Birmingham Evening Mail from Birmingham, West Midlands, England • 33

EVENING MAIL FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30 1988 33 Adding a face to the voice! THEATRE By FRED NORRIS In a remarkable life-long career he has made radio his Norman Conquest The result is that his voice is infinitely better known than his face but in Birmingham this weekend and after 38 years as Phil Archer Norman Painting is planning to change all that As he braces himself for his appearance on stage at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre tomorrow he tugs at a wise old face and says: make you rich Television makes you famous But theatre is what it is all But what about radio I ask urgently of the man who has given his life to it Growling new life into an old genre Metallica NEC Arena Forget the label with which Metallica have been lumbered Their true inspiration lies with the dinosaur heavy rock acts of the early 1970s Their complex rambling songs built on huge guitar riffs resemble the finest moments of Brummie heroes Black Sabbath but are delivered at a much greater speed And their elaborate stage set boasting an enormous statue of a blindfolded Lady Justice recalls the worst rock excesses of the last decade But last night the Californian quartet showed the real difference is the sheer energy they have brought to a tired musical genre Lead singer James Hetfield growled the venomous lyrics to such anthems as Seek and Destroy and Top 40 single Harvester of Sorrow while guitarists Kirk Hammett and Jason Newsted were a constant vision of flailing hair dilemma is now whether their rapidly growing popularity will destroy their gritty underground appeal NIGEL MORRIS Weaving magic from tangled web Web Highbury Players Highbury Little Theatre The quality of the production and the ability of the cast shone through this web of intrigue until the final twist in Agatha comedy thriller Sheila Knapman was word perfect as Clarissa Hailsham-Brown who discovers a body in her drawing room and becomes a suspect for murder John Webb landed the job of untangling the mystery in his role as the rather intense Inspector Lord and there were sound supporting performances from Gordon Coulson John Todd and Eric Coudrill A splendidly arranged set gave realism to the play directed by Richard Goddard It continues until tomorrow night PAUL MARSTON Privilege ABOVE: The man with the famous voice Norman Painting of The Archers George Dalaras (top right) and Dale Grimston his eyes twinkle is a tremendous medium something special I absolutely love it I often think back to that terrible decision I made 38 years ago to retire from The Archers just three months after it started "I had other ambitions and it was dear old Jack May who changed my mind and so here I am still Phil after all these years But that is also the problem is a great privilege to play the same part all these years but I know I can now never play anything else on radio Every inflection in my voice is known that" he says again with that twinkle in his brings me back to films television and the In the theatre and particularly in Birmingham theatre and the city where he began his career while a student at Birmingham University doors appear to have opened dramatically for him Certainly the voice is going to find its face these next few months He opens at the Birmingham Rep tomorrow in a revival of David Storey's The Contractor Then after a brief holiday he hopes he is back in the city for pantomime with Russ Abbott in Jack and the Beanstalk for the Christmas and New Year am really looking forward to that" he says fact I am looking CAPRICORN (Dec 22 Jan 20) Neptune in Capricorn can make you vague inconsistent and unreasonable and inclined to over-dramatise problems Having scored a lot of points recently and made your posi tion crystal clear don't get into any more wrangles with employers AQUARIUS (Jan 21 Feb 19) Once again your heart appears to be in one place while circumstances beyond your control force you to be in another If the relationship is as special as you seem to believe it will survive this time of trial For practical reasons you must keep your nose to the grindstone at the moment PISCES (Feb 20 Mar 20 Business associates or colleagues may not intend to give you the runaround or mislead you but at the moment they may be so preoccupied with personal difficulties that they cannot give you the support you seek ARIES (March 21 April 20) The overall planetary picture is a rather peculiar one at the moment and an adverse aspect to Neptune In Capricorn in particular could prove detrimental for both intensely personal and career issues Experience should tell you to bide your time TAURUS (April 21 May 21) In spite of having to cancel travel or other plans grasp every nettle insight and amaze loved ones relatives and colleagues by backing your instincts You are in a very strong position to make decisive moves GEMINI (May 22 