From Crossroads to California for Carolyn Lyster

Crossroads fans can catch up with Carolyn Lyster – who played Janice Gifford, later Janice Jarvis, in the 1960s – when she appears on stage in London later this month in Californian Lives.

Californian Lives is a production of three monologues written by award-winning writer Martin Foreman and is to take place at the celebrated theatre venue, the King’s Head in Islington.

In one of the monologues Carolyn plays a grandmother talking to her husband at the end of the day, remembering details of their life together.

It’s a difficult role, she admits. “The character goes from being a relatively timid unworldly person to a strong fearless one. She makes quite a journey. I hope I can do justice to it.”

Carolyn has appeared frequently on stage and television – most recently in Doctors – since her Crossroads days where she was seen nightly by 11 million viewers from 1964 through to 1969. In the storyline she began working at the fictional midland village of Kings Oak in the Night and Day car hire firm which was co-owned by future father-in-law Dick Jarvis (actor Brian Kent). Soon she was wooed by his son, Brian (played by David Fennel).

They were married in 1965 with the wedding announcement gaining the couple a place on the front page of the TV Times in February that year. In 1966 their son Richard was born, and the family took a holiday in Sweden where Janice was wooed by John King, one of her old boyfriends.

It all went sour when Brian was accused of murder after John followed them back to the Crossroads Motel, accidentally killing him during a fight by the motel swimming pool. Eventually he was acquitted of manslaughter however suffering from depression he turned to drink and Janice left Brian in 1969 while he was away at a drying out clinic.

Californian Lives also stars regular television character actor John Vernon, who has turned up in EastEnders, Heartbeat and The Bill to name a few. John also has a sideline in stand-up comedy. John’s one-man play is Ben and Joe’s, the story of a group of men who gather daily in a San Fernando bar until a stranger appears.

The last member of the team is Robin Holden, who has yet to appear on television, but who has an impressive track record in the theatre, including the leading roles in Hamlet, Macbeth and Oedipus. Robin’s character is a tired salesman at the end of the day, who starts talking about the Los Angeles freeways – and the woman of his dreams.

The run, at the King’s Head, Islington, London, is from 21st April to 26th May. Tickets can be booked here