Sharon Davies (Neighbours)
Encyclopedia
Sharon Davies is a fictional character
from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
, played by Jessica Muschamp. She made her first appearance on 29 July 1988. Sharon is the younger sister of Bronwyn Davies
. During her time in Neighbours, Sharon's storylines included setting fire to the coffee shop, a love triangle with Lucy Robinson
and Nick Page
, pushing Lucy into a swimming pool and developing an eating disorder. The character was axed in 1990 as part of a cast exodus and she made her final appearance on 7 June 1990.
in 1988, Muschamp successfully auditioned for the part of Sharon Davies on Neighbours. Muschamp said she thought the audition would be a good experience and that she did not expect to get the role. During her time with Neighbours, Muschamp said she "had a ball" working with the other members of the cast. In 1990, during a cast exodus, producers decided to send the character to New Zealand. By that time, everyone around Sharon had gone – her boyfriend, her sister and her aunt. Of this, Muschamp said "I think the producers felt her character had come to a natural conclusion, so she went off to stay with relatives." Of the process, which saw characters leave, Muschamp explained "They had the head-shots of all the different characters lined up above the mirrors and as people left, they'd turn them upside down, I remember dreading the day my head got turned". Muschamp left the series in May of that year and she struggled to find work following her departure. She added "Neighbours was a double-edged sword, in many ways it opened a lot of doors but in other ways people thought I couldn't do anything else".
magazine called Sharon a "naughty teenager". One of the character's biggest storylines saw her trying to lose weight by dieting. Muschamp said the storyline was created after she decided to lose weight herself. When she was asked if the producers had asked her to lose weight, Muschamp said "Not at all. I was always a chubby teenager. Then after I left school, when I was already in Neighbours, I put on more weight. I decided to lose it and so they put Sharon dieting into the storyline."
(Rachel Friend
). Their mother died and they ended up living with their father. Sharon was very unhappy when Bronwyn left for Melbourne.
In 1988, Sharon left home to find her sister, but she did not leave a note and Bronwyn is shocked to hear that her sister has run away. Harold Bishop
(Ian Smith
) catches Sharon leaving the Coffee Shop without paying for her meal and makes her work in the kitchen to pay for it. Sharon later turns up in Ramsay Street to see Bronwyn and Mrs Mangel
(Vivean Gray
) agrees to let Sharon stay with her, Bronwyn, and Jane Harris (Annie Jones
). Sharon manages to upset Mrs Mangel with her attitude and she is almost thrown out when she breaks Mrs Mangel's organ. Sharon befriends Todd Landers
(Kristian Schmid) and they get themselves into trouble, she also begins dating Nick Page
(Mark Stevens
). Sharon's aunt, Edith Chubb (Irene Inescort), shows up and tries to persuade her to come home, but she later agrees to let her stay.
When Sharon is closing up the Coffee Shop one day, three girls arrive and offer her a cigarette. When the girls leave, Sharon throws the lit cigarette in the bin. Des Clarke
(Paul Keane
) later finds the kitchen on fire and he rushes inside with a fire extinguisher. The shop blows up and Des is rescued by Harold. Nick initially takes the blame for Sharon, but she admits the truth to Harold, who lets her keep her job.
When Lucy Robinson
(Sasha Close) returns from boarding school, she develops a crush on Nick. After seeing Lucy flirting with Nick, Sharon pushes her into a swimming pool. The two girls became enemies for a time, until they were asked to make up by their guardians. Edith rents her house to Hilary Robinson
(Anne Scott-Pendlebury
) and her son, Matt Robinson
(Ashley Paske
). Not long after, Sharon becomes obsessed about her weight and she stops eating for a long time. One day at Lassiter's, she falls face down into the pond and is resuced by Matt and Hilary. Sharon is reassured over her weight and she starts eating regularly again.
Sharon decides to spend all her time at the beach, but she does not use the right sun protection and suffers from heat stroke. She then starts to think of other ways to get tanned. She puts on some tan lotion, straightens her hair and wears Bronwyn's best dress to impress a surfer. Sharon begins seeing a different guy every week and she only stops when she is called names at school. Bronwyn goes to New Zealand to be with Henry Ramsay (Craig McLachlan
), leaving Sharon devastated. She moves in with the Bishops, but later decides to move to New Zealand to live with her sister.
said Sharon's most notable moment was "Causing the Coffee Shop to blow up!" In Neighbours: The Official Annual 1991, authors John McCready and Nicola Furlong said Muschamp had made her mark on Neighbours. They added "The love lives of those such as Nick Page and Sharon Davies have made the programme perhaps the most popular viewing for teenagers around the world."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, played by Jessica Muschamp. She made her first appearance on 29 July 1988. Sharon is the younger sister of Bronwyn Davies
Bronwyn Davies
Bronwyn Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Rachel Friend. She made her first on-screen appearance on 7 July 1988. Bronwyn is the sister of Sharon Davies. Bronwyn fell in love with Henry Ramsay and when he left for New Zealand, she...
