Over on this week’s The Stage Podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ray Brooks, an actor I’ve admired for many years since he narrated the legendary Mr Benn in the early 1970s.
Brooks’s autobiography, Learning My Lines is out now. It’s a fascinating read, covering his time on EastEnders in frank detail, and a look back over his lengthy career in film, theatre and television, including Cathy Comes Home and The Knack.
For many, Brooks will be best remembered as gambling chancer Robbie Box in the successful drama Big Deal in the mid-1980s. Brooks describes Big Deal, in which he starred opposite Sharon Duce, as:
“One of the most joyous jobs I ever had.”
To mark our podcast interview with Ray Brooks, here is the fab little title sequence to Big Deal, complete with natty theme song by Bucks Fizz’s Bobby G (hitting 46 in the UK charts in 1984!):
And as an extra treat, here’s a performance by Bobby G from Pebble Mill, featuring Brooks and Duce engaged in a serious poker session:
Learning My Lines is published by The Book Guild, RRP £14.99. To find out more about the book, download the podcast now!
Great interview with Mr Brooks, so good I've now ordered the book and the first series on DVD. And love the YouTube clips - the theme tune is a classic.