‘Allo, ‘allo - it’s Vicki Michelle!
13/05/2009
When we talk, Vicki Mitchell is at her Chelmsford home – resting between performances of the UK tour of ‘Allo, Allo’ playing opposite Geoffery Holland. It’s been a huge success – demonstration (if it were needed) that after a quarter of a century and endless repeats the comedy has entered a new phase of its existence: it’s officially an institution.
Like Dad’s Army before it, ‘Allo ‘Allo dared to make a comedy about what was a very serious topic: the war. And there were, at the time, a number of voices expressing concern. “Chaplain had poked fun of Hitler,” says Vicki. “So it had been done before. But what was so wonderful about the scripts was that everyone has fun poked at them – the Germans were kinky, the French were randy and the English... well they were just stupid!
“It’s a very British thing to laugh at adversity. But the programme actually sold to 80 countries worldwide. The German television companies saw it and came out laughing their heads off – but said that they couldn’t possibly buy it!
“But that was then, 25 years ago. There’s a new generation of young Germans who feel that the war is now in the past. And a year ago the programme was sold there too. They’ve obviously lightened up a bit.”
Another secret of the programme’s success was the way that, as Vicki says, the scriptwriters did some role reversal in the characters. “There’s René, who is fancied by all the women,” says Vicki. “A most unlikely sex symbol! But all the men watching can think ‘If he’s sexy, well I have a chance too’.
“Then we have Mme Edith who thinks she can sing. She was originally meant to be a good singer, but we discovered that Carmen [Silvera] couldn’t hold a note in a bucket. And that became the joke. Yes, it was schoolboy humour, but it was a programme that all the family could sit and watch together. And now on the tour we find the audience is made up of grans and granddads, mums and dads – and their children.”
One of the abiding attractions for many of the male viewers was undoubtedly Vicky herself, whose saucy outfits, French accent and come hither looks (not forgetting the curvaceous figure!) was the stuff of many a male fantasy. Has playing such a memorable part led to her being typecast?
“Well I suppose I am seen as the ‘sexy French waitress’ and I do love comedy. But now that I’m older I am getting some great character parts – like Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’. And I’m delighted to be getting the odd serious role as well. It’s where I started and where I would like to do more work.”
Emmerdale fans would have spotted her recent spell there, and those of you with long memories may remember her very early appearances on the set – first in Dixon of Dock Green then in a series of leading roles in Sofltly Softly. “You’re only supposed to play one part in a series like that, but I had three – first as a skinhead, then a drug dealer and finally as a ‘hood’. I got murdered in one part – being found floating in the river wasn’t very pleasant!
“But then I got a part in a Dick Emery show – and after that I was a comedy actress.”
Two other big stars she worked with early on were Dudley Moore and Norman Wisdom, and she speaks fondly about her time with the veteran comedian and singer who demonstrated so well that great comedic performers can often make brilliant actors. ‘Going Gently’, we both agree, was one of Sir Norman’s tours de force: he and Fulton Mackay portrayed two men with terminal illnesses with incredible power and pathos.
As well as having a busy stage and TV career, Vicki still manages to find time for a lot of charitable work, and one of the highlights has been the creation of a video on Asperger’s. “It all started about 12 years ago when a mother and her son came along to a show I was in.
She told me that he had really responded well to watching me – and this led me getting to know them better, and also understanding what Asperger’s is all about.
“The video we made is shown not just to help Asperger’s sufferers and their families, but to schools – helping youngsters understand the syndrome. I’ve really enjoyed being involved in that, and feeling that it has made a difference.”
For the rest of the year you’ll find Vicki on the last few ‘legs’ of her tour. And then? “We’re straight into rehearsals for panto season – this year I’m the Wicked Witch at Weston-super-Mare. I’ve been there before and it’s a lovely venue – and Peter Duncan is in it as well, who’s a real professional.”
And being panto, I can’t imagine that the script doesn’t have a least a few references to Vicki’s alter ego as the sexy French waitress or the fallen Madonna wiz the big boobies. Can you?
The ‘Allo ‘Allo tour dates:
Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, 18 –23 May
Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, 26 – 30 May
The Victoria Theatre, Halifax, 1 – 3 June
Venue Cymru, Llandudno, 4 – 6 June
Theatre Royal, Windsor, 8 – 13 June
Malvern Theatres, Malvern, 15 – 20 June