Coronation Street Blog Interview: Anne Cunningham

 

I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing the actress Anne Cunningham. Anne is a true Coronation Street original, having played Linda Cheveski, daughter of Street legend Elsie Tanner, in the very first episode of Corrie back on 9th December 1960. I wanted to find out more about how Anne started out as an actress, her experience of working on Coronation Street and also other aspects of her career.

First of all I'd love to know why and how you became an actor in the first place.

Not sure HOW I became an actor! Although born in England (Yorkshire) I was educated in South Africa and there was little theatre there except the National Theatre which needed you to be bi-lingual in Afrikaans and English. I did pass my exams in Afrikaans as a subject but was hardly fluent. However I had done “As You Like It” at school and the drama teacher suggested I might train as an actor in England at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama which offered a course combining a 2 year teaching course with a 2 year acting course in 3 years so that at the end as well as being a trained actor I was also a trained teacher. This appealed to my parents and I duly applied and was accepted. As it turns out I have never had to teach. 

 

How did you come to be cast in Coronation Street in the part of Linda?

I was appearing in weekly rep in Buxton as leading lady when the stage manager said he was asking the casting director from Granada to come and see the show as he had a small part in it. “Roar Like a Dove” So I sent a letter asking her to look at me too.

As luck would have it she wasn’t able to come that week but came the following one when I was playing TWO parts ( twins) in Grand National Night which needed Northern accents. I spoke to Margaret Morris in my dressing room during the interval whilst doing a quick change and hoped she’d remember me.

When back in London a couple of months later she contacted me and I met Stuart Latham at the Granada Offices in Golden Square in London. I was asked to do a test in Manchester. 

 

What are your memories of that first live episode of Coronation Street in December 1960?

I had never done television before. In fact I didn’t have a tv set! Having only ever done theatre “live television” was not much different...you couldn’t stop! The only difference was acting to the camera.

The Tanners made an immediate impact in the show. What was it like to work with those actors?

I loved the first year of the Tanners. We were a real “family” spending time on and off the screen together. I still regard Philip (Lowrie, who played Dennis Tanner) as my brother (both being only-children) and I also see Ernst Walder (Ivan Cheveski) regularly although he now lives in his home country of Austria. 

 

Coronation Street had many memorable original characters. My favourites from that era are Annie and Jack Walker, played by Doris Speed and Arthur Leslie and Ena Sharples, played by Violet Carson. What were they like to work with?

Doris Speed, Arthur Leslie and Vi Carson were very much the older and respected members of the cast as were Margot Bryant and Lynne Carol.

In 1963 you played Judith in the film This Sporting Life, with Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts. What was that film like to be a part of?

I left the Street at the end of 1961 feeling that a year in a soap was long enough as there was so much I had yet to do..film, West End, radio etc. As luck would have it the North was BIG ! Saturday Night Sunday Morning. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner etc. So it wasn’t too big a step when Lindsay Anderson cast me as Judith in This Sporting Life. I loved working with him. He had a way of directing an actor which made you feel YOU had thought of what he wanted so everything was relaxed and easy.

Also apart from Rachel I was the only girl on location and was very spoiled! 

 

In 1964 you worked with Roy Kinnear on the series World of His Own. What was Roy like to work with?

I had worked with David Croft on a Light Entertainment programme called “Impromptu” which was one of the first programmes on the new channel BBC 2. After the success of That Was The Week That Was Roy Kinnear was offered a show of his own to star in A World of His Own and David cast me as his wife. His character was to be called Stanley Blake and I was to be his wife Helen.

The set designer was called Darrol Blake and HIS father was called Stanley, so when he was asked to design the first set “Stanley Blake’s bedroom” he said “This is where I came in” !! I LOVED working with Roy. He was a very generous actor and a wonderful comic feed. We laughed so much during rehearsals...and during the takes...that I am surprised David Croft didn’t explode!...mind you he was good at laughing too!

Darrol only designed the first series but in 1965 I married him and am now Mrs Blake...again!

