Striptease helps to light fire for Take That musical

THE demise of Brookside had many soap fans sighing.

But no-one was quite so disappointed as its young Scouse star, Philip Olivier, who lived just around the corner from Brookside Close.

"I used to live 500 yards away from the set," he recalls. "Nobody was more devastated than me when it finished because I actually had to travel to work!"

Philip, 29, played Tinhead for seven years, right up to the very last episode of the Liverpool-set soap.

"Brookside was a great show," he sighed, full of nostalgia. "It had a tremendous group of writers some of whom have gone on to do great things, like Jimmy McGovern."

On to pastures new – and the challenge of travelling to work pale in comparison to what Philip's up to now.

He's starring in the scantily-clad Take That musical Never Forget.

In it, he plays Dirty Harry, a stripper who turns up at the wrong audition and finds himself in a Take That tribute band playing Jason.

Stripping down to his undies was the least of Philip's problems.

It's fair to say that, having successfully gone through the rigours of Channel 4's celebrity athletics test The Games, he is reasonably confident about his physique.

"The easiest part was doing almost a full strip at the start of the show," he grins. "It was just the dancing and singing that came afterwards that I was worrying about."

Never Forget's producers contacted Philip in March about taking on a role in the musical, devised in consultation with Gary Barlow.

"I said, 'I can't even sing'. But they gave me a singing test and said I was all right – and I'd be singing with the group anyway.

"Little did they know how big a challenge it would be. It took me a week just to learn how to step-click.

"Thankfully, my character isn't the sharpest tool in the box, so I've got away with it!"

The other characters in the fictitious Take That tribute group are Ashley, a mummy's boy, Jake, a Jack-the-lad, geeky Adrian and Jose, a sexy Spaniard.

Their trials and tribulations take us on a journey of Take That numbers including Relight My Fire, It Only Takes A Minute and Back For Good – hence the sell-out crowds that sing along.

Add into this a spectacular stage set – including a curtain of rain – and a 21-strong ensemble cast and you can see why everyone's getting so excited.

Then, of course, there are the costumes. Or lack of them.

"There's not much to them," admits Philip. "In the early years, Take That didn't wear very much."

Overall, the show is, he says, "a spectacle to see".

Philip himself is a Take Thatter. "Could it be Magic is a great song," he enthuses. "When I was about 14, I used to write down their lyrics so I could learn them. Fifteen years on, I'm using them!"

Have any of the original Take That seen the show?

"Their families have been. I think the lads have been busy with their own tour."

Philip, of course, is not the first young, glam thing from Brookside Close to make his name in a musical. Claire Sweeney and Jennifer Ellison have both taken the West End option.

"I saw Jennifer in Chicago; she was tremendous," Philip said.

The experiences of all three actors suggest they've managed to break out of the typecasting mould that besets many a soap star. Philip admits: "I was worried, but I'm still working."

NEVER FORGET

WHERE: Theatre Royal, Nottingham.

WHEN: From tomorrow until Saturday.

TICKETS: Sold out. Returns only.

BOX OFFICE: 0115 989 5555.