CityLife

Former Corrie baddie is Stepping Out

TINKLING THE IVORIES: Capron

CORONATION Street baddies always hit the headlines, but what happens to them once they leave the famous Street?

Indeed, whatever happened to serial-killer Richard Hillman, the man we loved to hate who ended up in a watery grave?

Actor Brian Capron, who played the hated Hillman from 2001 to 2003, turns out to be a really nice guy who is full of the news that Manchester audiences will soon be seeing him in a very different role.

But he’s keeping his lips sealed about his Corrie demise – apart from confirming that he enjoyed his time in Weatherfield. “Working on Coronation Street was a thoroughly enjoyable experience,” Brian tells me.

“Forget all the rumours about the cast being cliquish. They were all so welcoming to a newcomer like me – although I’d made a brief appearance before in 1981 as social worker Donald Worthington.

"It now opens onto the set so everyone chats as you wait to be called for your scene.

“I’d worked before with Sue Nicholls, one of my favourite actresseswomen, on a sitcom called Up The Elephant And Round The Castle which starred Jim Davidson, so there was one familiar face.

"But I remember Bill Roache, a delightful man, welcoming me and introducing himself – as if the whole country doesn’t know who he is!

“Initially I was brought in as a bit of a con-man and Gail’s love interest, but I’d no idea I was destined to become the ultimate soap villain! Corrie had a wonderful team of writers and my scripts were brilliant.”

The only downside for Brian was that his son little boy Louis, who was about seven at the time, was bullied at school because of his dad’s the character.

“He was called Louis Hillman at school and told his dad was a murderer. It got so bad we had to take him out of state school and put him in a private school, such a shame.”

Brian’s sinister performance won him critical accolades and five awards in one night at the British Soap Awards, including Best Actor and Best Villain.

“If nothing else that helped raise my profile so I felt I could relax about proving myself. There was tremendous media coverage surrounding the horrific finale when the car became submerged in the water and it was so cleverly executed that it looked like there’d be even more fatalities.

“No wonder Coronation Street and the special effects people won a deserved award.

“I have to admit now that although I tried to do some of the action for authenticity, on that shoot my stunt double had to be called in. It’s a matter of great skill and you need experienced people who know what they’re doing.

“But, at the end of that night shoot, I really felt quite sad because I knew it was my last time on Coronation Street which, to me, is like a big family with a big heart.”

For Brian, there was life after death in a soap when he landed the coveted role of Nathan Detroit in the hit musical Guys and Dolls. He made his stage debut in that role in Manchester.

“I was petrified. After all this is the part Frank Sinatra played in the movie and here was me, someone who could barely sing in the role, so I decided to talk my way through the songs. I think they were looking for an actor who could put over a song rather than a singer who could act.

“At least opening in Manchester I knew I’d be amongst friends and if I got it wrong, they’d perhaps forgive me. My stage partner was the delightful Claire Sweeney and lots of my friends in Corrie came to see me and were very supportive as was the audience."

City Sugar

The Suffolk-born 62-year-old actor, who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, has enjoyed a wide variety of roles over the years including stage parts in City Sugar, Mrs Warren’s Profession, Loot and The Play What I Wrote.

“But my biggest thrill this year was appearing at the National Theatre in Harper Reagan opposite that lovely actress Lesley Sharpe,” he says.

On television Brian has appeared in Birds of a Feather, Casualty, The Bill and Murder Most Horrid. But he first came to public attention in four series of Grange Hill as teacher Hoppy Hopwood in the early eighties. Most recently he was seen as Ozias Harding in three series of Where The Heart Is.

“We were all devastated when we heard that Where The Heart Is the series was to be axed as it was such a lovely show to work on and appeared popular with the viewers. However, you’ll see me back on screen in the New Year in Midsommer Murders.”

Where films are concerned Brian’s appeared in Still Crazy, as well as 101 Dalmations.

Brian’s home is in Hove, Brighton, Brighton where he lives about five minutes away from his first wife, with whom he had two daughters, Lucy and Ellen.

“My ex-wife is a lovely person and has been brilliant about the whole divorce thing. I tried to discourage my girls from getting jobs in the theatre but Ellen works in the music business and Lucy worked on costume design for television shows like This Morning until babies arrived – yes I’m a grandad!”

Brian met his current wife, actress Jaqueline, 19 years ago while they were making a film and their son Louis is now 13.

It’s still a mystery to Brian why he’s offered song and dance roles, although he’s not complaining and he’ll once more be putting on his dancing shoes when Stepping Out arrives at the Opera House in Manchester.

“It’s actually more a play with music than a musical,” explains Richard.

“You’ve just caught me after the opening night which was terrific because playwright Richard Harris, who wrote it, was there to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

“He told me that it was one of the best productions he’d seen and that it was based on fact. His late wife, the actress Hilary Crane, actually went to dance classes and told him there was a play to be written about the women there and Stepping Out was the result. However, I’m still recovering after the first night.”

After the first night party? “Definitely not,” came Brian’s quick response.

“The finale of this show is a terrific dance number and for someone like me with two left feet, I was so exhausted that, when the curtain came down, I literally fell down spread-eagled on the stage to recover and get my breath back!”

Is this the same man who swirled with apparent ease around the dance floor in the fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing?

“You won’t believe how painful that whole process was,’ confides Brian.

"When I explained to the production team that I was a hopeless dancer – they said that’s just what they wanted!

“Once I started I was hooked and was disappointed to be the first to leave but, I have to admit, there was also great relief because I ached in places I didn’t know existed!

“I’ve been rediscovering those aches again whilst we were rehearsing for Stepping Out!It’s a warm-hearted, feel-good play full of joi de vivre.

“I’m the only man in it and it’s great fun because I’m appearing with Rosemary Ashe and Jessie Wallace, from EastEnders.

“I’d appeared in EastEnders myself in 1993 as Jerry McKenzie so Jessie and I have been comparing notes.

“In the script I was married to an Asian girl and looked set for a long run. Unfortunately, the Asian actress decided to leave and my character had to leave with her.

“At the time it seemed like the end of the world. Isn’t life strange? I lost one role only to get the part of Richard Hillman which turned out to be the role of a lifetime – and, as you know, I’ve got the awards to prove it.”

Presumably they’re proudly displayed on his mantelpiece?

Sheepishly Brian says: It was privilege to win and believe me I’m grateful to everyone who voted for me but “I have to admit I keep them in a box in the basement. But there’s a very good reason why. When out-of-work actor pals visit, I feel it would look a bit like showing off to have them on display.”

Doesn’t sound a bit like Richard Hillman!

Brian Capron stars in Stepping Out is at the Opera House from Monday, October 5 until Saturday, October 10.