Interview - Lesley Joseph

MENTION Lesley Joseph and most people will immediately think of the ultimate tart with a heart, Dorian Green.

With her penchant for high heels, leopard prints and a complicated love life, she was one of the most iconic television characters of the 1980s and 1990s in the BBC TV sitcom Birds Of A Feather. She’s even been described as a national institution.

The hugely successful comedy ran for nine years and at the height of its popularity was pulling in 20 million viewers making Lesley a household name.

The series ended in 1998 before being brought back by ITV earlier this year but in between times Lesley not been putting her feet up.

In fact far from it. The 68-year-old, who exudes warmth and joire de vivre, has been incredibly busy, doing everything from Shakespeare to panto not to mention reality show Celebrity Come Dine With Me.

She is currently preparing to revive her character of Myra, one of four women in the smash hit musical Hot Flush!.

It is the third time she will have reprised the role and will be taking the show, which she describes as “outrageously funny” around the country beginning the tour at the New Wimbledon Theatre on Tuesday, March 4.

“It’s a fabulous show,” she gushes as we chat in a break from rehearsals. “It’s a musical and I’ve done it twice before. It’s outrageous and naughty – like a saucy seaside postcard,” she chortles.

“People just loved it which is why the producers wanted to bring it back. I’m delighted!”

The show features four women, all of whom have different lives, characters and sets of issues but whose lives intertwine with hilarious results.

Lesley plays Myra, a lawyer who she says behaves disgracefully. “She’s quite a ballsy character. Her son is having an affair with one of her friends and her husband leaves her for a younger woman.

“She’s great to play and I do have a lot of fun with her including singing one song which is actually quite raunchy,” she laughs.

“It’s really a series of sketches and vignettes where we see these four women go about their lives and all the funny things that go on. The audience gets to see them at their best, at their worst and everything in between and shares all these ups and downs.

“It’s not just for women – men will get a lot out of it too – but every woman will relate to these things and recognise aspects of their own lives in these characters.

“Things like losing your phone in your bag, hearing it ring and not being able to find it in time despite turning everything in the bag onto the floor - which is something that happens to me on a daily basis,” she chuckles.

“It’s very funny but quite near the knuckle,” she adds without pausing for breath. “But the best thing is that the audience will have a great time, laugh their socks off and leave on a real high. You can’t beat that for a great evening out.”

And is Myra anything like Dorian, I ask.

“There are some similarities but on the whole no,” she says. “Myra has a professional job and isn’t a man eater like Dorian!”

And she insists she doesn’t mind at all that most people will remember her for alter ego.

“Dorian is an amazing part of my life and she opened a huge amount of doors for me so it’s been a blessing. She is a life force!”

And when I tell her Dorian has been described as a national institution she roars with laughter.

“Do you know that’s such a lovely thing,” she says. “She’s not altogether a likeable person but it’s so nice people have taken her to their hearts.

“I love playing her and the three of us, myself, Linda [Robson] and Pauline [Quirke], were delighted when ITV asked to bring it back. We’ve had to move the characters on of course but it’s like slipping on old shoes. It’s been great fun.”

But although she is perhaps best known for Birds Of A Feather she insists theatre is her first love.

“I come from a theatrical background and always loved theatre,” she says. “It’s in my blood, it’s my first love and since Dorian I’ve been incredibly lucky to have been offered Shakespeare, Chekov and other theatrical roles including panto which I absolutely love.

“Even better most things I’ve done have been well received so I know that I can go on stage, do a show and entertain people – that’s important to me.”

And although she says she hopes Birds may be commissioned for another series, her focus is very much on Hot Flush!.

“We are all hugely excited, especially to be opening in Wimbledon which is such a beautiful theatre,” she says.

“I’ve performed there before in a couple of shows and I love the place. It has a real warmth to it. The audiences are always fantastic and know what they like!” she laughs. “We are going to have a great time.”

Hot Flush! Is on at the New Wimbledon Theatre on Tuesday March 4 and Wednesday March 5. Tickets from £22.40. Visit www.atgtickets.com/shows/hot-flush/new-wimbledon-theatre/ to buy tickets

London Sealife Centre

TAKING the kids on a journey to dive the world’s oceans is a non starter for most families. Despite being beautiful, fascinating and being home to some of the most amazing creatures on earth, they are not places where you can easily take small children.

Which is where the London Aquarium comes into its own.

