'An Evening with' Corrie Writer Jonathan Harvey at Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre

Whenever I read the words 'An Evening with'.. my TV brain immediately conjures up images of 1980's television and those iconic 'An Audience with...' celebration of Britain's finest talents. From Kenneth Williams to Victoria Wood, they were always a jam-packed affair and with a TV star audience (often 1980s Corrie stars) and were the staple of Saturday night telly. I start this article with that memory as I feel tonight's interview with corrie writer Jonathan Harvey is set in a similar (albeit Covid19) kind of way. This evening's fundraiser in aid of Manchester's Hope Mill theatre (and a writing competition mentored by the man himself) is a ‘This Is Your Life’ special, perhaps, and dives deep into the life and work of this longtime Coronation Street writer. 

Filmed in Covid19 conditions at the theatre, the show was presented by another Corrie legend, actress Denise Welch, aka one time Rovers Return landlady Natalie Horrocks, who is the perfect host for this celebration on the writer's life and most recent works. If you’re unfamiliar with his pre-Corrie catalogue, Liverpool born Jonathan Harvey is probably best known for creating the outrageously camp and downright hilarious 1990’s comedy classic ‘Gimme, Gimme, Gimme’ starring national treasure Kathy Burke. This often celebrated work could be considered a pinnacle in any other writer's career but Jonathan Harvey is an accomplished playwright, novelist, and screenwriter who has also written 276 episodes of Coronation Street (including some absolute classics)

the classic 'AA scene' was written by Jonathan Harvey

About 18 months ago I had the pleasure of a one-on-one phone interview with the writer, for this very blog, so covering this ‘Evening With’ special (accessed via Vimeo) seemed like a no brainer, and a great way to raise money for the creative arts industry. Jonathan is (no hyperbole) an absolute writing idol of mine so I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night! 

Jonathan Harvey (R) with Coronation Street creator Tony Warren (M) and fellow writer Damon Rochefort (L)

Q How did Jonathan Harvey become part of the corrie writing team? 

“I started writing for the show in 2004 after initially being approached by executive producer Carolyn Reynolds and turned it down twice before reluctantly accepting. As a religious corrie watcher, I was nervous and was reluctant to ‘peek behind the curtain’ to work backstage on the show and as a huge fan, to maybe lose some of the magic. As a writer, the camaraderie of Corrie is nice, and being part of 18 writers, feels like a huge team”

Of course, we had to have a few Corrie stars pose a few questions via video link.  First up was actor Antony Cotton (aka Sean Tully) who asked the following question; 

Q - Starting on Corrie you wrote Todd’s coming out story, How important do you think it is to write for the LGBT characters and do you think the representation on Coronation Street is strong? 

“As a writer, I felt, you know, what took you so long? Show creator Tony Warren was gay, the show has LGBT in its blueprint, and there is a natural fluctuation of characters within LGBT on Coronation Street and it must continue”

Q- Do you gravitate towards writing those characters?

“No not now, but to start with yes I thought I was ‘head of gay’ but as you go through life you realise that as a writer you can give any character a voice” he added “I recently helped create the Geoff and Yasmeen coercive storyline- it a writing job that just keeps on going”

Second up was ex-Corrie actress and one of the writers best friends in real life, Catherine Tyldesley (Eva Price) who asked;

Q-I first met you when I was working on the BBC drama ‘Lillies’ and my question is if you could go back to your 18-year-old self when you won your first writing award, what advice would you give you? 

“To be kind and to keep writing. When younger I had acne which blighted my youth and it was awful really but I laugh about it now and life gets better, I’d say that’s important” 

For more details about the playwriting competition, £5K prize, with mentoring from Jonathan Harvey himself, check out the details on the hope mill website

Thanks as always to @CoroStreetBlog editor Glenda 

I am @rybazoxo your (self-appointed) cobbles connoisseur & lifelong Corrie fan 

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First ever Tony Warren Drama Student Bursary awarded

The first ever Tony Warren Drama Student Bursary has been awarded to Florence Dobson, who attends the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

The North West Evening Mail reports that the bursary covers all tuition fees for the recipient and contributes towards their living expenses across a three-year course of study.

The ITV Studios committee will award a bursary of up to £45,000, which shall be split equally across the successful recipient’s three-year course at the chosen drama school or regional academies.

