Blog Exclusive! We interview Rupert Hill

Following on from my earlier blog post about his starring role in the stage version of When Harry Met Sally, currently touring, Rupert Hill (Jamie Baldwin) was kind enough to chat to me on the telephone this afternoon. He is thoroughly enjoying doing the play, which is closely adapted from Norah Ephron's 80s screenplay, and describes it as really good fun with lots of laughs. He says the reaction of audiences has been great.

I wondered how he mastered the required New York accent, but he said he had little difficulty partly because he has always been a big Woody Allen fan.

Rupert has another project in the pipeline. His band, formerly known as Yellow Dog, are making their first album which will be coming out in July. Following that, there will be a tour. Rupert says the band have expanded with two new violin players, and are about to change their name, but it isn't yet decided what that will be. Rupert really enjoys doing a diverse range of work.

There was no word of him returning to the cobbles, worse luck. It looks like the demise of the Baldwin clan could be permanent. Nevertheless Rupert holds Corrie in high esteem and described his time there as "an education in acting for camera". One of his best memories of his four years there was working with Bradley Walsh, who played Danny Baldwin, with whom he had a great working relationship. A particularly emotional storyline for Rupert, was Mike Baldwin's dementia, as his grandfather suffered similarly.

Rupert wasn't a regular Corrie viewer pre-Jamie Baldwin, however his mum was a long-time fan, so from a young age he was aware of the regular characters on Coronation Street. He said it was a strange feeling walking on set for the first time, with all those familiar faces around him.
He thinks Corrie's backbone is its comedy, and the sense of continuity from old-timers like Rita and Norris. He remembered Maggie Jones with great affection, but sadly could not help me out with my query about who delivered the line: "Oh, here's Oedipus". He reckons it sounds like a Blanche line, but could not confirm. Drat!

Well, a massive thank you to Rupert for sparing the time to talk, and for bearing with me - I've never interviewed anyone before in me puff! He's appearing tonight and tomorrow night in the Yvonne Arnaud theatre, Guildford. Other tour dates are here.