Actor Philip Bretherton goes from Coronation Street to Clwyd Theatr Cymru

Feb 20 2009 by Eleanor Barlow, Chester Chronicle

Following stints on the cobbles of Weatherfield and in the wards of Holby’s A& E department, actor Philip Bretherton is set to appear at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold.

Philip has previously been seen seducing Sally Webster as Ian Davenport in Coronation Street, saving lives as Andrew Bower in Casualty, dealing with the outrageous antics of players as manager Stefan Hauser in Footballers’ Wives and playing sophisticated man about town Alistair Deacon, in the sitcom As Time Goes By.

He is now taking on the role of director Lloyd Dallas in farcical comedy Noises Off, which is running at the theatre until Saturday, March 14.

He said: “I play the director of a company where all of the actors have some kind of quirk.

“One loses his temper very quickly, one likes a drink, one gets a nose bleed every time something dramatic happens – there is a lot of potential for the play going wrong.”

The story follows the company from rehearsals and shows all the worries coming true as the performance goes spectacularly wrong – with hilarious consequences.

“It is a really funny play and we’ve had a lot of laughs rehearsing it,” said Philip.

And the storyline is not that far from the truth, he admitted.

He said: “I have come across actors like the characters in the play, but the difference with this is that they are all in the same cast and everything that could go wrong goes wrong.

“I think the worst experience I’ve ever had was when I was just about to go on stage in Birmingham and the set caught fire!”

He describes his character as arrogant and a bit of a ladies’ man.

“He is based on all the directors I’ve ever worked with – I’ve had a lot of inspiration,” he said.

This is the fifth play the actor has appeared in at the Mold theatre and, although he is based in London, he enjoys spending time in this part of the world.

He said: “I’m originally from Preston but I used to come on holiday to this area when I was younger, so it’s really nice to come back here.

“This is a lovely place to work and it’s a beautiful theatre.”

To book tickets for Noises Off, call the box office on 0845 330 3565 or book online at www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk