The Boycie and Marlene on tour with addional venues at Guernsey and Newcastle

This unique tour is proving such a big hit with audiences around the country that its now extended its dates

Boycie & Marlene Tour Dates Extended by demand

As previously mention on ofah.net, Boycie and Marlene, played by John Challis and Sue Holderness, will allow audiences the chance to interact with the two only fools and horses characters, as well as watch them perform a comedy routine.

Boycie and his Marlene will recreate on stage some of the most famous moments from the two television comedies only fools and horses and The Green Green Grass. Additionally there is  a special bonus

John Challis and Sue Holderness will let the audience in on some of the secret moments that did not appear on our TV screens.  After the performance, the audience will have the chance to ask questions of the two stars about their experiences working on the shows.

Boycie and Marlene from Only Fools and Horses are travelling the country telling their story. It seems the British public have them very much in their heart.

The stars of the great BBC sitcom have added these 2010 dates

Guernsey October 5/6

Newcastle October 12

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1. Boycie and Marlene
2. Boycie & Marlene
3. Boycie returns for Fools spin-off

Sarah Duncan aka Vicky : Where are they now?

Sarah, it’s great to have you visiting the site and even making some recent comments on the blog.  Some fans spotted you in a recent game show, though sadly no mention of your starring episode at the time. We would love to hear more about the episode you starred in.

The fans no doubt would love to get some memories from you from the time you filmed the great only fools and horses episode A Royal Flush.

Appearing in A Royal Flush

Sarah – We filmed A Royal Flush around Salisbury, mostly on a big estate where the family had moved out of the big house and into the stable block.  When we arrived the front was all overgrown, but the design team cleared it up and gave it a grand gravel driveway with urns and topiary trees, just right for cars swooshing round.  At the end of the shoot someone asked Ray Butt about when were we going to film the people arriving for the party.  Never – it wasn’t in the script.  But there had been an arrival scene in the very first draft and that’s what the design team had gone on.  So when they realised it wasn’t needed, they took it all away again, right down to the last bit of the gravel.

Were there scenes that never made the original airing you can recall or any little snippets would be great for the fans?

Sarah – The interiors of the Opera scene were shot up in Buxton.  Again, a confusion with the script meant that there were more speaking extras needed than there originally had been, so their lines were said by the production crew off set – you can hear the different sound quality.

The first scene I was in was the market scene.  It was a very cold day and I had to sit on this teeny stool for ages.  I was freezing – you can see me shaking.

When I drove off in the Mercedes, I’d never driven an automatic before so was terrified i was going to get the wrong gear and go backwards into the crew.  They said, just put your foot down, so I did – we shot off at about 60mph which I don’t think anyone was expecting.  I had to come back and do it more slowly.

I didn’t spend much time with David Jason as we didn’t have many scenes together but Nick Lyndhurst was lovely, so friendly and helpful.  All the crew were very friendly – it was a very happy time.

Have you watched the A Royal Flush episode since the filming?

Sarah - I hope this is the sort of thing you wanted – it’s quite a long time ago for me! I’ve watched it a couple of times – the DVD cut quite a few of my favourite bits, like Arnold the butler treading on the peas Del had spilt.  I love the expression on his face.  When I watch it I mainly think – blimey, what a lot of hair I had then!

Sarah Duncan aka Vicky

Sarah currently writes a regular blog, twitters and has written several books

Below is an excerpt from her biography

10 facts Sarah Duncan…

ATB sarah
A Single to Rome (Headline Review)
www.sarahduncan.co.uk

Many thanks Sarah for your time – ofah.net

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2. The Marlene Interview
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Rock & Chips – Behind the Scenes

Behind the scenes rock and chips

OFAH.net.What was it like working with Nicolas Lyndhurst?

