CityLife

Sweet roles for TV fave Geoffrey

BACK IN THE NORTH WEST: Hughes

"HAVE vest, will travel," could well be the motto of actor Geoffrey Hughes

"Actually, Onslow's vest is still hanging in my wardrobe," he chuckles.

He's referring to his role in Keeping Up Appearances, which starred Patricia Routledge as Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet).

Judy Cornwell played Onslow's wife.

"We still keep in touch," Geoff tells me. "But, I live on the Isle of Wight, so only get the chance to catch up with mates when I'm working.

"Much as I love Liverpool, where I was born and raised, the climate of the Isle of Wight has been good for me since I had a hip replacement operation.

"I've been married for 35 years, we don't have kids but we do have a large family of animals including several dogs. It's a bit like The Good Life and we love it."

Currently Geoffrey is rehearsing at Oldham Coliseum where he's to play his first theatre role in seven years; the lead in Absolutely Frank by Tim Firth: "I'm a huge fan because Tim also wrote Calendar Girls and Neville's Island.

"This play is about a couple of workmen who put the big letters on the sides of buildings and is both funny and pertinent.

"The young actor playing opposite me is Des O'Malley who's just finished playing the title role of Danny, the Champion of the World, at the Bolton Octagon. Definitely a young actor to watch."

Born into a working-class family, Geoff, who celebrates his 65th brithday next month, remembers finding a hamper which contained stage costumes worn by his grandmother who appeared in variety.

"I knew there must be theatre in my blood somewhere because no-one else in my family is remotely interested in anything theatrical."

Geoff's acting career began when, after several amateur theatre productions, it was suggested he try his hand as a professional. He bypassed the traditional route of drama training at college, and got his first job in theatre-in-the-round in Stoke-on-Trent with another young actor, Alan Ayckbourn.

"It was the best training in the world because you can't cheat when the audience is sitting all the way around you," he says.

A lucky break saw Geoff in Maggie May, a new musical by Lionel Bart and Alun Owen which opened at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, where it played for three weeks, before going to the West End.

Rave reviews for Geoffrey led to TV roles in Z Cars, Spender, Boon and Dr Who as well as The Likely Lads, Dad's Army, Please Sir and, of course, Coronation Street.

Sixties

"I first appeared in The Street in the Sixties playing several small roles but in 1974 they asked me to play binman Eddie Yeats. Initially I played him for six months, went off to do a couple of plays and returned to play the role for nine years.

"It was a marvellous time with Lynne Carol, who played Martha Longhurst and Jean Alexander who was Hilda Ogden in the cast and, of course, the unforgettable Violet Carson played Ena Sharples.

"I felt like a bit of a new boy when I first arrived because they'd all been there since the beginning but I was lucky that for some reason they took a liking to me and made me feel welcome.

"The show had tremendous viewing figures because there was a good balance between drama and comedy.

"But the comedy bits became so popular that Jean Alexander and I worked twice as hard as everyone else and the schedule became so punishing that, in the end, I felt it was time to leave and Jean left the following year. But I've very happy memories of those days."

Trademark vest

After Coronation Street, where Geoff was first seen in that trademark vest, he was labelled as a comedy actor, although he's not complaining that association with making us laugh has kept him constantly in work.

If you watched the much anticipated Royle Family Christmas Special, The New Sofa, you'd have seen Geoff reprise the role of Twiggy, after a spell in prison.

As usual he got himself invited to dinner but, with Cuppa Soup followed by carrot crush, it wasn't one of his favourite meals.

"Dreadful! But it's the writing that's attracts the likes of Sir Tom Courtenay who was in the Christmas special too.

"The combination of Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash is magic although I must admit, that when I first saw the scripts, I didn't think the idea was sustainable.

"Who would want to sit and watch a family sitting watching the telly with all those long pauses? Well I couldn't have been more wrong and they are both a pleasure to work with."

Heartbeat, in which he played Vernon Scripps for several series, is another favourite. "We had over 11m viewers and that series was a joy because the people were so nice and the scenery, was magnificent. But, in spite of a thermal vest and leggings, I had to give it up following the hip operation but now I'm fine.

Mind you I do ping when I go through airport security!"

Absolutely Frank is at the Oldham Coliseum from Thursday, January 29 to Saturday, February 21. £5 - £18. Call 0161 624 2829 to book.