June 21) Adverse planetary activity can only exert disruptive or destructive influences if you continue to dwell on mistakes indiscretions or unfulfilled promises There is a common bond worth preserving and a future free from doubts insecurities and emotional conflicts CANCER (June 22 July 23) You really must try to be more open objective and realistic first in relation to certain ties or attachments and second in your approach to home and property interests Unless you want to dwell in the past there is no reason whatsoever why you cannot ring the changes now LEO (July 24 Aug 23) Between now and the New Moon in Libra on October 10 you really ought to take things at a slower pace and stop imagining that without your hand on the tiller it will be shipwreck time Everyone needs time to reflect and recharge their batteries This is yours VIRGO (Aug 24 Sept 23) There really is a definite tendency now to imagine that you're destined for the poor house But if you can honestly say that you have done every thing according to the book and stepped on anyone's corns or their territory recently it will ail come right in the end LIBRA (Sept 24 Oct 23) Any major issues which are likely to affect or alter your living conditions must be discussed and finalised now while the Sun is still passing through your own birth sign So get a move on and don't allow anyone to impose restrictions or restraints SCORPIO (Oct 24 Nov 22) Just because the Sun in the most sensitive area of your solar chart is now challenged by Neptune you don't have to try to put the world to rights Stop worrying too much about slights or put-downs on the work front and appreciate just how favoured and protected you are in other directions SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 Dec 21) Planets in strategic angles to your solar chart denote a sense of foreboding over cash matters However you are probably still dwelling in the past and must endeavour to fix your attention on today and the future IF IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY: It Is never too late to change and let go of old ideas or hang-ups If you want to put astrology to the test then begin to believe that current wrangles over home or property matters can be resolved or settled to your advantage and they will be riAKE A CLOSER LOOK The Official Centenary Souvenir Programme 1989 at a luxurious way of enjoying the outdoor life Come Bain or Shine forward to everything I have lined up in Birmingham David Storey play has something about it I may be sticking my neck out but I can hear the applause now was first done in 1969 when Bill Owen of Last of the Summer Wine had the lead The role I have was played by Billy Russell the Dudley-born comedian whose great opening line was behalf of the working classes (Billy Russell for the record was also a former copy boy on the Mail and used to run police court reports from the magistrates court in Corporation Street to the old Post Mail offices in Cannon Street) None of this activity means that Norman Painting is finally saying goodbye to The Archers Phil Archer lives on It is just that Norman has more conquests on the horizon Keeping up a family tradition in Birmingham this week is Dale Grimston who is appearing with Mike Yar-wood and Victor Spinetti in One For the Pot at the Alexandra Theatre The name may not ring a bell but she is the daughter of Betty Dale Fox the niece of Betty Fox who has taken over the famous Betty Fox Babes and the Stage School in the city obviously runs in the says Betty Dale Fox who tells me that as she herself follows in the steps of her famous aunt a new generation of Betty Fox Babes are making their names Quick dash "We have done several episodes of Boon for Central TV cabaret with the Super Prix when it was on in Birmingham and some of the students are now with the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford" A breathless time ahead for the Greek superstar George Dalaras who makes a quick dash into Birmingham this weekend and then out again The singer known as the Bruce Springsteen of Greece will be appearing in two concerts at the Birmingham Hippodrome on Sunday Directly afterwards he flies back to his native Athens to appear with Sting Bruce Springsteen Tracy Chapman and Peter Gabriel in their Amnesty International Concert in the city's Olympic Stadium I He then fliei straight back to See our superb display of Conservatories and see for yourself how easy it is to add value and style to your home New Enterprise Publications are pleased to announce they have been commissioned to produce this prestigious publication For advertisement details please contact Hilary Gilder or Fred Allan on 021-643 8921 Also Replacement Windows and Patio Doors IN A WORD QUALITY Find us at Knoarie Garden Centre on the A41 Warwick Road Oust off Junction 5 of 2 minutes from: THE BEAUTIFUL KNOWLE VILLAGE OPEN 7 DAYS 03? 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