Vikki with Nick

Behind the scenes

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Lewis Osbourne AKA Trigger from Rock & Chips

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

We caught up with Lewis Osbourne AKA Trigger from Rock & Chips. Lewis tells us how he got into character for Rock and Chips, how he got the part of Trigger, and whether he would like to play Trigger if we see a series of Rock & Chips

OFAH. Have you been a fools and horses fan before hand?

Lewis Osbourne Interview

LEWIS. Absolutely. I think it’s hard not to be if you live in Britain. My parents and Grandparents have always been avid fans, so i was watching it religiously before I even understood the jokes. But it wasn’t until I’d got the part and watched every episode that I became a real fan. Also meeting John and some of the only fools cast was what made me see the show in a whole new light and appreciate how great it actually was. Now when I hear the theme tune i can’t help but smile.

OFAH. How did you feel when you heard you’d got the part of Trigger?

LEWIS. It felt amazing, especially because he was my favourite. I couldn’t stop grinning for a while because the script was so incredible and looked like it would be a lot of fun to be involved in. I was in Amsterdam when I got the call, so my friends and I went out to celebrate. Then I came home the next morning and was not allowed to tell anyone.

OFAH. How did you go about preparing for the part?

LEWIS. I re-watched all of the episodes as did most of the cast I think. I just studied triggers mannerisms and tried to work out what was going through his head. We were told frequently that they didn’t want impersonations of the characters, so we had to work out what they would have been like at our age. Then again Trigger didn’t really grow wiser as he got older, so he stayed the same. I have more in common with him then I thought I did.

Likely Lads with Lewis

OFAH. What was it like working on a prequel of the great sitcom – any pressure?

LEWIS. There was a lot of pressure. Mainly because ‘Rock n Chips’ was for the fans, so if we let them down we would have failed. But also we didn’t want to let down the only fools family. John Sullivan would be on set every day and some of the cast would pop in to see how we was doing which was incredible but quite daunting. I got to meet Paul Barber and of course David Jason. Our photo is now hanging on my bathroom wall.

OFAH. Would you like a series to come out of it?

LEWIS. I would love a series to come out of it, and I’m glad that you do to. I would just love to see what they would do with the series. Maybe we would see Joan on her deathbed? Or Boycie meet Marlene? Or Trigger take up his job as a road sweep? I think that would be hilarious.

OFAH. What other rolls have you played

LEWIS. Not many. When I went for the first audition I had literally just left school. I’d been studying theatre at The BRIT School for four years and had no idea what I was going to do next. But I played all sorts of weird roles at BRIT like an ASBO on a south London estate and an aristocrat from the restoration period. Trigger was probably the only character I’ve played that I’ve felt I could connect to.

OFAH. Out of all the actors – who was the joker?

LEWIS. Obviously James was always there with a joke at the ready, and he never failed to make me laugh with one of his witty one liners. But I thought Phil Daniels was the joker of the cast. I loved his dry humour and how you could never tell if he was taking the piss or not. He reminded me a lot of my grandad Albert, but he’s a lot older. Also Rodger Griffiths was very funny. There was definitely laughs everyday on set.

OFAH. Tell us about a behind the scenes gem that we may not of known from watching the show

LEWIS. On the bus scene we were driving through Catford. So when James was throwing the saveloys out the window, he was really hitting people. So they were genuine laughs. That was my favourite day of filming.

We are really greatful for Lewis giving us this insight into the character.  lets hope we see even more of him in the coming years.

twitter.com/LewisOsborne

www.ofah.net

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Early Years

John Sullivan - Writer of New Prequel

John Sullivan’s Breakthrough

Spin-offs

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Updated : Boycie and Marlene on tour NOW

If you’re a fan of the show you wouldn’t want to miss this unique tour

The show, entitled Boycie and Marlene, played by John Challis and Sue Holderness, will allow audiences the chance to interact with the two only fools and horses characters, as well as watch them perform a comedy routine.

