Lisa Riley Talks Emmerdale, Underwear and Jimmy Nail

19-02-2007 15:56

You wake up one morning to find a lump in your breast. You’ve had more men than hot dinners but have never had anyone say ‘I love you’. You spend every moment trying to please a man who you’ve grown tired of but are too afraid to leave. You look in the mirror and you don’t like the woman you’ve spent so long trying to become. That’s the naked truth.

Bringing together the most exuberant and well-know soap stars and TV role models of recent years – including Lisa Riley, Pauline Fleming, Joanne Farrell and Sarah White – The Naked Truth turns an unlikely group of women into a band of pole dancers who successfully battle their personal demons and, despite everything, form friendships that can withstand any obstacle.

Drawing on the experiences of real women in real situations, the hottest stars of soap team up to explore what every woman fears in themselves and realise the possibilities that a little bravery, a pole and a pair of high-heels can open up.

Poignant but hilariously funny from the writer of Stepping Out, this is a show about women, for women, which every man should see.

FemaleFirst managed to catch up with Lisa, 30, to ask what it’s like treading the boards and life after playing the legendary Mandy Dingle.So have the cast received a good response from the public so far Lisa?Fantastic yeah. At every venue it’s different and we realised what things worked. The audience listen in different places and then we can go home and start making our own notes about where the laughs are coming and stuff like that. That’s really exciting and one thing that I love about being on tour.

Dave Simpson – who wrote the play has also written stuff for Emmerdale in the past as well hasn’t he?Yeah, he did and now he’s working with Kay Mellor, who wrote Fat Friends for me!What’s so special about this particular play for you?

Well I think it’s lovely how some of the money is going to charity – that’s fantastic. Breast cancer is really close to my heart because my mum had breast cancer. She’s now been six years in remission, so it’s a really positive story that we need to get out to women. I’m the patron of Breakthrough Breast Cancer – me and Gaby Roslin. I also do the Bury Cancer Unit in Bury where we live – I do a lot for them.Can you tell us more about your character Bev in the production?

Bev is a really man mad character. She never takes anything seriously – everything’s a joke and giddy with her. She sort of loves life and grabs everything by the balls – she really does! It’s a real comedy piece for Bev – but obviously I can’t give the end away. There’s a big twist for her.