Paul O'Grady Slams Corrie Musical Delays

Paul O’Grady has slammed the delays to the UK tour of Coronation Street musical Street of Dreams.

The comedian and former chat-show host narrates the musical which has had its UK tour delayed after its premiere in Manchester. Street of Dreams received a mixed reaction from critics and audience members and after the premier Reckless Entertainment, the musical’s producers, announced it was delaying the tour to work on the scripts. The decision impacted on planned tour dates in Newcastle, Dublin and Belfast.

The decision to delay the UK tour has not gone down well with O’Grady who has criticised the producers and also urged them to pay the cast and crew of Street of Dreams. O’Grady told The Stage “That is what is killing me. I can afford it, but they [the cast and crew] can’t. I feel like screaming out, ‘Pay your crew….That is what is sickening me. And there were people on this for whom this was their first job, and I had to tell them it’s not like this all the time”

O’Grady revealed he nearly quit the musical during rehearsals and described his time working on Street of Dreams as “bedlam”.

However, he decided against leaving telling The Stage ‘If I go, it gives them the perfect excuse to close everything and blame it on me’..So I stuck it out, as did the rest of the cast, because we felt a commitment to this thing, which we had been involved in for so long.”

The comedian also poured doubt on the possibility he would return to Street of Dreams when its script issues are sorted out. “I don’t think I could to tell you the truth, I have been poisoned so much. We all feel like we have been thrown down the rabbit hole, gone through some crazy wonderland, and come out the other side saying, ‘What was that about?’

Starring alongside O’Grady in the musical are current Coronation Street regulars Kym Marsh and Katy Cavanagh as well as former Corrie actress Julie Goodyear.

You can read Maria Brabiner’s review for ATV Today here >>

[Written by Rosemary Bright]