Boycie and his Marlene will recreate on stage some of the most famous moments from the two television comedies only fools and horses and The Green Green Grass. Additionally there is  a special bonus

John Challis and Sue Holderness will let the audience in on some of the secret moments that did not appear on our TV screens.  After the performance, the audience will have the chance to ask questions of the two stars about their experiences working on the shows.

Boycie and Marlene from Only Fools and Horses are travelling the country telling their story. They spoke to DAVID MILLS about their current tour.

THEY may have spent most of their marriage at each other’s throats, but Boycie and Marlene are still an item after more than 25 years.

And one of television’s longest-serving on screen couples is showing no signs of heading for divorce either, with tour dates planned across the UK this month and next.

An audience with Boycie and Marlene tells the story of how the characters came about and relives some of their best moments from Only Fools and Horses and spin-off The Green Green Grass.

The idea for the tour came about after John Challis and Sue Holderness, who are not married in real life, had each done individual shows based on their characters on cruise liners.

John said: “People seemed very interested in it so we had the idea of putting our two individual shows together and seeing if people on land liked it as much as people on the ocean did.”

Members of the audience even get to quiz the pair after the performance.

Sue said: “One of the things audiences like is the chance to ask us questions. But we hope a lot of those questions are answered during the performance, such as how we got these roles. We had no idea after all these years the characters would become the national treasures they are.”

While John and Sue have appeared in countless theatre and television productions, it was in Only Fools and Horses that the couple found fame.

One of British television’s finest ever sitcoms, the south-east London based comedy ran for more than 20 years and viewers never seem to tire of the endless repeats.

Most people thought Only Fools and Horses had finally finished in 1996 when Del and Rodney became millionaires, but John Challis felt the show had to go on.

He said: “I didn’t think you could leave Del with all that money. I always thought it had to come full circle and he had to finish back at square one with nothing.

“Although it was quite a shock to be told five years later we were going to get together and do another three shows.”

Boycie, a second-hand car dealer from Lewisham, is best known for his signature laugh, which he copied from a woman he knew with “a machine gun laugh”.

John said: “Everybody does impressions of that, kids are doing it to me all the time. It sounds like a flock of sheep sometimes.”

He says he would jump at the chance to do another episode of Only Fools and Horses, while Sue says she will never get fed up with Marlene.

Sue said: “I’d like to be playing Marlene when I’m staggering around on my Zimmer frame in my 80s. I hope she’ll still be as lively in her leopard skin high heels.”

Boycie and Marlene are two of the most popular characters from Only Fools and Horses.

The stars of the great BBC sitcom are back on stage see dates below

2010 Tour

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1. Boycie and Marlene Show Extended
2. Boycie & Marlene
3. Boycie returns for Fools spin-off

EXCLUSIVE : Interview with John Sullivan

On the new prequel: Rock n Chips

Well John thanks for allowing me to come down today to Pinwood Studios to see some of the filming of the new show  Rock ‘n’ Chips. It all looks very exciting with some great casting. I particularly like the idea of Phil Daniels playing Grandad. It seems such a natural choice.

Wow is Del Boy or Reg aware of this in the show?

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3. Rock & Chips – Video Preview

The BBC have provided some video previews and interviews of Rock & Chips

Let us know your initial thoughts on rock and chips

Don’t forget to provide your own review after the show on Sunday 24th Jan
Rock & Chips review here

In this behind the scenes all the regulars from the Nag’s Head pub jump on board a coach for an eventful trip to Margate. Rock & Chips, the prequel to Only Fools and Horses, is the feature-length comedy-drama from the pen of John Sullivan, starring Nicholas Lyndhurst, Kellie Bright and James Buckley. It’s Peckham, 1960, and the Trotters are all under one roof: Grandad, Joan, husband Reg and the teenage Del Boy. Things suddenly change, however, when ex-con Freddie Robdal appears. Joining this story are the teenage versions of Boycie, Trigger and Denzil.