. During her time in Neighbours, Sharon's storylines included setting fire to the coffee shop, a love triangle with Lucy Robinson
Lucy Robinson
Lucy Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Melissa Bell. She had previously been portrayed by Kylie Flinker and Sasha Close. She was created by producer Reg Watson as one of Neighbours' original characters. Lucy was a prominent figure...
and Nick Page
Nick Page (Neighbours)
Nick Page is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Mark Stevens. He debuted on-screen in the episode airing on 22 July 1988 and departed the serial in 1990.-Casting:...
, pushing Lucy into a swimming pool and developing an eating disorder. The character was axed in 1990 as part of a cast exodus and she made her final appearance on 7 June 1990.
Casting
While completing her VCEVictorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
in 1988, Muschamp successfully auditioned for the part of Sharon Davies on Neighbours. Muschamp said she thought the audition would be a good experience and that she did not expect to get the role. During her time with Neighbours, Muschamp said she "had a ball" working with the other members of the cast. In 1990, during a cast exodus, producers decided to send the character to New Zealand. By that time, everyone around Sharon had gone – her boyfriend, her sister and her aunt. Of this, Muschamp said "I think the producers felt her character had come to a natural conclusion, so she went off to stay with relatives." Of the process, which saw characters leave, Muschamp explained "They had the head-shots of all the different characters lined up above the mirrors and as people left, they'd turn them upside down, I remember dreading the day my head got turned". Muschamp left the series in May of that year and she struggled to find work following her departure. She added "Neighbours was a double-edged sword, in many ways it opened a lot of doors but in other ways people thought I couldn't do anything else".
Character development
Sharon is described as a "impetuous, laid back character." She is bubbly, but tactless. Sharon often insults people, but she does not mean to and she can be a little thoughtless. Muschamp explained that she is not like Sharon at all, but that she likes her character. She said "She has a lot of boyfriends, more than me! – a different once every week." She added "Sharon comes from a dusty isolated town and wants to come to the bright lights of the city." WomanWoman (UK magazine)
Woman is a mainstream weekly title for 30- and 40-something women. Edited by Karen Livermore, it encompasses a mix of celebrity gossip and TV news, real-life stories, and body-confident fashion and beauty tips...
magazine called Sharon a "naughty teenager". One of the character's biggest storylines saw her trying to lose weight by dieting. Muschamp said the storyline was created after she decided to lose weight herself. When she was asked if the producers had asked her to lose weight, Muschamp said "Not at all. I was always a chubby teenager. Then after I left school, when I was already in Neighbours, I put on more weight. I decided to lose it and so they put Sharon dieting into the storyline."
Storylines
Sharon was born in small town in New South Wales along with her brother, Bill, and sister, BronwynBronwyn Davies
Bronwyn Ramsay is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Rachel Friend. She made her first on-screen appearance on 7 July 1988. Bronwyn is the sister of Sharon Davies. Bronwyn fell in love with Henry Ramsay and when he left for New Zealand, she...
(Rachel Friend
Rachel Friend
-Career:Friend joined the cast of the soap opera Neighbours in 1988, when she was eighteen. Friend chose to postpone her university degree to join the show as Bronwyn Davies. Friend quit Neighbours in 1990. That same year saw her win the Logie Award for "Most Popular Actress".Other roles have...
). Their mother died and they ended up living with their father. Sharon was very unhappy when Bronwyn left for Melbourne.
In 1988, Sharon left home to find her sister, but she did not leave a note and Bronwyn is shocked to hear that her sister has run away. Harold Bishop
Harold Bishop
Harold Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Smith. He made his first on-screen appearance on 30 January 1987. Smith was offered a role by Neighbours creator and executive producer Reg Watson...
(Ian Smith
Ian Smith (actor)
Ian Smith is an Australian soap opera character actor and television screenwriter, best known today for his long-running role as the caring, kindly coffee shop owner Harold Bishop in the soap opera Neighbours....
) catches Sharon leaving the Coffee Shop without paying for her meal and makes her work in the kitchen to pay for it. Sharon later turns up in Ramsay Street to see Bronwyn and Mrs Mangel
Nell Mangel
Eleanor "Nell" Worthington is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Vivean Gray. She made her first on-screen appearance on 29 April 1986. She was known almost exclusively to others as "Mrs Mangel". The character caused controversy among some of the...
(Vivean Gray
Vivean Gray
Vivean Gray is an English actress, who found her niche playing gossipy characters in Australian television series. In her early life, she lived in England but moved to Australia after she had trouble finding any acting opportunities...
