cultureAUGUST09
interview
4
Stir crazyBarbara Hodgson puts in extra time with actor
Shaun Williamson whos serving up some Porridge.
I
n these days of seemingly endless gloomy
forecasts � and that's the weather, never mind
the economy � it's a relief to know some things
are guaranteed to raise a smile. Take Ian La
Frenais and Dick Clement, for instance: the writing
partnership whose tried and tested comic formula
has produced such TV classics as The Likely Lads
and Porridge (and later Auf Wiedersehen, Pet).
For many, those hugely-popular 1970s series bring
back comfort-blanket memories of a time when
families would sit together around the TV.
"Well, in those days there were only three chan-
nels," points out Shaun Williamson, who's starring in
the first ever stage version of Porridge.
It follows a recent adaptation by La Frenais and
Clement of The Likely Lads � which made its debut
last year at Durham's Gala Theatre � and is presented
by Calibre Productions which is behind successful
stage versions of Dad's Army and 'Allo 'Allo.
Maybe it's something to do with nos-
talgia, suggests former EastEnders and
Extras actor Williamson. "People just
aren't writing that sort of thing now."
Like ordinary families around the coun-
try, Londoner Shaun, whose father was a
postman and mother a cleaner, was a
regular Porridge viewer.
"I used to watch it and we'd talk about
it the next day at school. It would have 20
million viewers. There were two series
and a film which was the fifth biggest box
office hit of the year. It was very pop-
ular."
On paper, the premise of a comedy set
within the confines of a prison might not seem
auspicious. But, starring Ronnie Barker as dry-witted
rogue Norman Stanley Fletcher serving a five-year
stretch at Slade prison for breaking and entering,
alongside cell-mate Lennie Godber (Richard Beckin-
sale), it was a hit which ran from 1974-77.
In a 2004 BBC poll of the 100 greatest British
sitcoms, it was voted number seven.
So how will it translate to the stage? Well, banish
any idea of a claustophobic prison set, because there
are 14 characters, including all the favourites like
prison warder Mr Mackay, and the wider jail antics,
such as rigged boxing matches and the occasional
attempted break-out. "And there's a tunnel I have to
fall through," reveals Williamson.
He adds: "Clement and La Frenais have written
some new material to fit the stage but they've taken
two classic episodes, one in the first half, one in the
second, and all the good gags from the series.
"And there's a bit of A Night In � an episode which
just featured the two of them in a cell. It won awards
as one of the best scenes in situation comedy ever.
There's about 10 minutes of that."
As the first man tasked with filling the prison shoes
of the late comedy star, does he feel the weight of
expectations? "Along with Peter Sellers, Barker was
a comic genius," says Williamson. "He disappeared
into a role.
"But if you thought like that, you wouldn't get out of
bed. You wouldn't do anything � nobody would do
Shakespeare, for instance.
"However, there is an expectation from people to
see a certain glimpse of that character."
Williamson won't disappoint. A versatile actor, best
known for playing hapless car dealer Barry Evans in
EastEnders from 1994 to 2003, he has won plenty of
comedy fans himself with his self-effacing role in
Ricky Gervais's Extras, playing a parody of his
`unemployable' soap character.
The father-of-two actually started out relatively late
in acting. He grew up on a "real kitchen sink" estate:
"Ijustwantedtoleaveschoolandearnmoney;Inever
passed an exam."
Various jobs followed, including post-
man, sailor and holiday rep. "I didn't
discover acting until I was 26; went to
drama school at 27 then left at 30."
He adds: "So, I didn't start acting until
I was 30 then within six months I got
EastEnders. When I left I was about 40
and that's all I'd done.
"I became very unsettled in East-
Enders. I couldn't wait to get out."
And he's certainly been making up for
lost time. "I've never been out of work
since leaving.
"A lot of that has been on stage � I've
done four musicals (a manager in Take
That tribute show; DJ Monty in Saturday Night Fever;
narrator in The Rocky Horror Show and Nathan
Detroit in Guys `n' Dolls). I've been very lucky.
"And I've sung � that's my first love," he reveals.
He's still in a band � the 11-piece John Oliver Band,
performing, due to extensive work commitments, as
and when he can.
The tour of Porridge, which, incidentally, marks the
30th year since Bekinsale's early death, will keep him
busyformonths,althoughhewillbeperformingagain
in pantomime � Abanazar in Aladdin � this year.
Then there's another series of TV show Scoop plus
a possible film. And any chance of more Extras?
"Well, I'm not sure about Extras because I don't
think they're making any more," he says. "It kind of
backed itself into a corner by making the character
quite successful so he's not an extra anymore.
"But there's a Ricky Gervais film coming out next
month(TheInventionofLying)andIwasgivenasmall
part in that," he adds.
A late starter but there's no stopping him now.
Porridge comes to Theatre Royal, Newcastle,
from September 14-19. Visit www.theatreroy-
al.co.uk or call 08448 112 121.

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