9:34am Monday 9th August 2010
By Emma Clayton
I'd expected to use the words ‘irrepressible’, ‘bubbly’ and ‘national treasure’ when writing about Christopher Biggins but, during our ten-minute chat over the phone, I didn’t really find him any of those things.
Christopher, or Biggins as he’s usually affectionately referred to, is being driven in a car when I call.
He has one eye, or ear, on our conversation and the other on the direction the car is taking – so when I ask about the comedy variety show he’s compering in Bradford next month, I get a reply along the lines of, “variety is marvellous, it’ll be such fun, they’re all great friends… no, it’s not left is it? Neil, is it left? Oh it’s okay, I think we can take this turning. What? No really, as long as it gets us home it’s fine.”
It’s like interviewing someone while they’re giving directions to a motorist at the side of a busy main road. Feeling like I’m in the way, I keep the phone call brief, which means I don’t get to ask him what it was like filming The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Fans of the 1975 cult film, paying homage to Fifties sci-fi B-movies, will know Biggins as one of the Transylvanians, the bizarre entourage of mad scientist Dr Frank-N-Furter who gather at his gothic castle, where all-American sweethearts Brad and Janet end up one stormy night.
Around that time, Biggins was also playing Lukewarm in prison comedy Porridge, and appearing in other 1970s sitcoms such as Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? and Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, as well as TV dramas including Poldark and I, Claudius, playing Nero.
Now 61, Biggins has more recently become known as King of the Jungle, winning ITV’s I’m A Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here! in 2007. He has been in the business for more than 40 years, with his career covering comedy, drama, panto, directing, TV presenting, reality TV and being an all-round larger-than-life personality.
Next month, he’s touring the country with the Best Of British Variety Show, acting as the compere for a line-up of the old-school entertainers who filled Saturday night prime-time television long before the days of Ant and Dec. On the bill are The Krankies, Paul Daniels, the Grumbleweeds, Syd Little and Dana.
“Variety is far from dead. I suppose the success of Britain’s Got Talent has proved that,” says Biggins, between traffic lights.
“These are all incredibly hard-working, accomplished entertainers who go back a long way in the industry. The Krankies are great friends of mine – I worked with them in panto in Bradford 22 years ago. Just because an act isn’t on TV much any more, doesn’t mean they’re not out there working hard – a lot of people do panto for three months, then go into the summer season.
“The theatre is where you get that instant reaction from the audience. There’s nothing else like it. It’s why we’re all in this business. I love it when I do pantomime and see children in the audience becoming totally immersed in what’s happening on stage; you owe it to them to put on a fabulous show so they’ll want to come back and experience more theatre.”
Born in Oldham, Biggins grew up in Wiltshire and joined local drama groups, leading to repertory theatre when he left school.
“I got £2 a week,” he says. “Rep is such a good starting point because you get to do so much as an actor. You’re thrown in at the deep end, but the experience is invaluable. I loved every minute of it.
“Young people don’t have that introduction to the business now. I think it’s a great shame.”
You get so used to seeing Biggins on telly in his bright suits, camping it up and breaking into deafening guffaws at every other word he utters, that it’s easy to lose sight of what an impressive comic actor he is.
His role as the host of Eighties game show On Safari led to his larger-than-life TV image, but his best-loved role was probably Lukewarm, one of Norman Stanley Fletcher’s fellow inmates in Porridge.
Easy-going Lukewarm spent much of his time ‘inside’ knitting, fussing, and keeping his cell clean and tidy. “It was a lovely show to be involved with, and a great privilege to work with such a cast,” says Biggins. “It was quite a golden age for sitcoms, but none of us realised at the time how big the show would become. It has a place in the nation’s hearts, it never seems to date.”
Rather like Biggins himself.
The Best Of British Variety Show is at St George’s Hall on Thursday, September 23 at 7.30pm. For tickets, ring (01274) 432000.
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