Rock & Chips, the prequel to Only Fools and Horses, is the feature-length comedy-drama from the pen of John Sullivan, starring Nicholas Lyndhurst, Kellie Bright and James Buckley. It’s Peckham, 1960, and the Trotters are all under one roof: Grandad, Joan, husband Reg and the teenage Del Boy. Things suddenly change, however, when ex-con Freddie Robdal appears. Joining this story are the teenage versions of Boycie, Trigger and Denzil.

A behind the scenes look at Rock & Chips, the prequel to Only Fools and Horses. It’s a feature-length comedy-drama from the pen of John Sullivan, starring Nicholas Lyndhurst, Kellie Bright and James Buckley. It’s Peckham, 1960, and the Trotters are all under one roof: Grandad, Joan, husband Reg and the teenage Del Boy. Things suddenly change, however, when ex-con Freddie Robdal appears. Joining this story are the teenage versions of Boycie, Trigger and Denzil.

Del Boy, Trigger, Boycie and Denzil and others

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Rock & Chips - Interviews

We’ve seen the title change

We know the air date for Rock & Chips – BBC1, Sunday 24 January, 9pm

We know we would love a series of this comedy drama featuring our favorite charatcters, Del Boy, Trigger, Boycie Jumbo Mills Denzil and others. The 90-minute special will feature a “bittersweet love story” and aims to shed new light on the lives of the Trotter family.

What about some interviews.
Well the BBC have provided us the following treats:

Rock n Chips: Q&A with Kellie Bright

Rock n Chips: Q&A with Kellie Bright

Best-known in TV for her roles playing prisoner Cassie in Bad Girls and starring as Ali G’s less-than-glamorous girlfriend Me Julie in Ali G Indahouse, Kellie Bright jumped at the chance to pop into a girdle and put the red lippy on for Rock n Chips!  Here she talks about playing Peckham’s answer to Brigitte Bardot.

IF YOU ENJOYED ROCK & CHIPS – CALL THE BBC NOW

ON 0208 743 8000

WITH FAN POWER LET’S GET THE BBC TO COMMISSION A SERIES

Tell us about Joan Trotter…

“My word for Joan would be vivacious. She just has this huge love of life. Being poor in the Sixties really meant being poor but Joan manages to get through it with a spring in her step and a smile on her face. It sounds odd but when I think about the Sixties I think about it in black and white, but Joan would be in technicolour! She’s a dreamer but she’s also very practical and would never dream above her station or drop her responsibilities and run off into the sunset.”

And she’s quite a looker…

“Joan likes to make the best of herself and she’s that mum that all your mates fancy! At that time women of her age were kind of middle-aged and dowdy – sort of old before their time – but Joan has managed to hold on to her youth, even though, when we meet her, it’s just starting to fade. She would never want anyone on the street to see her less than immaculate – she wouldn’t even put the bins out without her red lippy on!”

Was it fun to get dressed up for a change?

“It was amazing fun. I had a fantastic make-up designer and I got to look fabulous every day! It took some time to create Joan on a daily basis and the team worked really hard but, when you’re doing a period piece, it really helps to have that element as it helps you to step out of your own life. As soon as I stepped into Joan’s structured underwear – I had to wear a girdle everyday – it made me stand differently and feel completely different and that really helped.”

What was it like being Del Boy’s mum?

“I just loved playing Joan and the fact that she was a mother to these two iconic characters was part of her charm. I tried not to worry too much about what other people would have wanted her to be like and just tried to stay truthful to John Sullivan’s writing and play her as I saw her. I loved playing a mum and exploring her closeness with Del Boy. She was very young when she had him and they’ve sort of grown up together and, in her world, he’s the thing that she’s most proud of. And Del is proud of her too. He’s not embarrassed that all his mates fancy her, he celebrates the fact that she’s gorgeous!”

What was it like working with Nick Lyndhurst?

