Brookside, Channel 4 Liverpool Soap Rehearsal Image Gallery 1984 #Liverpool #History #Nostalgia #Throwback

Brookside, Channel 4 Liverpool Soap Rehearsal Image Gallery 1984

This set features some of the most famous actors from the early cast of the popular and sometimes ground breaking Channel 4 soap opera “Brookside”. The pictures were taken during their rehearsals for a version of the show to be staged at the Everyman Theatre to raise funds for a local charity. I was invited along to meet them and photograph the proceedings (provided I did not use flash). This was around the Christmas period 1984. The venue, the Finch Lane Club in Dovecot, Liverpool, had been provided by my father who was a friend of Bill Dean, who played Harry Cross in the soap. At that time “Brookside” was providing a great opportunity for people entering the profession and some of the actors here have duly gone on to have illustrious careers in the business. Others later left the profession or are sadly no longer with us. Watching and photographing the performers during their work was really enlightening and entertaining and they were all without exception very friendly and approachable.
The pictures were taken indoors in poor lighting conditions without flash and have lost detail and texture during digitisation, so really they are only here for their rarity value.

The cast members present were : Amanda Burton (playing Heather Huntington), Sue Johnston (Sheila Grant), Ricky Tomlinson (Bobby Grant), Paul Usher (Barry Grant), Simon O’Brien (Damon Grant), Bill Dean (Harry Cross), Betty Alberge (Edna Cross), Anna Keaveney (Marie Jackson), Jim Wiggins (Paul Collins), Doreen Sloane (Annabelle Collins), Nigel Crowley (Gordon Collins), Dicken Ashworth (Alan Partridge), Brian Regan (Terry Sullivan), Robbie Cullen (Gizmo Hawkins) and Tracey Jay (Michelle Jones) along with Phil Redmond and director Chris Clough.

Images are copyright Towner Images Enjoy