Interview with Chris Harper
Art
National Tour
Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne
1st – 5th October 2024
‘Art is a play that can bring people together’
If you base your knowledge of Chris Harper’s acting career entirely on his recent television work, you’d be forgiven for being a little confused. On the one hand he’s won acclaim playing a convicted paedophile in Coronation Street, a role he recently reprised. On the other, he’s synonymous with fans of Call the Midwife for his portrayal of the genial Geoffrey Franklin.
Dig a little deeper into his CV, however, and you’ll find that he’s an actor who has made variety his calling card, from classical theatre to gritty independent films. And for his latest stage role, he’s taking on a character who sits surprisingly close to his heart.
Yasmina Reza’s award-winning comedy ART is being revived by Joshua Beaumont and Original Theatre to mark its 30th anniversary. It centres on three friends, one of whom, Serge (played by Harper), buys an all-white painting that becomes a huge point of controversy.
Harper, who was once an art student himself, can well understand the ensuing conflict. “The conversation Serge has with his friends is one I have regularly with my best friend. He’s the loveliest man you’ll ever meet, but my God he can spot when I’ve climbed up my own behind!”
He first saw the “hilarious” play, which ran for several years in the West End, in his 20s, but sees different aspects to it now. “We’ve been through a really divisive time recently and I think it’s a great moment to be re-examining this play and laughing at ourselves. It’s a play that brings people together, and I think everyone will recognise themselves in the characters.”
Last time Harper worked with Original Theatre it was in Torben Betts’ Apollo 13: Dark Side of the Moon, which was streamed online during the pandemic. “[Original Theatre] were so innovative during Covid,” he says “and I’m just delighted to see they’ve gone from strength to strength since. Their love for theatre is unparalleled.”
In ART, he’ll be directed by Iqbal Khan, and star alongside Aden Gillett and comedian Seann Walsh. “When they told me who else was in the cast, I just couldn’t say no,” he says.
Now in his mid-40s, Harper credits acting with saving him during a period when he was “doing really stupid things” as a teenager. He fell in with a crowd of amateur dramatics enthusiasts, who inspired him to start performing. “I won an award, which felt like a real pat on the back at a pretty dark time.”
After studying English and art at university, he initially trained as a teacher. But he soon “realised I was going to end up a very unhappy middle aged man, so thought I’d better go back to the acting.”
It proved a fruitful decision. After early roles on dramas including Upstairs Downstairs (in which he appeared alongside his now wife, Emily Bowker) and playing the son of Victoria Wood’s character in Housewife, 49 he became a national talking point in 2016 when he was cast to play Nathan in Coronation Street. The character was part of a gang who groomed teenage girls, which led to a prison sentence. However, he’s recently returned, a decision that gave Harper – who has worked with a number of child abuse charities, including the NSPCC – some pause for thought.
“When they told me Nathan was going to come out of prison, I rang round the charities I was involved with to check they were happy with me bringing the character back. But they said absolutely, because they needed the oxygen that the storyline had brought them. It was a very emotional moment.”
He comes over as a man full of integrity, both for the craft of acting and the characters he plays. Despite playing such a villain, he has turned it into a positive by campaigning tirelessly to raise awareness for survivors of abuse.
But, with ART, he says it’s nice to be able to get his teeth into something decidedly lighter. And he loves the thrill of an audience. “After Covid I remember going straight back into a tour, and I just felt much more aware of the fact we were telling a story live, and that we were all sharing it together. It’s such a fundamentally important human experience.”
He is especially looking forward to touring again, after a few years away, and particularly visiting Eastbourne. “The first show I ever directed was in Eastbourne, so I feel really connected to the audiences there. It’ll be lovely to be back.”
And how does he unwind away from the stage? “I love reading,” he says, “and at the end of the tour I’m going on holiday to a location that was recommended to me by someone in Call the Midwife. I’ve been assured it’s somewhere that my wife and I can sit on the beach and read, while the kids play in the sea. I just thought, ‘that sounds ideal’.”
Art is directed by Iqbal Khan and the cast includes: It stars Chris Harper, Aden Gillett and Seann Walsh. It will run at the Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne between 1st – 5th October 2024