On receiving the funding, the former Ulverston Victoria High School pupil said: “I am honoured and so grateful to receive the Tony Warren Bursary. Being the youngest of four, raised single-handedly by our mum, this award has relieved the financial worries I had when planning my move to London to start at RADA, and has enabled me to focus fully on my training.

“It is so reassuring that the lack of funding for disadvantaged young actors in the north west is being addressed, and the Tony Warren Bursary is a wonderful example of the many ways this can be achieved.

“As I am the first recipient of this award, I feel very passionate about sharing its cause and I urge anyone wishing to audition for drama school, but who believes it is financially impossible, to seek such support – and to understand that it is out there, and that it is absolutely possible.”

See also: Christmas presents for Coronation Street fans

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Tony Warren commemorative plaque installed

A plaque commemorating Coronation Street creator Tony Warren has gone up on The Gatehouse, in Swinton Park.

It was done with the help of Salford Community Leisure to coincide with an exhibition at Salford Museum and Art Gallery about Warren which runs until July 3.

David Tucker and Noreen Kershaw help unveil the plaque. (Image: Andy Lambert)

You can read the full story at the Manchester Evening News.

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Why is my beloved Corrie copying Eastenders? asks Fern Britton

The article to the left was written recently by the TV presenter and longstanding Corrie fan Fern Britton. I wanted to share it here because her views chime with those expressed widely on this Blog over the past few months and especially this week. In my view, Fern hits the nail right on the head; Corrie just isn’t Corrie anymore. If you click on the image to enlarge it and then zoom in, the article should be legible. It's worth a read.

I've been writing for the Coronation Street Blog for four years now and I have always tried to apply the principle that if I can't blog something nice, then I shouldn't blog anything at all. That probably explains why I haven't written much recently!

However, watching Weatherfield’s vicar turn up at Church on Monday evening - not to take communion, but to take heroin - was the final straw for me and I had to speak out about the direction of travel my favourite soap is going in. It's the wrong direction. 

It's not that I’m squeamish about a smack storyline - I’ve read a lot of Irvine Welsh! It’s just that this kind of thing doesn’t belong in Coronation Street. I'm also OK with dark drama but not six times a week after a hard day at work.

I have always said that I love Corrie because it is gripping drama juxtaposed by the very best of Northern wit. Sadly, that genuine warmth and humour that Coronation Street has always done so well is currently in short supply.

What a contrast to the Classic Coronation Street episodes being broadcast on ITV3. The episodes on at the moment date from 1987/88 and are an absolute joy to watch. They also bring into sharp focus just how far Corrie has strayed from its original charm and everything that we love about the show - the believable human relationships, the humour, and the reflection of real life that Fern Britton talks about in her article.

On Wednesday, ITV3 showed the episode in which Hilda Ogden left the street. I was only five when Mrs O departed and so it's been fantastic to see her on screen, albeit at the end of her run. The scriptwriters certainly don't make 'em like Hilda anymore.

A few hours later, over on ITV1, we saw Billy the Vicar score some more horse and throw up in his kitchen. Oh, and Bethany glassed some bloke with a beer bottle. Nevermind 'Eastenders' - both are scenes lifted directly from 'Trainspotting'. In a couple of weeks' time, we're going to have the David Platt storyline and that's hardly going to lift the mood!

Fern Britton mentions Mary Taylor, Roy Cropper and Ken Barlow as examples of characters with "that heart we love". Mary hasn't been seen much of late, Roy has disappeared and Ken is little more than a bit-part player these days. It's all looking a bit bleak. If he were still with us today, I'm not sure that Tony Warren would recognise what his beloved Corrie has become. 

What do we reckon guys - is there a way out of the darkness? There must be, right?!! I hope so.

By Martin Leay, on Twitter @mpleay

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ITV launches Tony Warren Drama Student Bursary

A professional actor before he became a writer, Coronation Street Creator, Tony Warren, was always a champion of local talent and acutely aware of just how difficult it was for disadvantaged young people to get a step on to the drama school ladder.  Shortly before his death in 2016 he discussed his wish for Coronation Street and ITV to establish a bursary that would support local actors from disadvantaged backgrounds in to training at drama school. 

After extensive research ITV has chosen to work with The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, (LAMDA), The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) and Manchester School of Theatre, part of Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU).