Based on the South Bank next to the London Eye in the former County Hall, it is home to one of Europe's largest collections of global marine life all housed in a very pushchair and wheelchair friendly environment.

Although not cheap, it’s packed with 2 million litres of water housing 500 species of interesting sea creatures from sharks to seahorses, rays to rockpools, turtles to crocs and frogs in 14 themed areas over three floors.

It is also full of interesting facts and figures courtesy of information panels and videos not to mention advice about how people can support its conservation work.

As well as all this in the last couple of years it has been expanding its operation to include a section on the rainforest with a fierce looking caimen crocodile, piranhas, red tailed catfish and the Poison Arrow Frog, and the Antarctica exhibition which features the beautiful Gentoo Penguins.

Its latest exhibit, Claws, is no less of a crowd pleaser and as its name suggests, features some stunning species of crustaceans.

Although it’s only a small part of the overall experience it is pretty impressive and the gigantic Japanese Spider crab is undoubtedly its star billing.

These incredible and quite beautiful looking crabs live at the bottom of the ocean and can grow to an amazing 12ft long. They move very slowly and have very long legs.

It also features the blue lobster, pink shrimps and some slightly smaller crab species which visitors can see in giant tanks and through a tunnel display so they can be seen from every angle.

In common with other areas of the Aquarium there are plenty of displays detailing pertinent information about those in the tanks plus a giant mechanical claw which shows the inner workings of a crab’s claw.

Elsewhere, interactive features give visitors the chance to feel the hardness of the crabs’ shells and the sharpness of the serrations on their claws.

It’s a fascinating exhibition and added to the rest of the Aquarium experience will keep kids of all ages enthralled for hours.

The Sea Life London Aquarium is open seven days a week. Tickets are £21.60 for adults, £15.90 for children. Family tickets and special behind-the-scenes packages also available. Visit www.sealife.co.uk/london for more information.

Hannah - Unicorn theatre

FOUR STARS

PUTTING on a re-imagining of Marlowe's Dr Faustus for a young audience is ambitious but the Unicorn Theatre has done it well with its version, Hannah.

Hannah (Kae Alexander) is a normal teenager with normal teenage emotions and thoughts, hopes and fears. She lives with her mum, a scientist researching climate change, and her pet lizard Dave and confines herself to her bedroom most of the time.

However, when she wishes she was the centre of the universe, her pet lizard Dave (Ian Keir Attard) comes to life as the devil in human form and tells her he can grant her any wish her heart desires - for a price of course.

This "small" price is her soul, which we see downloading onto the computer, whilst Dave shows Hannah what she can have if she really wants it.

For some teenagers this would pose no problem at all but Hannah doesn't really want wealth, fame and absolute power. She is much more thoughtful and wonders what it would be like to have no wars.

It means Dave has to use all his cunning to trap her and Hannah, wide eyed and innocent, goes along with his plan.

It is an ingenious and clever script and beautifully acted by the four-strong cast. To add to the production there is a chorus who explains what is going on, as well as clever uses of magic, special effects and trickery.

And it is a powerful reminder, simply told, for the mainly young audience, that you should always be careful what you wish for.

Hannah is on at the Unicorn Theatre, Tooley Street until Sunday, March 9. Tickets from £10. Call the box office on 020 7645 0560.  

Interview with John Taylor

IN 1978 a band from Birmingham burst onto the music scene. With their catchy synthesised pop songs, make up, lavish videos and pin up looks, the five young men that made up Duran Duran were a hit from the get go.

Number 1s in countries across the world, 100 million records sold, more awards than you can shake a stick at and a jet set lifestyle were all par for the course.

Indeed they epitomised the New Romantic era of British pop and the excesses of the 1980s enjoying huge financial and artistic success.

However behind all the glamour and fast living, for bass player John Taylor, things were not so rosy.

He was battling alcohol and drug addictions and by his own admission was behaving in a way he would never have done had he been sober.

But one day he realised he'd had enough and checked himself into a US rehab centre in Arizona. It was, he says, a turning point, and thanks to the centre's approach to tackling peoples' addictions, he's not looked back.

Now, 19 years sober and counting he has become patron of Mount Carmel, a drug and alcohol treatment centre in Aldrington Road, Streatham.

Headed up by chief executive Ruth Allonby, Mount Carmel has been running its successful and specialist detox management and counselling programmes for the best part of 26 years.

Offering family support groups, housing support and, crucially, free aftercare, the 18-bed residential centre also advocates the 12-Step programme John credits with turning his life around.

