FORCE OF HABIT
WHY SISTER ACT IS LIKE MANNA FROM HEAVEN FOR CORONATION STREET STAR SUE CLEAVER
When was the last time you were on stage?
Blimey, it must be 25 years or more, I can’t even remember what the last production was, but I keep telling myself acting is just like riding a bike – you don’t forget.
I started off in theatre and it has always been my first love. I’ve always longed to go back, but I had a son to bring up and I had to be at home and I had to do the whole shebang.
I didn’t have a clue what to do when I was growing up. I was like ‘Oh, I’ve got to think hard’ and then I went and saw two friends in a play and thought ‘I’m going to be an actor’. I went to drama school and have never looked back.
I’ve been very lucky in my career. I worked with Harry Enfield and Victoria Wood and I did quite a few TV things before Corrie came along. I’ve always worked. It’s been busy lately with Corrie and Loose Women and now I’m doing Sister Act.
Are you looking forward to playing the Mother Superior in the UK tour of Sister Act ?
(Laughs) I shall be donning my wimple. The Mother Superior is very conservative and traditional. Dame Maggie Smith played the role in the film and
I’m taking over from Lesley Joseph on the tour. I’ve got a lot to live up to. I’m not a West End singer by any means, but I have two songs in the show and I’m really looking forward to it. That nun’s habit is very heavy though and there’s a lot to it. I’ll be touring for three months and I’m raring to go. I’m already packing.
Coronation Street have been lovely and given me time off to do everything. I’m not sure, maybe Eileen will be seen heading off to Thailand for a bit. Corrie is very much a company, a family, and working in a theatre show is the same.
How do you like to relax?
Travelling. My main love is travelling. Since the pandemic, travel is what drives me. I still have places I would love to see.
I have been to Mexico, but I would love to see more of South America and visit places like Patagonia, Ecuador and the Galápagos. I’ve walked with elephants in Botswana, been to the Maldives and went to Iceland. I love Iceland. I’ve been very lucky. I’ve been to lots of places and I’ve written travel articles.
Have there ever been any mishaps?
I’m a travel addict, but things can go wrong. I went to Oman and had been there just two days and this huge cyclone hit. We could not leave the hotel for a week. There was no electricity and it was 50 degrees. The army ended up based at the hotel because we had water. The beach was washed away, but the chefs did a brilliant job feeding everyone with what they had in the freezer. It was scary. There was not a single palm tree left standing by the end of everything and you could see dead cows floating in the water.
Another time, in Botswana, a bull elephant did not want to let me get to my room. They are a bit big to argue with.
I tend to take everything with me when I pack for my trips, not dresses or stuff like that, but things I might need. I never want to be caught without something I might possibly need when I’m away. I’m certainly not one who can get by with just one tiny bag.
Do you get recognised on your travels?
(Laughs) Every time. Everywhere I’ve gone in the world I’ve been recognised. It’s highly amusing. Coronation Street is watched all over the world. I’ve been in the desert and someone has come up to me and said ‘Hello, Eileen. What are you doing here?’ Luckily Eileen is such a lovable character and everyone connects with her. It would be different if you were playing a baddie.
What is your strongest memory of doing I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here!
I’ve always kept myself under the radar and have been private, but now my son is 28 and has flown the nest and I thought ‘it’s my time to have adventures’. I didn’t want to just sit there.
I look for something that sparks my interest. I’m not a competitive person, but I enjoyed I’m A Celebrity and three weeks in the jungle was just right for me. All of us who took part are very busy people, but we still keep in touch and talk and are still on WhatsApp.
There’s not a chance I would do anything like Dancing On Ice though ... it looks much too dangerous.
MARION McMULLEN DISCOVERS
I’ve been in the desert and someone has come up to me and said ‘Hello, Eileen. What are you doing here?’ Sue Cleaver on being recognised as her Coronation Street character