Ricky Tomlinson who has been performing across the U.K. on his ‘Retirement My Ar*e! Tour’ an evening of conversation about his life and career and hosted by Asa Murphy, played its only London gig at Chickenshed Theatre, and there are some evenings when you leave the theatre having watched a performance, and there are evenings when you leave feeling that you have been allowed, for a couple of hours, into someone’s life. In Conversation with Ricky Tomlinson was very much the latter.
Introduced and beautifully facilitated by Asa Murphy, who, as well as a children’s author and writer of stage musicals, is the UKs No1 Swing Artiste, really gave Tomlinson full licence to share his innermost thoughts. The evening unfolded as a genuine conversation rather than a formal interview. Murphy created the space for Tomlinson to wander through his memories, career and life, knowing when to prompt and when simply to let him tell the story. There was an easy rapport between them, we went on to learn they have been friends for 20 years, and it made the whole evening feel wonderfully relaxed.
And what a life there is to wander through…
Before the television roles that made him a household name, Brookside, The Royle Family and, of course, the unforgettable Jim Royle, there was a very different Ricky Tomlinson. His story includes his years as a plasterer, his involvement in the building workers’ strike, and the extraordinary period that followed when he was imprisoned. His time in prison is not some convenient footnote in the story of his success. It was a deeply significant chapter in his life, one that changed the direction his life would take, I felt myself getting emotional when he spoke about his cockroach encounter in prison and that still effects him to this day.
Yet somehow, sitting listening to him recount these experiences from the comfort of the on-stage sofa, there was no sense of being lectured or handed a neatly packaged story of adversity followed by triumph.
Instead, there was simply Ricky.
Funny. Frank. Occasionally mischievous. Willing to laugh at himself and, just as importantly, willing to let the more difficult parts of the story sit alongside the humour.
His route into acting was hardly conventional. Life with all its ups and downs happened first, rather than a carefully constructed plan, and perhaps that is one of the things that makes his story so engaging.
We like to think we know where we’re going.
Then life moves the furniture.
Ricky found another door.
And thankfully for audiences everywhere, he walked through it.
There were, naturally, stories from his remarkable television career, and hearing about the people and experiences behind those familiar characters was a particular pleasure. But the evening never felt like a simple trip down Memory Lane. It was much more about the human being behind the familiar face. That is perhaps Ricky’s great gift as a storyteller. He doesn’t put himself on a pedestal. He brings himself into the room. That felt especially fitting at Chickenshed, a theatre whose very ethos is rooted in connection, community and the belief that everybody has a story worth hearing. There was something rather lovely about this particular story being shared there.
The audience laughed a lot. But there were quieter moments too. Moments where the humour gave way to reflection, and where you were reminded that a long life and a long career are made up of considerably more than the highlights reel. Asa Murphy deserves real credit for allowing all of that to breathe. His conversation with Ricky was warm, generous and unhurried, giving us not just the actor but the man behind the roles.
And then there was the small detail that made the evening feel even more special about the next day Tomlinson’s 87th birthday, something rather wonderful about spending the evening before it with him, surrounded by an audience who had come to hear his stories and share a few laughs.
From plasterer to actor. From prison to some of Britain’s best-loved television characters. From working men’s clubs to living rooms across the country. During the interval it was then time for the audience to participate and ask Tomlinson a question that just might get answered by the man himself after the break - many people quickly made their way to the table with paper and pens and got writing. Of course, how could I resist as I eagerly went to write down my own question
We all came back for the second half and it was so interesting hearing people questions..
“What are you doing for your birthday Ricky”
I’m not sure I can repeat his wildly humorous answer here
“Who was your favourite character on The Royle Family?”
He didn’t need a second to think about that one, Nana. We were then treated to a wonderful story about their on set relationship and how food was involved! My question was asked - I couldn’t help but but get a little nervous. This was an event that involved a lot of humour - I’m not sure my question was that funny. But still it’s a passion of mine and I wanted to hear Tomlinson’s take. It was centred on mental health, my mention of being a Samaritan and I wondered what Tomlinson, who had led a full, rich, layered life (and I’m sure much more to come) with his own ups and downs, would say to anyone in the audience who might secretly be struggling with their mental health.
This is where I wanted to stand up and high five Tomlinson with his response. I was moved Murphy thought a question appropriate to ask and it was very clear Tomlinson and Murphy are both incredibly supportive of mental health support and talking about how we feel, especially men. A very moving moment indeed.
What then followed was a wonderful and special audience sing-along with Tomlinson and Murphy. A perfect end to a superb evening. Tomlinson’s life certainly didn’t follow a straight line. Perhaps that’s the nicest thing to take away. We don’t always get to choose every twist in the road. Sometimes the road chooses us. What matters, perhaps, is what we do with the next bit of it.
Ricky Tomlinson has certainly done plenty with his. And now at 87, as I write this, he is still sitting in front of an audience, telling stories, making people laugh and sharing a little of his journey on his own road with us. What a lovely way to spend the night before a birthday.Happy 87th, Ricky.
Thank you to Ricky and to Asa for a genuinely lovely evening. A special mention for Des (Dessie) Warren, now no longer with us, and of course the banjo. Des, a person who was very close to Tomlinson’s heart and the banjo, an instrument that is a great love of his life and how playing it brings people together. Something being an audience member that night did, hearing stories from Tomlinson’s life indeed brought us all together.
More dates can be found on https://www.ticketsource.
Review - 25th September
Reviewer - Mary Fogg
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