It has seen more than 1,000 people from all walks of life pass through its doors and boasts a success rate of about 65 per cent.

Yet despite its success, many don't know of its existence. They hope this will change with John's involvement.

"I was really struck by his infectious enthusiasm for the 12-Step programme when I heard him speak at last summer's UKESAD [UK/European Symposium on Addictive Disorders] conference," says Ruth.

"The story of his recovery from addiction was compelling so I was bowled over when he said he would come and talk to our clients and even more so when he agreed to be patron.

"He has been a few times and we've all been struck by how down to earth he is. He just speaks from the heart, and his own experience, and it's been an incredibly positive experience."

But although as we talk it's clear his passion for the work the centre does is real and genuine, John says he was initially cautious about getting involved.

"It wasn't an easy decision to say yes to," he says. "I was wary as it requires a huge amount of commitment and you can't do these things half-heartedly and I wanted to do it justice.

"But it's quite an extraordinary place. It's really down to earth, and does an amazing amount of good work changing peoples' lives for the better.

"I've been to speak to some of the clients there and was impressed by the warm and friendly atmosphere there. They advocate the 12-Step programme which I believe in and get results and the fact the staff care so much. So I'm really pleased to be part of it."

Warm, friendly and completely open about his past, the 53-year-old has a refreshing honesty and frankness about his addictions.

"I'm just one of those people who can't just have one or two drinks and then stop," he explains. "I wasn't in the gutter and drinking every day but when I did I just didn't have an off button and so ended up drinking to excess. It was the same with the drugs.

"I was just so miserable but hadn't put it down to the drugs and alcohol. I couldn't cope with life. I'd lost the map and was very unhappy," he remembers.

"It was isolating - I thought I had a string of issues but I didn't want to deal with them. You think you have got bipolar anxiety with all of these things going on but actually it's just this disease.

"It just got ridiculous though."

So he decided to get clean.... but he says it wasn't easy.

"It's one thing to check yourself in. It's quite another to come out at the end and be strong enough to start living your life.

"It's also very hard for family and friends because you come out a completely different person. And they have to deal with that change.

"You realise you can't rely on your family and friends. Very few people appreciate what it is to be a struggling alcoholic. It changes things. The family that has been begging you to get help is now struggling with the new sober you."

For John it ended happily which is why he's so keen to help promote the Mount Carmel programme.

"From my experience it's the only one that really offers that kind of turn around that people are looking for.

"It makes you acknowledge that drug and alcohol addiction are diseases which can affect anyone," he says. "It's important to buy into that. It enables you to put aside all of the blame which is very important. It took me a while to get that idea, partly as I was raised a Catholic and there are certain things you buy into and don't question.

"It made sense though because no one I knew was having the same issues like me. They didn't have a problem stopping drinking and had a degree of control. There had to be something different about me so it made sense that this was a disease. It's just part of my genetic make up.

"The 12-Step programme was my saviour in a way and has helped me live my life again."

But he rejects the idea that it's "culty".

"It does sound a bit culty," he laughs. "But it's really not. It's a programme that works. I'm living proof.

"It opens the door to healing which allows you to get on top of the other issues.

"It's about getting people through the door, bringing them out of the isolation they feel and connecting them with others who have the same problems.

"It's about abstinence. I am an all-or-nothing person and I feel abstinence is where it's at. It's a clean break.

"It's very challenging and a gradual process but you have to keep going," he adds.

"What's really amazing about Mount Carmel is they are with you every step which is so important.

"And afterwards they are still there to support you which is exactly what you need and it's so reassuring.

"There is such an enormous amount of information and a tool kit which are the resources to help you when you want to scratch the itch - when you've had a fight with your wife, lost your job, when life is just happening and you want to reach for a drink.

"Life is so challenging for most of us in one way or another so you have to have an alternative to reaching for that drink and that's what Mount Carmel teaches you."

And he's clear there need to be more places like Mount Carmel.

"Mount Carmel is a fantastic place. I am not a politician but I feel if the government is going to spend money on rehab or on people with problems they need to do it right," he says.

"People can offer so much and I think that's why if there was an argument for more money or government intervention it's that.

"It's a life change but it's so worth it. To get clean and begin again, build a sober foundation and have an extraordinary life.

"I can only say from my experience. People can become very useful members of society and it's in everyone's interests to help as many people to get sober."

