Mark Moraghan likes to be true to his roots, but his accent is miles away from Liverpudlian in his latest role, he tells Steve Pratt

THE voice on the other end of the phone is unmistakably Liverpudlian.

Brookside and Holby City actor Mark Moraghan wouldn’t have it any other way.

He’s refused to lose his distinctive accent, although he doesn’t always use it in his acting roles. “I disapprove of actors who change their accents. I know quite a few who have done it and shall remain nameless. You should be proud of your roots and embrace your roots,” he says.

Not that he always acts in his native tongue.

He’s currently playing Dr Frankenstein with an RP – received pronunciation – accent in A Nightmare On Lime Street at Liverpool’s Royal Court and becomes American for his next stage role as the bigoted boss in 9 To 5: The Musical.

He debuts in the show on opening night at York’s Grand Opera House, taking over the role from Ben Richards for three months. “You always put your own mark on it,” he says of stepping into someone else’s shoes. “Ben and I are totally different. He’s probably 20 years younger than me but he’s a mate so it’s nice.

He brings his own style to it.”

The role of Franklin Hart is a challenge because he’s all the things Moraghan likes to think he’s not – a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot of a boss. But the baddy is always the best part, he adds.

“9 To 5 is a great film and a very popular film.

Dolly Parton’s songs in the musical are brilliant, real foot-tappers. I can’t claim to be her biggest fan, but the show stuff is amazing and Jolene is a favourite track of mine.”

He likes the versatility that doing theatre roles offers, enabling him to switch from playing Bavarian gentleman Dr Frankenstein to the bigoted American boss of 9 To 5.

He missed the stage during a string of roles in TV series – Greg Shadwick in Brookside, Ray Wyatt in Dream Team and Owen Davies in Holby City. After a decade on the small screen he returned to the theatre, including a role in London West End show Priscilla Queen Of The Desert. But he wasn’t playing one of the three drag artists who lead the cast. He was Bob, literally the straight man. He auditioned for one of the leads, the role played in the film in a frock by Terence Stamp.

“I was so wrong for the part, so unfeminine when I auditioned. Everyone was coming out of the toilet dressed in full drag and I was in ordinary clothes,” he recalls.

But the show saw him return to musicals, where his stage work began. “In primary school, all the shows I was in were musicals, then TV took over and I put music on the back burner.”

When he broke his femur in a charity football match he missed out on an acting role and did the BBC singing competition, Just The Two Of Us, instead. He came second, singing with Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton. Coming up is a date singing with Liverpool Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in an evening of James Bond music.

  • 9 To 5: The Musical: York Grand Opera House, Feb 4-9. Box office 0844-871-3024 and at atgtickets.com/york