Features
A sister’s word
Busy Bernie Nolan arrives in Durham next
week with sister, Maureen, and comedy
Mum's The Word but tells Viv Hardwick that
the book is closed on her famous family life
MUM'S
definitely the
word if you
dare to ask
Bernie Nolan
about her
oldest sister
Anne's
autobiography
, Anne's Song, which lifts the lid on the
famous singing Nolans' career and
makes serious allegations concerning
their dead father.
"I'm not discussing that," she says
about the book due out today, "if you
want to know anything you'll have to
speak to Anne."
Saddest part of all for 47-year-old
Bernie, who once took lead vocals as
she and her five sisters conquered the
pop world and sold more than nine
million albums from 1979, is that her
own autobiography is now dead and
buried.
Having announced last year that she
had a book under way, Bernie says she
has changed her mind. "I'd started to
write a book but, after a while, I
decided I couldn't be bothered, so I
stopped. But I don't want to say
anything about Anne's book. You can
ask me, but I don't have to answer," she
says in the middle of our interview
concerning her latest stage tour of
Mum's The Word to Durham's Gala
Theatre next week.
Asked if she had been consulted
about her sister's book, she's on the
verge of calling a halt to our chat, but
the singer who became a successful
actress in TV's Brookside and The Bill
agrees she will discuss the play itself
and future projects. The number one
requirement of joining the cast of
Mum's The Word is that you have to be
a mum. Bernie is, to nine-year-old Erin
Kate, but points out a strange flaw
concerning the 14-year-old awardwinning
show about motherhood
created by six actors struggling with
childcare in Canada.
"In one way that is kind of funny
because we're supposed to be actors
and should be able to portray any part.
People who play murderers manage to
do their role and don't have to go out
and murder someone," she jokes.
"It does, when you get into the part,
actually help because you so empathise
with what the characters are talking
about."
The comedy is full of brilliant
moments, she says, as well as the line
"every morning I start out as Mary
Poppins and I end up Cruella DeVil"
which highlights the dilemma of every
mother.
"It's so true because you try all day
not to shout at your children and be a
good mum, but often, at the end of the
day, it's all gone," she says and feels
that she flexes her acting muscles as
the character Robyn because their
beliefs are so different.
"She's got eight brothers and was a
tomboy and never wanted kids. She's a
great mum, but constantly trying to
remind her husband how her life has
changed and he doesn't understand. I
do like her, but I have the husband
from heaven (Steve Doneathy). He gave
up his career to look after our
daughter and is a fantastic cook and
does everything in the house as well as
being a great musician, piano player
and songwriter. I've got everything so
although Robyn is moany about men I
think men are great," she says.
So was it easier or more difficult
when the show's producers asked her if
she minded sister Maureen joining the
cast?
"Actually I got a phone call about
two weeks before we were due to start
rehearsals and there were still only
myself, Sarah (White) and Pauline
(Fleming) and I knew that Maureen
had done the play four years ago. I'd
done it last year for six months so I
thought it was kind of nice from their
point of view (for asking her) because
not all sisters get on. Even if they do
get on do they want to travel around
for four months together? It's been
really great. I've been solo for 12 years
now and she's gone solo in the last
three, but I did lay down the law a bit
and said it's not like the old days, I'll
have my own dressing room and so will
you'. You need your space where you
can rant and rave or pick your nose or
whatever. It's been brilliant having her
on board," she says.
At least two more dressing rooms are
required after Mum's The Word
because Bernie has agreed to tour with
the new musical Flashdance, which can
be seen at Sunderland's Empire
Theatre during the week of October 20-
25. She's also due to take part in
another musical, Our Benny, in
Liverpool in November.
"We start rehearsing for Flashdance
just two weeks after Mum's The Word
ends so that's brilliant. The tour lasts
for a year, which is really great news,"
she says and laughs about her
reputation as one of the industry's
hardest-working performers joking
"well we've all got a mortgage to pay".
The show is based on the 1983 film
(screenplay by Tom Hedley and Joe
Eszterhas, story by Tom Hedley) and
features the hit songs Maniac, Gloria, I
Love Rock & Roll and title track
Flashdance - What a Feeling.
Bernie will play Hannah, the mother
of the welder-turned-dancer, Alex, and
is looking forward to becoming part of
a musical which is aiming for a West
End run.
"But if I could win the Lottery
tomorrow I wouldn't do it at all
because I don't like being away from
my daughter or my husband," she says.
■ Mum's The Word runs at Durham's
Gala Theatre from Monday until
Saturday. Box Office: 0191-332-4041
www.galadurham.co.uk
10:58am Thursday 27th March 2008
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