Coronation Street star takes on The Commitments as musical comes to The Kings Theatre in Portsmouth | Interview

The world’s hardest working and most explosive soul band are set to return in an all new stage production, kicking off a huge nine month tour which comes to The Kings Theatre in Southsea from October 4-8.

The musical follows the exploits of a group of unemployed young Dubliners who form a soul band.

Coronation Street legend Nigel Pivaro (pictured), who appeared in the hugely popular ITV soap between 1983 and 2012 as the lovable rogue Terry Duckworth, plays the role of Jimmy’s Da. It marks Nigel’s return to the stage after a lengthy absence – one extended thanks to the pandemic.

‘I was offered the part in February 2020, then it was going to happen in ’21, but that was pulled as well. It's been two-and-a-half years in the waiting!

‘It's a long tour and a great piece, and I'm just coming back into the business after 15 years away, so I didn't want to miss out. It's chance to stretch my theatre legs and get myself seen.’

Nigel knows the story well, having seen the 1991 film version on its release.

‘With the great music and a great narrative – it's a story I went to see 30 years ago at the pictures myself. I was attracted by the music myself at the time and didn't know what to expect in terms of the story, but was knocked out. It was a good story – not just a vehicle to hang the songs on.

‘I was in my mid-20s and already knew that music from it being around when I was growing up, but a little bit too young to get into it – you'd hear it on the radio and stuff like that –and then of course later you rediscover it and really get into it, which I did.

‘All of those wonderful songs, like Mustang Sally, Midnight Hour... There's 20 classics in the show, but there are so many others that aren't in there that I loved at the time, like the Sam Cooke stuff, but I loved that Motown sound and that Detroit/Philly sound. They were great, and they still are great. I know it's a cliché, but they are the soundtrack to your life, and to a lot of people's lives. They're the kind of songs that endure because they are so high quality.’

SEE ALSO: Long-lost Portsmouth music scene compilation from 1981 gets a rerelease

Back in 2006 Nigel decided on a change of tack – he trained as a journalist and has built up a successful parallel career in the field while still acting.

‘I’ve worked for in every branch of the profession,’ he says, ‘BBC documentaries, Newsnight, Inside Out, local, regional and national newspapers – German newspapers!’

The last time Nigel returned to Corrie was after a four year absence, for a month of high drama.

‘It was 2012, and I was doing my journalism then. They asked me back, and I said: “How long for and what's the story?” I thought that what they came up with was worth going back for.

‘I've not asked them for anything since, and they've not contacted me since. But, is the door open? I don't know. I suppose it's not closed because the character's still alive.

‘If they did contact me and it was interesting, I might consider it. But if it never happens, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it either because I felt like we'd really explored the character and squeezed everything we could out of it.’

Nigel’s predecessor in the role of Da was Nigel’s old friend Curly from Corrie – Kevin Kennedy.

‘I knew he was in We Will Rock You, but I didn't know he had done this as well. As soon as he found out I was doing it, he called me and said: “How's your Irish accent?" So I texted him back and said: “About as good as your Italian, mate!” He's got a bit of a head start on me with a name like Kennedy.’

And how is the accent coming on?

‘It's getting there,’ he slips into a fairly convincing brogue, ‘I'm in the middle of the Irish Sea, heading for the port of Dún Laoghaire, which is at the mouth of the Liffey, I'm going to sail up there westwards to the fair city of Dublin, but not just there, to the north side of Dublin...’

Switching back to his native Mancunian, he laughs: ‘We're working on it! It'll be alright on the night, it had better be because I've got to go to Dublin for two weeks. That's what you're there for as an actor – the challenge, that's what makes it interesting and exciting.’

Tickets from £23. Go to kingsportsmouth.co.uk.