Not one but two Cole Porter masterpieces are currently touring the region as High Society swings swell-egantly unto Darlington's Civic Theatre while Shakespeare-inspired comedy romp Kiss Me Kate comes to Newcastle's Theatre Royal. Viv Hardwick talks to stars from each show.

EVEN 50 years on, most musical fans still associate Kiss Me Kate with the booming baritone of the late Howard Keel, but South African Craig Urbani is proud of the legacy left by the famous singer. The current lead in this Cole Porter classic - about a divorced couple finding love through a musical spin-off of Shakespeare's Taming Of The Shrew - says: "I watched Howard Keel doing his thing in the 1953 movie and we were doing the show when he passed away in November last year.

"I'm in good company because the guys who have played the role have been pretty established and classically trained and, normally, older. I got lucky to land the part at such a young age.

"I saw the show when they did a revival at the Victoria Palace in London and I actually said to someone 'God, I hope I don't have to do that' because I was daunted by the scale of dialogue and songs for a big chunky role.

"My character has to fall down steps and do everything from Shakespeare to slapstick to classical singing and wearing huge over-the-top costumes. That's probably why I decided to do it when it ultimately came up."

A lot rests on the relationship and comic timing between Urbani's Fred Graham/Petruchio and his leading lady playing ex-wife Lilli Vanessi/Katherina. He says: "Julie Alanah Brighten is amazing and was the original London Belle in Beauty And The Beast and it was a good match in terms of chemistry and energy and a good casting tactic on behalf of the producer. We've bounced off each other well for the dynamic of the piece.

"Some shows feel the need to have celebrities and names in parts and sometimes you don't need that if the show sells itself. We've had some celebrities in the show playing the gangsters (the Brush Up Your Shakespeare song is currently performed by ex-Corrie star Chris Bisson) which is great. What we've managed to tap into is the comedy and humour because our version is very funny with a fantastic young cast. Comedy has always been my thing. The kind of rock and roll shows like Happy Days as The Fonze and Danny in Grease are something that I think I've quite good at. In Kiss Me Kate, through all their banter and arguing and throwing things at each other you mange to get that they're two people totally and utterly in love with each other."

Urbani is particularly deliughted that the show includes Tony award-winning costumes by Martin Pakledinaz "who does not cut corners".

"I also get slapped a lot by Julie, but fortunately it's all been with the flat hand and she hasn't missed yet," laughs the 34-year-old

DOWN the road at Darlington, 55-year-old actress Liza Goddard admits she was really nervous about making her musical debut in Cole Porter's High Society.

She's just three weeks into the tour playing Mother Lord in this wedding comedy based on The Philadelphia Story rather than the 1950s film version. "Susie Blake was playing the part and is going back into Coronation Street and I'd always wanted to do a musical so here I am. I learned it all in three days and the dancing is so hard I can't tell you. My big worry is that arms will be going up while every else's are going down.

"I rehearsed up in Glasgow and they were performing and I sat there with growing horror thinking 'I'll never fit into this'. It's like a smooth-running machine once it starts. I've sung in pantomime before and last year I was the Wicked Witch in The Wizard Of Oz at Cambridge with a singing number.

"We've got Graham Bickley as Dexter, the ex-husband of Tracey (who is played by Katherine Kingsley) and Ria Jones as gossip magazine journalist Liz. They all sing fantastically, so I'm surrounded by wonderful voices. I've been doing singing warm-ups and going to ballet class and jazz class with the ensemble."

By strange coincidence both Susie Blake and Goddard trained together at the Arts Educational School in London as children but Goddard has become known for comedy-drama ever since landing a role alongside Skippy on TV as a youngster.

On her debut tour she says: "It's actually gone horribly smoothly, although I was incredibly nervous on the first night. The ensemble were so sweet to me on stage when I went to the wrong places and said: 'Mrs Lord would you like to come over here?' or 'would you like to sit down and have your coffee now?' so they looked after me wonderfully."

High Society is touring until July and Goddard says: "I want to do more musicals because it doesn't matter how you're feeling at the beginning of the evening, the band strikes up and you're off.

"I think our show has been helped by people like Rod Stewart and Robbie Williams doing Cole Porter songs and therefore there are a lot of young people in the audience."

She rates her co-stars as incredibly talented and would have followed the same path as them if theatre rep hadn't been available in her back in the 1960s.

Now Goddard has grand-daughter Adelaide, who is five this week, watching her stages appearances.

"We've been snowed-in so she couldn't go to school, but she's already into singing and dancing herself. I've spent all my life being a jobbing actress, sometimes more well-known than others, but I've managed to earn a living."

Does Adelaide know about the Skippy connection. "She does, she loves it and she's my biggest fan and watches episodes of Woof which her granddad produced and directed. So she loves all our old programmes."

* High Society tours to Darlington's Civic Theatre next week Mon-Sat, Box Office: (01325) 486 555 and Sunderland's Empire Theatre for the week of April 25-30. Box Office: 0870 602 1130.

* Kiss Me Kate plays Newcastle's Theatre Royal next week Tues-Sat, Box Office: 0870 905 506.

Published: ??/??/2004