Picture this. 1990’s Granada TV Studios, Manchester. You’ve got a cup of coffee in your hand, countless scripts and camera angles in your head and you’re about to shoot a dramatic scene with Ken and Deirdre. Welcome to a day in the life of Richard Signy, one of the directors behind the magic, and chaos, of Britain’s most beloved soap, Coronation Street, from 1990 to 1996.

What was a typical day like on the set of Coronation Street in the 90’s?

“We had one day on location per episode. So, when I got in, I’d sit in a gallery, with all the sets downstairs, and we’d work out the schedule of how we’re going to film them all in order.

“You’d have five scenes in The Rovers Return, and then move to Ken and Deirdre’s, and then move on to The Kabin or wherever it was. Everything we shot was linear.

“The main thing we’d do, and I don’t believe they have this anymore, was a dry run. Everyone, the camera operators, sound, costume, makeup, all the technical people, would turn up, with your script marked up, and you’d rehearse the scene with all the actors in. So it’s like a dress rehearsal. Everyone could see how it was going to be shot, and what it was going to look like.”

“What were the relationships like with the crew when working on such a beloved soap?”

“Those relationships are very close and very intense. You’ve got to remember on soaps that on any given day there’s more than one unit working. So if I’m prepping, there’ll be another unit shooting. If they’re in the studio, there’ll be another unit shooting in exteriors. There’s always something on. We had three teams liaising with each other and it becomes quite complex. 

“It’s a scheduling nightmare. That’s why Coronation Street has so many actors, so you can always be shooting something.

“Basically we’d try and get the same team together every time. The crucial thing for me when shooting anything is to try to get together with a bunch of mates, then we all understand each other. The more we had the same team, the more we could use shorthand, the more we could maintain the same style and tone.

“Having the same designer, director of photography, first assistant, editor and script supervisor is the core team for me. We all know each other, and we all enjoy each other’s company, and we enjoy working together. That’s half the battle.”

Do you think the process of directing Corrie has changed over the years?

“I think it was a lot easier back then than it is now. Back when I started, there were only two shorter episodes going out a week. Now there’s four or five. I was the first director to do three episodes per week, I set up that system.

“If they’re filming five episodes a week, they can’t fit in five dry runs. It’s just a waste if they’re not filming anything these days. It’s cheaper to spend time in the edit than it is on the dry run.”

“I don’t think the role has changed. I think producers have got stronger and they’ve got more power than directors, but TV has always been a producer’s medium.

What was the hardest part of directing Corrie?

“The hardest thing I had to do as a director was learning how to camera script a studio shoot. You have to have a camera plot for every scene, so you’ll have three cameras per set. Essentially, you need to work out what cameras A, B and C are shooting, and how those cameras are able to move whilst shooting. Back then all the cameras were all cabled up and you couldn’t cross a cable otherwise you’d crash!”

What were the biggest challenges you faced on set?

“The thing is, anything can go wrong, so I kind of prepare for things to go wrong, because they will go wrong. That is the challenge itself. A director is leading 60 or 70 people who want to go home on time, having had a good day’s work. What they don’t want to see is the guy in charge going, ‘I don’t know what to do’. You owe it to the crew to be prepared.”

What’s your advice to our readers to get their foot in the door of the industry in 2025?

“I think there’s two ways. One is, you go and do film studies at college or university and get those qualifications to apply for internships.

“The second is being on set. You can’t beat being on set. It’s the best learning ground, and it helps you figure out what you want to do.”

For more Day in the life stories, click here.