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He's back in Coronation Street for a special 50th anniversary DVD, but if that's not enough to satisfy fans of Corrie legend Kevin Kennedy, then this musical should do the trick.
The actor, who played loveable loser Curly Watts on the cobbles, will take on the role of hippy-ish librarian Pop in the Queen-themed stage show We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre in London's West End.
He will be in it from September, having played the same part when the production toured around the UK.
Kevin will be joined by X Factor's Brenda Edwards, Ricardo Afonso as Galileo, Rachel John as Meat and Sarah French as Scaramouche. Rockin'...
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Coronation Street's longest-serving cast member Bill Roache has revealed that he nearly quit the soap.
The Mirror quotes him as saying that he was unhappy with his alter ego Ken Barlow's storylines during the early 1980s.
However, due to the popularity of Mike Baldwin's affair with Ken's wife Deirdre, Roache decided to stay on the serial.
He explained: "I wondered if Ken wasn't being written for properly and I toyed with leaving. Then the Ken, Deirdre (Anne Kirkbride) and Mike (Johnny Briggs) story came along and it was massive."
Ken, Deirdre and Mike's love triangle attracted the show's highest ever viewing figures of over 27 million.
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CORRIE legend Johnny Briggs has warned its current stars not to demand a pay rise - unless they want to die in the Christmas tram crash.
The 74-year-old, who played Mike Baldwin, said: "They'll get rid of anyone who asks!
"You can't predict who will go - it could be anyone. They seem to get rid of people right left and centre."
New producer Phil Collinson has been dubbed the axeman after binning characters Claire and Ashley Peacock, Ryan Connor, Natasha Blakeman and Molly Dobbs since taking over this year.
And he has warned more will go in the forthcoming tram disaster.
Johnny, speaking at the Press launch for the new 50th anniversary play Corrie!, insisted the soap must always give viewers what they want.
He told TV Biz: "I've always said, you've got to listen to the fans.
"Give them a bit of what they want, but leave them wanting a bit more.
"But sadly TV doesn't work like that. Producers give fans what they want them to have, so I don't know if everyone will be happy at Christmas.
When I worked there you got paid per episode so older cast members on more money might get used less!"
Johnny - who said he was blown away by actor Matthew Wait's stage show portrayal of his swaggering Cockney factory boss character - believes the Corrie plots are now spread too thinly.
The veteran star, who left the soap in 2006, blamed dwindling advertising revenues for putting too many demands on the show.
He said: "In my day you'd only be doing three episodes a week.
"They spread it very thinly these days because of the advertising. It's all about money.
"The number of episodes is needed to fit in as many adverts as they can sell around it."
However, Johnny admitted he really missed the show, especially his on screen wife Alma - played by Carry On Cleo actress Amanda Barrie.
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He said: "I really miss the family of Corrie.
"It was great fun and it's still a great show. It's an institution.
"If I could have another day on set with anyone it would be Amanda.
"She was an amazing woman - and the perfect actress."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0wufp60YQ
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Corrie publican Steve McDonald may be used to the odd punch-up in the Rovers, but now Simon Gregson who plays him has found himself on the wrong end of a fight in a nightclub.
The actor got into a row with Reece Barnes, 18, at the Wheelhouse Club in Bowness, Cumbria, South Lakeland Magistrates' Court heard.
Barnes, from Windermere, told Simon he was saving the seat for a friend when the star sat down.
A row erupted and Barnes threw the first punch, bursting the actor's nose, the court in Kendal was told.
Witness statements reported the pair had to be separated and Barnes was thrown out of the venue.
Simon, who was not in court, went to the toilets to clean up and suffered bruising to his face.
On Tuesday, Barnes pleaded guilty to common assault on May 29 and was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge by JPs.
He was ordered to pay £85 costs, £100 in compensation and given a six-month banning order from entering the nightclub.
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Coronation Street actor Craig Gazey has admitted that he would like to share more screen time with co-star Katherine Kelly in the future.
The 28-year-old revealed that he admires Kelly's performances as Becky McDonald and is eager to see his alter ego Graeme Proctor become more closely acquainted with the character.
Speaking to Inside Soap about colleagues he would like to work with more, Gazey commented: "Someone I've never really filmed with before - and regrettably so, because she's brilliant - is Katherine Kelly.
