Characterisation

Shell Dockley

Sentence
Life imprisonment for the kidnap, torture and eventual murder of the woman who 'stole' her boyfriend.

Background
The daughter of an alcoholic mother - Rita - and an abusive father. Shell was sexually assaulted by both of her parents when she was younger which my be a reason that she is so reliant on the attention she gets from Jim Fenner. Shell also has Two daughters, Kayley and Dena, who lived with her mother before being taken into care after Shell was forced to remember her horrific past.

Profile

On first appearances, Shell is the archetypal prison bully. Her ambition is to be queen of the landings and she needs all the little status symbols that life in a prison can offer. Although she would never admit it, she yearns for the respect and the admiration of her fellow inmates. She is, however, constantly undermined and her attempts at bullying are rarely successful. Very often, she finds herself alone and isolated, without any real friends.

Shell has many talents, but perhaps her greatest skill is lying. It makes her a dangerous prisoner because she is always so convincing. She can think on the spot, unlike many of the prison officers who have to deal with her. Shell's not all bad, but some of her jailers would disagree. She also has a quick wit and an incredibly sharp tongue.

I have watched both the musical and the TV show of Bad girls and have decided that I would most like to base my version of Shell Dockley on the TV series. I have decided to do this because I feel that she is more realistic. Shell in the TV series is a lot more feminine and psychologically messed up whereas the portrayal of Shell by Nicole Faraday, in the musical, is a lot more bulshy, angry and violent. I like the idea that Shell is more of a psycho than a violent murderer as I think it gives her more depth and reason and makes her a little bit easier to understand and more interesting to watch.