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Time well spent in Porridge role
Replicate Ronnie Barker's performance? 'No way!' exclaims Shaun Williamson. 'I'd be on a hiding to nothing if I tried.'
The former EastEnders and Extras star plays Barker's TV creation, 'habitual criminal Norman Stanley Fletcher', in the stage version of Porridge at the Kings Theatre, Southsea, this week - and insists he is doing it his way.
'I'm the same sort of age and have the same sort of waistline as Ronnie when he did it, but I'm definiitely not going for an impersonation.'
Shaun, 44, has fond memories of watching Porridge on television with his dad - and then reproducing lines from it the next day in school 'because we were aware they were slightly naughty,' he laughs.
'So I didn't have to think too much about it when I was offered the part. The script is by the original writers, Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais, and as it was their baby they weren't going to let it be lazy or slack.'
When the tour takes a winter break, Shaun will go into Aladdin in his home county of Kent, and then in spring he is to make 26 new episodes of BBC TV series Scoop.
'I play the worst reporter ever, assisted by a dog called Hacker who is infinitely more clever than I'll ever be,' he says.
After 'a lovely nine years', Shaun left EastEnders six years ago but carried his character, Barry, into Extras.
Barry was pushed to his death in the soap by Janine, and in a way Shaun is glad he cannot go back to it.
'It would be so tempting if you were on your uppers but it's better to move on,' he says.
So what else is in the pipeline? Shaun's response is prompt and droll: 'I have a very clever career plan - an answering machine that says "I'll do it" and an agent I trust. So far he has never let me down.
'I wish I could write something and mould my own destiny but I haven't got an original bone in my body - and I'm happy with the way my career is going.'
Porridge runs from Thursday to Saturday. Tickets: (023) 9282 8282 or kings-southsea.com.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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