"When I came in for my original eight episodes in the prison, and the rumour was going round that they wanted to bring me back, Kate was pushing for Graeme to come in as Becky's half-brother, which would have been great.
"But at the time they had a lot of big storylines planned for her with all the Steve stuff, so it never happened. We get on really well, though, and she's an amazing actress."
Graeme's most recent storyline has seen him find love with Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan), leaving the shop worker's ex-boyfriend David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd) furious.
Discussing the plot's future, Gazey said: "All I can say is that it will be getting a little bit dark - David's certainly not going to make it easy for them. But I think the writers are happy for Tina and Graeme to stay together for a while."
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KYM Marsh has escaped the Corrie axe - and her character will be revamped as a sexy businesswoman.
New producer Phil Collinson has thrown Kym a lifeline after her recent struggle to get a big storyline.
Next month her character Michelle Connor's son Ryan exits the show to go to uni.
It leaves the barmaid - whose two brothers have been killed off - with no close family in Weatherfield, and fewer plot prospects.
But ex-Hear'say singer Kym, 34, has been told Michelle will stay - and land a job with sister-in-law Carla Connor. It follows Michelle's ingenious idea for a T-shirt with changeable slogans.
Carla poaches her from the Rovers to work at knicker factory Underworld, trebling her salary. It isn't the only role offered to her.
Nick Tilsley will invite her to work at his new bar.
An insider said: "Michelle wants to get out of the Rovers and Carla needs new blood. Michelle really enjoys turning Nick down.
"She says he can't afford her and she's not swapping one lot of drunks for another."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0xNnTREJB
What a pity. I had hoped the tram would put paid to this talentless bimbo
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Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh has praised Channel 4's Hollyoaks for tackling the issue of gender identity disorder.
The actress, who plays transsexual character Hayley Cropper, revealed that she was pleased when she first heard what the teen soap's producers had in store for new arrival Jasmine Costello.
Jasmine, who is portrayed by 23-year-old Victoria Atkin, made her first appearance on screen earlier this month and viewers have since seen her secretly dressing up like a boy as part of a desperate desire to be a member of the opposite sex.
Speaking to Holy Soap about the storyline, Hesmondhalgh commented: "I saw that in the paper. I think it's absolutely brilliant. I think they will handle it really well and will do it beautifully.
"They've got a reputation for being fluff, but when they deal with stuff, they do it properly. And the girl looked very convincing as well."
Hesmondhalgh also spoke about how Hayley's transgender status will be brought back to the forefront on Corrie in the coming days as her wedding draws closer.
She said: "It's not the first thing [people] mention anymore. What I like about this storyline is it has brought that to the fore again. The wedding episode is beautifully written and there's a lot of reference to that. But of course there's more to her than that."
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William Roache can probably play Ken Barlow in his sleep these days. After all, he's been in Corrie for a whopping half a century.
But the Weatherfield legend has admitted he still gets stage fright ahead of shooting, and reckons that's a good thing.
Soon he'll appear on screen with his two sons, Linus and James, when they join him for a special storyline.
Although he was delighted to work alongside his children, the three set up their own "actors' workshop" at home so they could go through their scenes and iron out the nerves before filming.
William said: "Of course we were apprehensive. I was. We know each other very well but have never worked together before. Linus did play Peter Barlow as a nine-year-old, but that doesn't really count.
"I always get nervous. You always do. The day you don't feel nervous is probably the day you should think about moving on. The fact we worked the scenes together at home really broke the ice for when we came."
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The BBC missed the chance to show Coronation Street when it turned down the original script by the soap's founder.
Tony Warren said he sent an early version of the long-running show, then called Our Street, to the BBC when he was 19.
He said: "I'm still waiting to hear from them."
And he accused the BBC of copying his idea for EastEnders, saying: "I thought it should say also based on an original idea by Tony Warren."
"Basically it's a translation. Journalists always asked me what I thought and I had to keep my mouth shut but now I can say its very easy when you've been shown how."
Mr Warren told an audience at the Edinburgh International Television Festival that he climbed on top of a filing cabinet at Granada Studios and refused to get down until they let him make the show.
He said: "I told them I'm not coming down until you let me write what I know about."
Warren said he could never pick a favourite character from the history of the show, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and revealed he does not watch other soaps.
He said: "I love reality television because it came along and said something new.
"I'm watching reality programmes these days."
