Features
Jungle joy
Gateshead-born actress Kim Tserkezie talks to Viv
Hardwick about moving on from TV's Balamory to a
colourful new version of The Jungle Book
THEATRE work for
wheelchair users can
present a few problems,
admits Newcastle's
Kim Tserkezie, best
known as Penny Pocket
from ITV's Balamory, who once
ended up with a dressing room
dangerously close to the audience.
"I use a powered chair and I did
two Balamory theatre tours and
realised how complex it can be with
old theatres. But with the team of
people I'm working with and the
venues are determined to get on
with it, then there's always a way
around things.
"I do try to avoid stairs where
possible, but there was one theatre
with all the dressing rooms
upstairs and I was literally in a
toilet-cum-dressing room in a hut
just behind the curtains. I couldn't
even flush the loo in case the kids
heard it. That's how close I was
behind the curtains. It was hard
week at the time, but you have a
laugh about it eventually," she says.
The TV and radio presenter, who
moved into acting, is hoping that
her dressing room will be a little
less central to the stage when she
joins an impressive young cast for a
new version of The Jungle Book
which will run at Newcastle's
Journal Tyne Theatre from
Wednesday until Sunday.
Tserkezie is taking on the role of
Storyteller alongside Darragh
Mortell from BBC's Tracey Beaker
as Mowgli, with Peter Hillier,
Boogie Pete from Boogie Beebies,
as Baloo and Paul Ferguson,
Bubble from C4's Big Brother, as
Bagheera.
"I'm linking the scenes but I've
been told I may be getting involved
in the action as well, so I'm
intrigued to see how the production
team are going to do that," she
says.
Jungle Book is a big budget New
World Productions follow-up to The
Wizard Of Oz, which proved a hit
with Tyneside audiences last year.
Director Guy Pascall says: "This
show will take the original story
written by Rudyard Kipling and
give it a new twist as only New
World Productions can."
The fact that one of her shows is
on home turf is a delight for
Tserkezie who admits she's nearly
always had to travel for work in her
13-year career since she started
presenting BBC shows like
Disability Today and From The
Edge.
"When I did Balamory I had to be
based up in Scotland for a couple of
years. Luckily I had a base in
Glasgow so everything was fine,
but it's so nice to have a show
where I can travel to from home.
I'm actually a bit nervous about
being on the stage in Newcastle,"
says the actress who had to
overcome a nasty road crash two
years ago which required 12
months of treatment.
"Life can be a battle, but it's all I
know and you have to get on with
your life on a daily basis and it's
how I am and I have my own way of
getting around and doing things. I
think you always have to be one
step ahead from the moment you
get up in the mornings," says the
mum of 13-year-old Jay.
"He's quite excited about the
show and happy that I'm working,"
she explains and adds that far from
waiting for the offer of auditions,
she regularly writes off to suggest
the creation of roles for disabled
people. "I think there is a lack of
roles for the disabled. From my
experiences I get to audition for
shows where there is a disabled
role and its a disability issue rather
than just a character who could be
played by anyone. That's why I'm
looking forward to The Jungle
Book because I'm just another
character. What I've been doing in
the last 12 months is encouraging
writers to write for people like me.
This is all about one of us being
seen in the Queen Vic in
EastEnders drinking a pint because
I don't think TV soaps reflect
accurately what is happening in
society. When I was at school I
didn't see anyone like me getting
interest in drama and it will have a
knock-on effect if more disabled
people are offered a chance,"
Tserkezie says.
"When I was chosen for
Balamory, in 2002, they weren't
looking specifically for a disabled
character and I auditioned like
anyone else and they liked me.
Then everything else came with it,"
she recalls having been given her
first screen chance by Robson
Green's production company with a
small scene in 2000.
The actress, who is married to
Daniel Tunnicliffe, is thrilled that
she's gone on to make 256 episodes
which are still being watched by
youngsters worldwide.
Her fantastic surname is Greek
and the Gateshead-born performer
says: "It's all my mam's fault. They
met on a ferry in Greece when she
was out there because my
grandmother was Greek too and
my dad said as soon as they met he
knew she was the one. It was
beautiful romantic story and they
came over here and they've lived in
Gateshead for the past 40 years."
* The Jungle Book runs from
Tuesday until Sunday at the
Journal Tyne Theatre, Newcastle.
Tickets: £13-£14.50. Box Office:
0844-493-9999
11:01am Thursday 10th April 2008
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