All the above schools are recognised industry leaders who regularly hold auditions in Manchester and the North West proving their links with the city and the region.

A supporter of the initiative, Actor/Director and long time friend of Tony Warren, Noreen Kershaw, said “Tony used to say to me - ‘We can’t stand still!  We have a responsibility to find new outstanding talent, bring them on and encourage them, so let’s get out there and discover them. Who else is going to find and help them if we don’t? - Wise words from a man who was always ahead of his time."

Coronation Street’s Executive Producer, Kieran Roberts, says:  “I am delighted on both a personal and professional level that ITV Studios is able to fulfil Tony’s wish to create this bursary. Tony understood the need to give people a chance to shine and that financial circumstance meant a lot of great talent would go unseen. He was also a passionate champion of northern acting talent. In creating this scheme in his name we hope to make a difference for some fantastic actors of the future."

The first successful applicant of the inaugural Tony Warren Bursary will begin their training in September 2018.

To find out more visit the website here.

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A Night in Celebration of Tony Warren

Corrie legend Bill Roache opened the exhibition

Last Monday night I was extremely lucky to be invited along to the Salford Museum and Art Gallery for a special private launch of Four Miles from Manchester: Tony Warren's Coronation Street. If you didn't know, this special exhibition about the creator of Corrie features a lot of original documents and artefacts from Tony's career presented alongside information about his childhood and life post-Coronation Street. There's lots happening at the museum over the next few months and you can read more about that here.

I arrived to the event and the whole room was buzzing with stories of Tony, a lot of people there weren't just former ITV colleagues but also his friends and family. I spoke with one lady who recalled being Tony's neighbour in the 1940s and 50s, and spending time playing games in the street with him. From the outset I knew this was going to be a good night.

Bill Roache and executive producer Kieran Roberts

The first speaker to take to the stage was Dave Tucker, a close friend of Tony, who opened up about the last few weeks of Tony's life back in 2016. Speaking very personally, he told us about how surprised he was to inherit his belongings, and even more so about what treasures he found when clearing Tony's house. Apparently it was somewhat like Cathy Matthew's house, but a bit more organised. To be in the presence of people who knew Tony so well was just wonderful.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett was next to welcome visitors to the exhibition, followed by executive producer Kieran Roberts. Later in the evening I had a quick chat with Kieran, and it's fair to say he is nothing less than proud to follow in Tony's footsteps.

Florizel Street scripts

The last person to speak was original cast member Bill Roache, who remembered early days of production on Coronation Street and how Tony thought he was a perfect fit for Ken Barlow as soon as they met one another. He also noted that although the programme has changed a lot in 57 years, Tony's original ideas will forever be at the heart of every episode.

Once Bill declared the exhibition officially open, everyone was invited upstairs to take a look. The small room is jam packed with artefacts from Tony's life, from worn away photographs to crumpled letters, autographs from Corrie stars of past and tonnes of books that he either wrote or had dedicated to him.

Bill and Kieran in the authentic 50s living room

One glass case was entirely dedicated to the typewriter used to create the early draft scripts for Florizel Street, and the first thirteen episodes of Coronation Street. Surrounding the typewriter were said scripts, and to see them in person is overwhelming. Visitors to the exhibition can also watch the first episode of the programme in an authentic 1950s living room, somewhat reminiscent of Elsie Tanner's living room with the flying ducks during the early shows.

Tony Warren's This Is Your Life book

Another part of the exhibition houses Tony's "This Is Your Life" book! If I was entirely honest, I never thought the infamous red book was nothing more than a prop. Beside it is a photograph of EastEnders actress June Brown, who Tony admired during her very early days as an actress. In another case is his autograph book, which June had signed many years ago when they met at a stage door. You can watch Tony's TIYL programme below.

At the end of the evening, Connor McIntyre turned up in a blaze of boos and hisses, telling everyone that he'd left Pat Phelan on Trafford Wharf Road! Connor really is a true gent, posing for photos with everyone (including this fan), and didn't have anything but lovely words to say about the blog. It's moments like that, that make me so proud to write for the Corrie blog, and it well and truly topped off a fantastic evening.

Connor McIntyre! The man's a legend!

You can visit the Tony Warren exhibition, Four Miles from Manchester, at Salford Museum and Art Gallery until 3rd July 2018, so there's definitely lots of time.

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