“I just think he’s brilliant – I mean really brilliant. To come back to work with the same group of people you’ve worked with for 20 years and create something new is just extraordinary and I never felt for one minute when I was working with him that I was looking into the eyes of Rodney – there wasn’t a single glimmer. I have worked with some amazing people but Nick is just the most brilliantly-talented comic actor I’ve ever worked with and I just hope that together we’ve done justice to John Sullivan’s writing and helped create this love story.”

How did you feel being part of the Only Fools And Horses heritage?

“I am hugely grateful and honoured. I grew up with Only Fools And Horses, I’m a huge fan and I am just ecstatic to be embraced as part of that family! Getting the phone call from my agent to say that I’d got the part was the most extraordinary feeling. I was on the streets of Edinburgh while I was working at the festival and was waiting for the call. When my agent rang she just said ‘is that Mrs Trotter?’ and it was the most unbelievable moment – I was really, really chuffed!”

Rock n Chips: Q&A with Nicholas Lyndhurst

Rock n Chips: Q&A with Nicholas Lyndhurst

He’s won countless awards, achieved huge viewing figures and is loved by millions for his portrayal of lanky Rodney Trotter, but Nicholas Lyndhurst was originally reticent about being involved in another project with the Only Fools team – that is until he read the script. Here he talks about how Rock n Chips was cooked up.

You have had huge success playing Rodney Trotter. Were you always destined to play the man thought to be his father, Freddie Robdal?

“We’ve all seen prequels and spin-offs, and sometimes they work and a lot of times they don’t, so I wasn’t too sure that I wanted to be involved. I held off making a commitment until I’d seen a script and when it arrived I was really quite scared to start reading it. But when I read it, I knew I’d kill to do the part. It’s just a brilliant piece of writing.”

This film is set in 1960, did you know much about this era?

“John Sullivan started talking about this idea about nine years ago when he had an idea during the filming of Only Fools. The Sixties is John’s era, his heyday, and this film reflects his interest in the Sixties so much. I was born in 1961, so it’s obviously before my time but I read up a lot before we started filming. We think we all know the Sixties – about The Beatles and London, the Swinging Sixties – but this is before all of that – an era of deprivation when there was still rationing from the war and bomb sites hadn’t been cleared. John has written about it so warmly and it’s a fascinating piece. Viewers are in for one hell of a show even if they have no interest in Only Fools And Horses.”

What did you know about Freddie before you started?

“I didn’t know much but it’s clear from whenever Del does talk about him in Only Fools that there’s no love lost between them. Freddie’s the type of person who gets what he wants and takes it when it’s not given. He’s a villain – charming, but nasty.”

Is there any family resemblance to Rodney?

“No resemblance at all. They’re from two entirely different suitcases as far as I’m concerned. I didn’t want to bring into it anything that I’d already done with Rodney and fortunately there wasn’t any opportunity to do so. They’re like chalk and cheese.”

What was it like working with James Buckley as the young Del?

“The team were very clever in casting all the young characters as they cast them not as individuals, but together, to see how they pinged off each other and what kind of chemistry they had. And, of course, they’re all brilliant together. Not one of them tried to caricature what anyone did previously in Fools and they all bring a completely fresh appeal.”

And Kellie Bright?

“Kellie Bright is brilliant in Rock n Chips. She is a fantastic actress and was an absolute gift to this show.”

What did Rodney know of his mum?

“I don’t think Rodney knew much about his mum. During filming I was reminded of an Only Fools scene where Rodney is visiting his mum’s grave asking her if she loved Freddie. But I don’t remember it very clearly – I hate watching myself on screen so I haven’t watched as much Only Fools as many other people!”

Is it true that David Jason came on set?

“Yes, David came down on set but it was a really slow day so we spent most of it sitting around drinking coffee! Some days filming can be laboriously slow and this was one of those days – so he didn’t get to see much but at least we got to have a good catch-up!”