You have appeared in many classic television shows over the years, including The Avengers, Z Cars and The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. Do you have fond memories of these programmes?

As a jobbing actor one had no idea which job would resonate with the audience and become “iconic”. It was just another job. The Avengers, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and Are You Being Served STILL produce an income of about £25 annually but I can’t say I remember them more than “Casanova” with Jeremy Brett “Poor Bitos” with John Neville or “The Physicists” with Roger Livesy and Mary Morris which were never seen again!

In 1973 you worked on a series of the Dick Emery Show. What was Dick like to work with?

Dick Emery was a nightmare to work with! A little man with all a little man’s complexes. Also he was Variety and jealous of any laughs not got by him! He would deliberately “fluff” if I got a laugh so that there would be a retake and the studio audience having heard the gag the first time wouldn’t laugh so much on the retake. 

 

You returned to Coronation Street in 1984 for a short stint. How did that experience compare with your time on the show in the 60s?

I can’t say I enjoyed my return to the Street in 84 as much as I had hoped. The director wondered if I could do the accent and the Green Room had grown so large that the regulars had little booths so there was little contact. There WERE still rehearsals, unlike now, so that you could get an idea of where you fitted into the whole episode but the ‘family” feeling had gone.

Do you still keep up with the Street today and would you ever consider returning to the show?

Hearing my friend Philip’s experience of life on the Street now I have no desire to return. 

 

Of all the roles you have played during your career, which are you most proud of and why?

My favourite part in my career has to be Helen Blake. It was a comedy role with many characters and a wide range of accents, working with a true gent and meeting the love of my life! We have just celebrated 51 years of happy marriage producing 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren! Success. 

I would like to thank Anne very much for taking the time to answer my questions. It really was a thrill to be in touch with someone who was there right at the beginning of one of my all time favourite television series. 

You can follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82 

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The faces of Corrie in 1960

If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next 10 weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.

With thanks to Corriepedia for the information.

In 1960, 7 episodes were broadcast.

1.    Linda Cheveski (7 episodes)
2.    Ena Sharples (7 episodes)
3.    Elsie Tanner (7 episodes)
4.    Annie Walker (7 episodes)
5.    Christine Hardman (6 episodes)
6.    Esther Hayes (6 episodes)
7.    Martha Longhurst (6 episodes)
8.    Dennis Tanner (6 episodes)
9.    Ivan Cheveski (5 episodes)
10.    Harry Hewitt (5 episodes)
11.    Jack Walker (5 episodes)
12.    Minnie Caldwell (4 episodes)

Due to lack of space, Leonard Swindley fails to make the top 12, but he also appeared for 4 episodes.

Average age: 41

Note: This is the only time Linda, Ivan (to date), Christine and Esther appear in the top 12.

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Can we have more of the terrific Tanners please?

I make no secret of the fact I love Rita. For me, she is one of Coronation Street's most wonderful creations, and she's as splendid today as she was forty years ago. I also enjoy see Dennis Tanner back in Weatherfield and think these characters work incredibly well together. They are a little slice of old fashioned Corrie gold every time they appear.

So why not provide them with a decent, high profile storyline? They are crying out for one!

Longstanding Coronation Street legends are becoming increasingly thin on the ground these days. We have lost so many classic characters in recent years that we must make the most of the ones we still have. Gail and Audrey still feature fairly prominently and I'm pleased we're seeing more of Deirdre, Roy and Hayley, however the feeling persists with me that there are a lack of storylines for the Tanners.

Dennis pops up infrequently in the background of fairly insignificant scenes while Rita tends to appear as the voice of reason in whatever Tina and Tommy are getting up to. I can't help but find it all a bit unsatisfying. We don't even see many of the classic Kabin scenes these days with Rita, Emily and Norris. These characters may be getting on in years but I think they still have plenty of spirit left in them. 

And more importantly they are a great deal more interesting and entertaining than the younger crop of Weatherfield residents.