And he admits since his stint in rehab, life has been good.

"Life is amazing," he says warmly. "I love my job, the band and my family and I'm working with the band on a new album which is great.

"I am a realist not a romantic but I feel like I got the golden ticket when I went to rehab. It's a difficult thing to communicate with people without it sounding a bit freaky," he adds laughing.

"I just want to tell people it's actually a tremendously noble step towards a better life. It's about debunking the negative mystique around rehab.

"I am hopeful though. Thousands of people have found a way. But people have to be prepared to pick up the phone and call Mount Carmel. No one can do that for you.

"You have to walk through the door and take that step yourself. It's never too late to turn your life around."

Visit www.mountcarmel.org.uk for information.

Harry Hepple and Eric Kofi Abrefa in A Taste of Honey at the National Theatre

WRITTEN when she was just 18, Shelagh Delaney's "kitchen sink" play was hailed as one of the greatest taboo-breaking works of its time.

A Taste Of Honey was groundbreaking in confronting issues of class, race, gender and sexual orientation in mid-20th century Britain.

The centres on the character of Helen and her feisty teenage daughter Jo. When Helen runs off with a car salesman, Jo takes up with Jimmy a black sailor who promises to marry her, before he heads off back to sea, leaving her pregnant and alone.

Art student Geoff moves in and assumes the role of surrogate parent until, misguidedly, he sends for Helen and their unconventional setup unravels.

Now almost 60 years on A Taste Of Honey is back and in a new revival which has just opened at the National Theatre.

Amongst its star studded cast are two young actors from South London. Eric Kofi Abrefa from Stockwell and Forest Hill-based Harry Hepple, who play Jimmy and Geoff respectively. They admit the themes thrown up by the piece have meant it’s been a learning curve for both of them.

"It is set in a time where attitudes to everything were very different to how they are now,” says Harry.

"Life experiences were very different. People frowned on single teenage mothers back then but in many ways it was less about age and more about the fact a woman wasn’t married - that was the real crime.

"Now people don't bat an eyelid if a woman has a child but isn't married, and they aren't chained to the kitchen sink, but in those days there was definitely an expectation that any woman having a child would be married and she would look after her husband and kids."

To help put the issues raised by the piece into historical context, during rehearsals the cast was visited by women who talked to them about what life was like in the 1950s.

"It was a bit of an eye opener!” laughs Harry. "We were told stories about what life was like if you were black, gay or unmarried with a child. Some of the attitudes people had are quite shocking."

"I was also amazed about how big a deal it was to have a mixed race child,” adds Eric.

"They talked about mixed race communities and the myths that were purported at the time, for example if you had sex with a black man and sex with a white man and conceived a child there was still a possibility it would be mixed race. It's incredible to think it was only 50 years ago people had those views."

But they agree it's been a fantastic experience to be part of.

"It's a brilliant play, so well written and observed," says Eric. "It's a fascinating subject and we've learned such a lot from it.

"People still relate to it," he adds. "I was born and grew up in Stockwell and have seen attitudes change over the years. However there are still pockets of racism and there is still a concern about being gay, teenage pregnancy or being a single parent in some communities. Thankfully attitudes are changing though."

And for Harry it was groundbreaking in other ways.

"It's one of those seminal plays which I'm sure is responsible for some of the TV shows we watch today," he says.

"Coronation Street, Phoenix Nights and The Royale Family, they are really successful and groundbreaking in their own way. Nothing really controversial happens in The Royale Family - we just see them going about their lives - but it’s compelling and the characters are ones that people relate to.

"Although it was of its time A Taste Of Honey really tried to break the mould. What’s brilliant for me about it is that it’s about two women, the relationship between a mother and daughter, and we get to hear their voices.

"The male characters are satellites and that’s rare as normally it's the other way round and the men dominate the play.

"It’s nice to be part of something so different."

And both are excited to be bringing it to the National's Lyttelton stage.

"It’s always a privilege to be here,” says Eric. "And to be part of such an amazing piece of work is very exciting."

"There's a fantastic community and family spirit within the building,” adds Harry warmly. “When I was training it always looked quite daunting. You can’t easily see in because it’s a big concrete building, but when you are inside it’s really nice and everyone is lovely.

"It’s the epicentre of great theatre and a lovely place to work."

A Taste of Honey is on at the Lyttelton stage at the National Theatre until Sunday, May 11. Tickets from £15. Call the box office on 020 7452 3000