Paul Whitehouse Interview

With West End smash hit Only Fools and Horses The Musical coming to Liverpool in June, we caught up with its co-creator, Paul Whitehouse to discuss his unexpected involvement in the show and the challenges of fitting so many beloved characters and moments into a two-hour performance. He also talks about his role as Grandad and the highly anticipated new series of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing

Words | Lawrence Saunders

How did you first become involved with Only Fools and Horses The Musical?

I was approached by the show’s producers, who had been discussing the project for some time. The original idea came from John Sullivan, the creator of Only Fools and Horses. He wanted to do a musical version of Only Fools and had started working with Chas Hodges (of Chas & Dave). They’d written one song together when, very sadly, John passed away – he was still young, only in his sixties. John’s son, Jim, and the producers then came to me and said, “We’d like to honour John’s legacy and see if we can finish the job”. Of course, it was a bit daunting, to say the least. I didn’t know anything about musicals – and this was Only Fools and Horses, which would weigh heavily on anyone’s shoulders. So it took a lot of thought on my part, and a lot of persuasion from the producers. I was very conscious of the responsibility I had.

I met up with Chas – funnily enough, we had quite a lot in common: both Spurs fans, both enjoy fishing, and we grew up very close to each other in north London – and, as it happens, Dave Peacock lives just around the corner from me. Chas knew of my work, and of course I knew Chas & Dave, so we hit it off straight away. I wrote a song – ‘Where Have All the Cockneys Gone’ – and gave it to Chas to work his magic on. Talk about selling coal to Newcastle – it’s basically a Chas & Dave song. He and I knocked it back and forth for a while, and it turned out very much to my liking and to Chas’s. I think it was that process which made me happy to take the project onboard. It was a long, collaborative process, and very sadly, during that process, Chas passed away. I’m quite dangerous to know, aren’t I!

How did you decide on the storyline for the show?

Originally, I think John Sullivan wanted to use the plot of the Christmas special ‘Dates’ – the one where Del meets Raquel. So we used that as the bare bones. But we’ve also included Rodney and Cassandra’s marriage, Trigger, and Boycie and Marlene’s storyline about going to the fertility clinic. There are some very poignant moments in it – but we’re never far away from a gag.

I’m name-dropping here, but I was talking to Jimmy Carr the other day and he said that in his stand-up, he makes sure he’s got three gags a minute. And I’m thinking: “We beat you hands down, Carr!” The series had some very moving moments but it never descended into sentimentality or mawkishness for long – before bang, you’re laughing again. We’ve tried to keep that feel. In two hours, you get the whole story of the Trotters.

Why did you choose to set the musical in the late 1980’s, and how does that time period affect the themes and characters?

We set the show in 1988/89, which I think is quite important because it marks the point when Grandad’s world was changing, and a new world was emerging with yuppies, mobile phones and personal computers. There’s even a scene where Trigger looks into his gran’s crystal ball and sees the gentrified version of Peckham today. We try to keep it relevant with moments like that, but it’s still 100% Only Fools and Horses – everything you want from the show.

With so much beloved material from Only Fools, how did you go about deciding what to include in the show?

Trying to fit everyone’s favourite moments from seven series (plus the Christmas specials) into just two hours was the hardest thing. We tried to crowbar in everyone’s favourite gags – or at least a reference to them. The female characters get more time in the spotlight as well – Cassandra, Raquel and Marlene all have their own showpieces. Of course Denzil is in it as well – played by Bradley John. He’s worked hard on his accent! He’s going to be scared obviously when we come to Liverpool but he’s done a great job – he’s not as bad as me and Harry (Enfield) (adopts scouse accent): “Calm down! calm down!” [laughs].

When you initially came on board with the project, was it just to help with the writing, or did you always plan to be in the show as well?

No, I was coerced into playing Grandad by the producer and director, Caroline Jay Ranger. When I asked, “Who’s going to play Grandad?”, she replied, “Well, you are!” I always liked Grandad – he was quite a sympathetic character. There was a bit of vulnerability about him. A lot of the other characters in Only Fools were pretty brassy and bold – obviously, that was the point – but you have to have some vulnerability somewhere, and I thought he had that. I loved Leonard Pierce; I thought he was a great actor and a great performer. Kathy Burke and I have often talked about him.

But I do a little cameo as Uncle Albert at the end! For most people, he’s probably more the face of Only Fools than Grandad. Jim and I talked about it, and he said, “We can’t not have Uncle Albert in it!” So he makes a brief but very dramatic appearance. It’s great fun to do him – a lot of beard waggling goes on.

The eighth series of Gone Fishing is out later this year – so I take it you and Bob are quite sick of each other just yet?

No, I’ll tell you what I’m sick of – him winning that Last One Laughing. He claims he asked me to be on it with him, but I don’t think he did! I might have beaten him, mightn’t I? When he was doing his jokes at the end, I was going: “Heard it, heard it, heard it, heard it” [laughs]. It was a good show though, wasn’t it? I know it’s been done elsewhere, but it’s a great format – I thought it worked really well. And obviously, for me, it was great to see Bob win.

The new episodes will have even more of a personal edge, with each fishing location chosen for its significance to you or Bob. Without giving too much away, was this a particularly poignant series to film?

To be honest, every episode is personal. We might not have been to that exact spot before, but I’ve certainly fished most of the rivers we visit. For this series, though, we did choose one or two locations that are particularly meaningful to us – places that go right back to our twenties and thirties, which feels like a long time ago now! We love doing the show; it’s a joy. And hats off to the BBC – they get bashed a lot these days, but they’ve been brilliant with us.

Only Fools and Horses The Musical runs at the Liverpool Empire (9-21 June). For tickets: OnlyFoolsonStage.com

Related posts:

Spamalot at Liverpool Empire review Willy Russell Interview: Merseyside’s acclaimed playwright talks to Your Move ‘Cilla’ actress Sheridan Smith heading to the Liverpool stage Interview: ‘Hellraiser’ star Doug Bradley Interview: ‘War Horse’ playwright Nick Stafford talks to Your Move Liverpool Theatre School graduate lands dream role in Blood Brothers