So what would make a good story for the Tanners? Well, when Dennis returned, so did a large chunk of wonderful, amazing Coronation Street history. All those early days in black and white - another link back to the likes of Elsie Tanner, Annie Walker and Ena Sharples. When do we hear these brilliant characters mentioned or even given a name check? Yes, I know Corrie must keep moving forward in order to survive, but the reason it is held in so much affection is its rich past.

I would love to see Rita and Dennis delve into their back catalogue. To my knowledge, Dennis hasn't mentioned his sister Linda since his return. I believe the actress who played her back in the early 1960s is still around, so why not bring back another Tanner, at least for a guest appearance? It would be great to see the Tanner siblings interact once again.

So do you agree? What ideas do you have for future Rita and Dennis stories?


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Corrie originals - Anne Cunningham as Linda Cheveski

This is the last in the series of posts about the original cast of Coronation Street. I do hope you've enjoyed them.

First appearance: 9th December 1960

Last appearance: 20th June 1984

Anne Cunningham played the role of Elsie Tanner’s daughter Linda Cheveski between 1960 and 1961 and made guest appearances in 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1984.

Born in Leeds, Yorkshire in 1937, Cunningham immigrated with her parents to South Africa at a young age. She returned to the UK in 1953 where she trained to be a nurse before enrolling at The Bristol Old Vic where she managed to play roles in Shakespearean plays. In 1960, she was cast in the role of 20 year old Linda Cheveski in new drama serial Coronation Street and debuted in the first episode. Linda had married Pole Ivan Cheveski in 1958 and their marriage was tempestuous. They nearly separated in 1960 but when Linda announced she was pregnant they reconciled and son Paul was born in 1961. After living on the street for a few months, the Cheveskis left for Canada in December 1961. They returned for Christmas 1962 where Linda confided in mum Elsie she wasn’t happy in Canada but returned to Montreal anyway. She also suspected that her mother was having an affair with Len Fairclough. The Cheveskis visited again in 1966 when Ivan and Linda faced another marriage crisis but when Paul fell into the canal they once again reconciled and moved to Birmingham. They visited again in 1967 for Elsie’s wedding to Steve Tanner and over Christmas that year and Linda attended brother Dennis’ wedding to Jenny Sutton in 1968.

Cunningham reprised the role of Linda 16 years later when she was brought back to deal with the sale of Elsie’s house after she moved to Portugal. During her stint, Linda was said to be divorcing Ivan and she fell for builder Bill Webster, who was renovating the house and later bought the house even though she was desperate to stay put. Bill was unaware of Linda’s feelings towards him. During her last stint on the show, Cunningham felt the programme had changed and the rapport between the cast had vanished and that is why her stay was brief. The producers had hoped she would become a permanent character in a bid to continue the Tanner dynasty, as they did with the reintroduction of Billy Walker to continue the Walker dynasty at the Rovers but Ken Farrington, who played Billy, also left at the end of 1984. Cunningham reprised her role as Linda in Corrie spin off video The Life and Loves of Elsie Tanner in 1987, a tribute to Pat Phoenix who’d died in 1986. In the video, Linda, with Emily Bishop and Mike Baldwin, reminisced about Elsie’s life. It was referred to that Elsie had passed away but in 2011 it was revealed by Elsie’s son Dennis that she had died in 2004 so the video is not canon. Overall, Cunningham appeared in 106 episodes.

When not playing Linda, Cunningham has had roles in Z Cars (1962-1963), World of his Own (1964-1965), Play of the Week (1963-1965), The Avengers (1966), Dixon of Dock Green (1975), Are You Being Served? (1976), Crown Court (1975-1976), The Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin (1976), The Nineteenth Hole (1989), The Cazalets (2001) and Henry the Otter (2007). She appeared as herself in Corrie documentary 50 Years, 50 Moments in 2010 to note the soap’s golden anniversary.

In 1965 she married Darrol Blake, who would become a Corrie director and they had twins. She lives in London and ran an antiques shop with former on-screen hubby Ernst Walder. 

Have you ever seen or met Anne Cunningham? Do you know any trivia about her?

Research from Corriepedia, IMDB and Corrie Net.

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