Standing ovation at the Civic for cleared presenter

After a day when the national media descended on Darlington, television personality Matthew Kelly took the stage last night. Liz Lamb and Entertainments Editor Viv Hardwick report

HE was soaking wet, bald-headed and beardless and had just had a bullet put in the back of his head, but Matthew Kelly was wreathed in smiles of victory last night.

Using all his 6ft 5in frame to play Lennie Small, the childlike killer in John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men, the actor enjoyed an evening of triumph in front of a near 900-strong full house at Darlington's Civic Theatre. It's a night he is unlikely to forget.

Gone were the doubts and fears of teachers who had once anxiously discussed what to do about bringing coachloads of impressionable teenagers studying the book's text to see a star facing sex abuse allegations.

All that was swept aside as Kelly smiled and mouthed "thank you" during two emotion-packed curtain calls and was ushered to the stage apron by applauding fellow cast members.

He had started his first day of a week-long tour to Darlington by running the gauntlet of a 20-strong press pack and TV crews at the theatre's stage door.

After a five-hour wait for some of the journalists, Kelly arrived with wife, Sarah, by his side and, as they crossed the busy Parkgate, the couple made no attempt to dodge the cameras or questions.

"Hi guys," he smiled. "It's good to see you."

Kelly dutifully posed for pictures and looked relaxed in front of the throng. Asked how he thought the Darlington audience would receive him, he replied: "I am going to get the best response, a proper North-East welcome."

In a united front, his wife said: "I am very, very happy."

The man who started his stage career at 17, making custard pies for Mr Pastry, was spot on for his North-East supporters.

After seeing him play an educationally-challenged giant who had to die because he killed through not knowing his own strength, students of New College Durham stood and cheered at the final curtain. They described his performance as "fantastic and amazing".

Rebecca Mason and Kirstie Roy, of Acklam Grange School, Middlesbrough, said: "We never had any worries about coming to see him, in spite of the newspaper headlines."

Their English teacher, Emma Bennett-Smith, who took along 150 students, said: "There was a small debate about what we should do because of what had happened to Matthew Kelly. We were so relieved when he was cleared, because it was very important for us to see this play."

An elderly party of ladies from Yarm, who asked not to be named, were positive the change in fortunes for Kelly would pack the theatre for the rest of the week.

"This will be the making of him, and he was successful already," said one.

Not all tributes were so glowing. One young female student was heard to grumble at the interval: "I'm never going to be able to evaluate Matthew Kelly's performance... I fell asleep."

But TV's Mr Nice Guy is wide awake, back in business and ready to put Stars In Their Eyes for a lot longer.

* Of Mice And Men runs until Saturday. Box Office: (01325) 486555