) agrees to let Sharon stay with her, Bronwyn, and Jane Harris (Annie Jones
Annie Jones (actress)
Annie Jones is an Australian actress who is best known for her role as Jane Harris in the soap opera Neighbours. She has won 2 Logie Awards.-Biography:...
). Sharon manages to upset Mrs Mangel with her attitude and she is almost thrown out when she breaks Mrs Mangel's organ. Sharon befriends Todd Landers
Todd Landers
Not to be confused with Simpsons character Todd FlandersTodd Robert Landers is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Kristian Schmid. He made his first on-screen appearance on 15 February 1988. Todd died on 13 July 1992, but reappeared as a ghost the...
(Kristian Schmid) and they get themselves into trouble, she also begins dating Nick Page
Nick Page (Neighbours)
Nick Page is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Mark Stevens. He debuted on-screen in the episode airing on 22 July 1988 and departed the serial in 1990.-Casting:...
(Mark Stevens
Mark Stevens
Mark or Marc Stevens or Mark Stephens may refer to:*Mark Stevens , American author of marketing books*Mark Stevens , American actor*Mark Stevens , Australian-rules footballer...
). Sharon's aunt, Edith Chubb (Irene Inescort), shows up and tries to persuade her to come home, but she later agrees to let her stay.
When Sharon is closing up the Coffee Shop one day, three girls arrive and offer her a cigarette. When the girls leave, Sharon throws the lit cigarette in the bin. Des Clarke
Des Clarke (Neighbours)
Desmond Kingsley "Des" Clarke is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Paul Keane. He made his first on screen appearance on 18 March 1985, the show's first episode.-Stroylines:...
(Paul Keane
Paul Keane
Paul Keane is an Australian actor well known for playing Des Clarke in the soap opera Neighbours. Other TV credits include Bliss and Flight Into Hell. He was trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1983....
) later finds the kitchen on fire and he rushes inside with a fire extinguisher. The shop blows up and Des is rescued by Harold. Nick initially takes the blame for Sharon, but she admits the truth to Harold, who lets her keep her job.
When Lucy Robinson
Lucy Robinson
Lucy Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Melissa Bell. She had previously been portrayed by Kylie Flinker and Sasha Close. She was created by producer Reg Watson as one of Neighbours' original characters. Lucy was a prominent figure...
(Sasha Close) returns from boarding school, she develops a crush on Nick. After seeing Lucy flirting with Nick, Sharon pushes her into a swimming pool. The two girls became enemies for a time, until they were asked to make up by their guardians. Edith rents her house to Hilary Robinson
Hilary Robinson
Hilary Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Anne Scott-Pendlebury. The character first appeared on-screen on 25 June 1987, returning in 1988, in a guest capacity and returned in a permanent role in 1989 and left the show in 1990. She...
(Anne Scott-Pendlebury
Anne Scott-Pendlebury
Anne Scott-Pendlebury is an Australian television and film actress, who played the role of Hilary Robinson in the soap opera, Neighbours during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
) and her son, Matt Robinson
Matt Robinson (Neighbours)
Matthew "Matt" Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ashley Paske...
(Ashley Paske
Ashley Paske
Ashley Paske and educated at Figtree High School is an actor, best known for his role in the television series Neighbours...
). Not long after, Sharon becomes obsessed about her weight and she stops eating for a long time. One day at Lassiter's, she falls face down into the pond and is resuced by Matt and Hilary. Sharon is reassured over her weight and she starts eating regularly again.
Sharon decides to spend all her time at the beach, but she does not use the right sun protection and suffers from heat stroke. She then starts to think of other ways to get tanned. She puts on some tan lotion, straightens her hair and wears Bronwyn's best dress to impress a surfer. Sharon begins seeing a different guy every week and she only stops when she is called names at school. Bronwyn goes to New Zealand to be with Henry Ramsay (Craig McLachlan
Craig McLachlan
Craig McLachlan is an Australian actor and singer. He appeared in shows such as Sons and Daughters, Neighbours, Bugs and Home and Away.-Biography:...
), leaving Sharon devastated. She moves in with the Bishops, but later decides to move to New Zealand to live with her sister.
Reception
The character of Sharon was popular with the boys and when she departed from the show, Woman said "There's no doubt that a few thousand teenage boys' hearts will break when Sharon says goodbye to Ramsay Street." The BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
said Sharon's most notable moment was "Causing the Coffee Shop to blow up!" In Neighbours: The Official Annual 1991, authors John McCready and Nicola Furlong said Muschamp had made her mark on Neighbours. They added "The love lives of those such as Nick Page and Sharon Davies have made the programme perhaps the most popular viewing for teenagers around the world."