Philip strips away his old soap image (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Philip strips away his old soap image

11:05am Monday 6th July 2009 in

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Philip Olivier is in pain. He’s been forced to take a break from starring in Never Forget, known as ‘the Take That musical’, after pulling a tendon in his knee during a particularly strenuous dance routine.

“It’s the second time I’ve done it,” he winces. “I’m gutted to be taking a week off because I really love doing the show.”

Most actors trot out the “I love this role” line when they’re promoting a show, but in Philip’s case, I genuinely believe him. He talks of the production with such enthusiasm and affection, and it’s clear he’s bitterly disappointed to be taking an enforced break.

Fans of the beefy young actor needn’t worry though – he says he’ll be fit and well by the time the show rolls into Bradford later this month.

“It’s a very physical show. Take That are loved for their high-energy routines, and we do that justice,” says Philip.

“It’s a great buzz, but it’s physically challenging and you have to keep in shape. Preparing for a tour is like training to be an athlete.

“I’d never really seen any musicals before I did this, but now I have a whole new respect for musical theatre actors. You have to give it your all, and that means being in peak condition physically and mentally.”

He may be new to musical theatre, but Philip, 29, is no stranger to working out. You only have to gawp at his six-pack to see that he keeps in tip-top shape. Best known for his role in Brookside – he played tearaway scally Timothy ‘Tinhead’ O’Leary in the soap for seven years – he’s become something of a pin-up, featuring regularly in ‘TV’s hottest hunks’ magazine polls. In 2005, he won Channel 4’s Olympic-style reality show The Games.

I was expecting him to be a bit puffed up and full of himself, in the way pretty-boy actors often are, but I was pleasantly surprised to be chatting to a polite, rather sweet young guy.

You probably wouldn’t have taken Tinhead home to meet your mum, but Philip Olivier would win her over with impeccable manners and pleasant conversation. “Playing Tinhead and being in Brookside was fantastic, and it got me noticed, but we couldn’t be more different,” says Philip.

“I was 14 when I joined the show, I was a quiet boy from a good school. Tinhead was a bit of a pyscho who was always in trouble with the law. He grew up a lot over the years, though, and eventually got his act together. It was a great journey.

“I have very fond memories of Brookside. It tackled issues other dramas weren’t touching. It was the only soap to use real houses – it was filmed on a cul-de-sac on a real housing estate and I lived just around the corner, which was a bit weird!”

Philip’s immaculate physique has come in handy for his role as male stripper Dirty Harry in Never Forget. Featuring hits such as Relight My Fire, Back For Good, Babe and, of course, Never Forget, you might expect this show to be yet another pop musical, with a flimsy plot held together by a string of Take That hits.

But on closer inspection there appears to be more substance; it’s about five lads who form a Take That tribute band and end up having to cope with a level of fame they’d never bargained for.

“They’ve all got their reasons for joining the band, and when things take off it’s a testing time for them, but there’s great comedy,” says Philip. “Harry isn’t the sharpest tool in the box, but he’s quite endearing. That kind of role was new to me. He sees the band as an escape from the seedy stripping world he’s caught up in.

“There’s a real buzz doing this show. We get loads of original Take That fans coming along, and some younger ones, and they love it. The finale is a mega-mix of Take That hits – everyone goes wild. It’s like a concert, a taste of what you’d get at a Take That gig.”

So is Philip a Take That fan? “I think they’re a great band,” he says. “Their comeback has been more successful than any other band I know of. People are genuinely thrilled for them and have a lot of affection for them. They’re practically national treasures!”

Philip’s TV roles include Pleasureland, Spinechillers, Holby City and The Royal. He played Adam Tyler in Hollyoaks In The City on E4 and reprised his Tim O’Leary role in the film Finished Business.

He has also appeared in The Crew, a heist film set in Liverpool’s violent underworld, and most recently Clubbing To Death, about the murky world of clubs run by drug-peddling gangsters.

“I enjoy TV and film and want to get back to that after I’ve finished the show,” says Philip. “It’s a totally different kind of acting; you can say everything with just one small look on screen, but in the theatre every movement and line is exaggerated. I’m loving the show, though, and it’s definitely given me a taste for musical theatre, I’d love to do more.

“I came into this business for the variety – as an actor that’s what it’s all about to me.”

l Never Forget runs at the Alhambra from July 21 to 25. For tickets ring (01274) 432000.