Bruno Langley has always wanted to be a nasty piece of work. The former Coronation Street and Doctor Who actor has a history of playing complicated, but generally nice and misunderstood characters.

Bruno finally gets the chance to show his darker side during touring show Flashdance the Musical, which hurtles into the Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff, for a week on Monday, February 23.

"My character is really messed up and not a nice guy at all," says the 25-year-old. "His name is Jimmy and he is a drug addict who lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the USA.

"He does a lot of bad things during the show, but it’s not all entirely his fault. He is a victim of circumstance and does what he does to get by, because he has to.

"It’s been a great job for me, as I spend most of my time on stage pretending to be completely out of my head. I just wish I’d got more time to experiment and really get into character. Only joking!

"Seriously, though, I’m really enjoying this role. I’ve always played fairly decent people in the past and it is so true that it is much more fun playing a villainous character.

"But Jimmy isn’t bad enough for me. I’d like to take it a whole lot further. My dream role would be playing Alan B’Stard, from Rik Mayall’s Eighties show, the New Statesman.

"Now he really was a nasty piece of work, who just loved stitching everyone up. I’d really relish having a good go at that!"

Flashdance was one of the biggest movies of the Eighties, with music and dance combining in spectacular fashion. The film tells the story of blue-collar worker, Alexandra Owens, 18, a steel mill welder by day and a dancer in a bar by night, who dreams of becoming a professional performer.

Victoria Hamilton-Barritt takes on the role of Alex in the stage show, with former Brookside star, Bernie Nolan, and Hear’Say singer, Noel Sullivan, also part of the cast.

"The whole cast is great, but Victoria really is something else – she is the big star," adds Bruno. "She is a really talented girl, an amazing dancer and she really holds the whole thing together.

"Victoria can sing, act and dance. I can only do the first two. Being the focal point of the show she has to be on top of her game all the time.

"So there’s not much partying going on as Victoria has to get to bed early and get her rest, especially on the days we are doing two shows. She has to stay fit as she really is the show!

"I’m really enjoying being part of something which is so well known. Flashdance was a massive film in the Eighties, it’s a cult classic, like Lost Boys or Dirty Dancing, and it’s great taking it from the big screen to stages around the country."

Bruno has been concentrating on his stage work and has been missing from a regular slot on our TVs for the past three years, after briefly making a return to Coronation Street.

It was during his first run around the cobbled streets of Weatherfield, between 2001 and 2004, he was scripted to come out of the Corrie closet, as the long-running soap’s first openly gay character, Todd Grimshaw.

"That’s the job, one day you’re a straight guy, the next thing the writers announce you are gay. It’s always random," laughs Bruno, who has a female fiancee in real life.

"But the plotline was great for me. I’d been in the show for quite a while, but this was my first big storyline and a very important part of the development of the show, so I was chuffed to bits."

Another landmark role for Bruno was playing young genius Adam Mitchell, alongside Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, in the successful 2005 relaunch of Doctor Who.

In his final time-travelling appearance, Adam has a futuristic computer interface port installed in his forehead, which is activated by a snap of the fingers, partially revealing his brain.

"To this day, I get Doctor Who fans hanging around the stage door after a show clicking their fingers," adds Bruno. "It’s like they actually think my head is going to open up, like it did in the show, which can be quite weird. But it’s also flattering.

"Doctor Who is such a massive show and I was only in it for a couple of episodes. It was great to be a part of it and still be remembered."

So when are we likely to see Bruno back on TV? "Yeah, I’m looking for a nice rest," he jokes. "TV work is so much easier than live theatre work. You really have to sweat up on stage."

Flashdance the Musical is at the Cliffs Pavilion for six days between Monday, February 23, and Saturday, February 28. Shows are at 8pm, Monday to Thursday, 5.30pm and 8.30pm Friday and 5pm and 8.30pm Saturday.
Tickets start at £16.50 and group discounts are available. For more information, call 01702 351135.

© The Echo Newspaper, 13/2/09

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