Rock n Chips: Q&A with James Buckley

Rock n Chips: Q&A with James Buckley

For young Inbetweeners’ star James Buckley, winning the part of young Del Boy in Rock n Chips was a dream come true. Here he talks about dinner with David Jason and chewing Nicholas Lyndhurst’s ear off.

Can you give us a flavour of the teenage Del Boy?

“I wasn’t trying to do a David Jason impression but there are very small traits of Del Boy that I tried to put in the part. The young Del is still a bit of a wheeler-dealer, even though he’s still at school, but he hasn’t yet turned into the Del Boy that we all know.”

How did you feel when you heard you’d got the part?

“After the last audition I was waiting to hear and I was travelling up to Edinburgh on the train. I was late for my train and didn’t have time to pick up a paper so all I could do was sit on a train for hours wondering if they’d called my agent yet.! Then I finally found out that evening and was really, really chuffed. I grew up with it, I love Only Fools And Horses.”

How did you go about preparing for the part?

“I bought the complete box set of Only Fools And Horses to make sure I hadn’t missed any episodes and I was watching a series a day at one point! It was really interesting because there were scenes and characters mentioned that didn’t seem that important at the time but then they have a new significance once you know the story of Rock n Chips. But, in terms of research, if there was anything I wasn’t sure about John Sullivan was always on set to help. He’s got such a specific idea about what he wants and it’s so detailed. He was just a huge help about what certain words meant and what the props were and the things he used to get up to when he was younger. He was probably the biggest help I could have had.”

Did you feel any pressure following in David Jason’s illustrious footsteps?

“There was no pressure to imitate David Jason and I don’t think anyone would have wanted that. It’s just important to remember that this isn’t an episode of Only Fools And Horses. That’s already been done and so brilliantly that there wouldn’t be any point in trying to do it again. This is completely different and I think as long as people realise this is something new and exciting then they’ll get a lot out of it.”

What was it like filming with Nick Lyndhurst?

“Working with Nick Lyndhurst and Phil Daniels was really important to me as a young actor. I’ve mostly acted with people my own age and people in the same boat as me so to talk to these people that have been successful in the industry for so long, well, you’ve got just got to take that opportunity and chew their ears off! They never seemed that annoyed by me or anything and I’m sure they understood as they were in the same boat as me once.”

What is it like being part of the Only Fools family?

“It’s something that I’m immensely proud of. I’m really pleased and really proud and it was a dream come true and a great opportunity for me. The biggest challenge was just to remind myself that I’m not David Jason and that what I can do is completely different to what he did. But I just didn’t want to let anyone down. Only Fools is just so important to me and to millions of people. I did take it very seriously and it would have been irresponsible and disrespectful to fans of the show if I hadn’t. And I’m really pleased with the end result, it’s just such a lovely story about a simpler time.”

You got to meet David Jason on set, what was that like?

“It was a really special moment and just so surreal. I was having lunch with David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst and John Sullivan and it was just a dream dinner! I just sat there and listened to everything they had to say. David Jason joked that he had a few notes for me, and that he was keeping an eye on me, but he never really did. I just never saw it coming – the character of Del Boy is like a working-class hero and so beautifully created by David Jason, it was a real pleasure to be able to spend time with him.”

All interviews provided through the BBC

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Nicholas Lyndhurst is keen for Only Fools to return

According to a recent interview with digital spy Nicholas Lyndhurst is ever keen for Only Fools and Horses to return. Despite having countless comedy geniuses yell “you are a dipstick” and “you plonker” at him on the streets, he doesn’t hate the role that made him a household name as Rodney Trotter from 1981 to 2003.

Nick admitted “I have a real soft spot for Rodney”. “He never typecast me, and I never wanted to bury him. I would make another series of Only Fools and Horses if the script was good.”

The dream is almost true as Nick is starring in the Only Fools prequel Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Chips, playing Rodney’s biological dad Freddie ‘The Frog’ Robdal.

So do you think Only Fools will ever come back?

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