second wife Patricia to the Close in September 1990. Before arriving on Brookside, Max had begun an affair with Patricia whilst still married to Susannah. He walked out on her and their children Matthew and Emily to set up home with Patricia and they had a child of their own, Thomas, who is around eighteen months old when they arrive on the Close. Max continues to pay maintenance to Susannah and Matthew and Emily occasionally visit Max during the Farnhams' first year on Brookside. Patricia is initially uncomfortable with the arrangement, but begins to warm to Max's children and they start to enjoy a good relationship.

Susannah was first seen in the episode transmitted on 15 May 1991 driving away from the Farnhams' house after having dropped the children off. Karen Drury was first credited in the episode transmitted on 22 July 1991, when Patricia arrives home to find her chatting to the Farnhams' nanny, Margaret, in her living room. Throughout the latter half of 1991, Susannah remains on the Close and attempts to draw Max away from Patricia. In September 1991, when Patricia is unable to accompany Max to a business dinner, Max's partner Geoffrey invites Susannah to pose as Max's wife. On New Year's Eve 1991, Susannah tries to seduce Max while he is away from Patricia on business. He rejects her, and upon returning to Liverpool reconciles with Patricia who discovers that she has breast cancer. Susannah continues to hang around in January 1992, but Patricia heatedly tells her to leave.

Susannah returns to the Close in April 1993 to inform Max of her plans to take Matthew and Emily to America for a year to live with her new boyfriend, Andrew. Max is incensed and refuses to sign any paperwork assenting to the move, but Susannah jets off with the children anyway. In June 1993, while Patricia is in London on business, Max takes Thomas to DisneyWorld in Florida and whilst there makes a snap decision to kidnap Matthew and Emily and return them to Liverpool. Wracked with guilt at what he has done, he tries unsuccessfully to telephone Susannah's hotel room to explain his actions but finds her at his doorstep vowing to never let him see Matthew and Emily again. With the help of Patricia, Max persuades Susannah to let them have the children for three months until Susannah and Andrew have settled in in the States. Patricia is called away to another meeting in London, leaving Max and Susannah to finalise the children's arrangements but after too much wine, Max invites Susannah into his bed and sleeps with her. The next morning, Patricia's father, David, who recently moved into No. 6, calls round and finds Susannah and Max together. Max pleads with David not to tell his daughter but when she finds out, she begins divorce proceedings. Driving Susannah to the airport, Susannah asks Max who he wants - her or Patricia - and he is unable to answer so she takes her flight as scheduled. Max and Patricia eventually reconcile, but Susannah returns to the Close again in September 1995 penniless and homeless after breaking up with Andrew, who has frittered away all her money. She asks Max to help her find a flat, much to Patricia's annoyance, but when he is unable to come up with anything suitable, she moves in with his business associate Dil Palmer to make Max jealous.


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