Family band

AFTER working together five times, real life partners Andrew Dunn and Andrina Carroll are pretty relaxed about acting together. But something new has been introduced into the equation as they rehearse the stage version of hit movie Brassed Off at York Theatre Royal - their nine-year-old son Elliot.

He's taking a non-speaking role in Paul Allen's stage adaptation of the Yorkshire-based drama set against a background of pit closures and brass bands.

While the couple say "it's never been a problem" working with each other, they do admit to feeling inhibited initially with their son at rehearsals for the production, in which they play husband and wife.

"It's quite odd, although we've been together for a very long time, when you're working I don't see Andrew I only see an actor, I only see him as the character," says Carroll.

Those initial worries about Elliot probably stemmed from protective feelings aroused by seeing him in a strange environment. "It was just watching him. The theatre is an unusual place for him. It was explaining what's going on, who's doing what and why we keep going over the same thing again and again," she says.

It was director Damian Cruden who suggested Elliot for a role in the production. "He said, 'no' at first. He doesn't have any great interest in drama yet," says Dunn.

There's a drama group at his school but "it's mostly girls and usually clashes with football or something", as Carroll puts it. "Elliot said he'd think about it, then asked if it meant his photo would be in the programme. When we said, 'yes', he said he'd do it. He seems quite keen now."

The couple met at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, while appearing in the stage version of Catherine Cookson's The Fifteen Streets. They last worked together in a film, Between Two Women, although didn't share any scenes together.

Cruden first asked Dunn to be in Brassed Off some time ago. The offer to Carroll came later. It hadn't crossed her mind as the pair tend to organise things so one of them isn't working and around to look after their son.

The on-stage marriage of their characters is under strain through debt incurred after Dunn's character Phil was jailed and suspended during the miners' strike. Now the bailiffs are knocking at the door.

"We talk about it a little bit at home," says Carroll. "But I can't go home and complain about 'that blooming actor' or whatever."

One advantage of appearing at York Theatre Royal is that they can go home at night as they live in the city. Leeds-born Dunn, whose family moved to Tyneside when he was nine, and Carroll, from Alnwick, have lived in York for the past seven years.

I stayed in York in 1992 when I worked at the theatre and loved it, but living there never seemed to be a viable option. If you're an actor, you're brainwashed into thinking you have to live in London," says Carroll.

A close friend, who's a medium and psychic, was a big influence on their decision after she did a reading and said that moving to York would be a good thing for them.

"It's worked out well, with both saying there's been more work since moving to Yorkshire.

Carroll took 18 months off after Elliot's birth. That coincided with Dunn breaking into TV, where the earning potential is greater than in theatre, but meant working away from home. "We wanted Elliot to have a very secure life and wanted someone to be there, and we didn't have any family in York to help look after him," she says, explaining her decision to stay at home. Dunn has become a familiar face on TV in several roles. He was in Victoria Wood's comedy series dinnerladies and was Liz McDonald's landlord lover when Coronation Street went to Blackpool last year.

He also played Labour spin doctor Alistair Campbell to Rory Bremner's Tony Blair on the impressionist's C4 comedy show. Campbell and Dunn came face-to-face in a lift at a political correspondents' dinner at Westminster. Campbell recognised him, looked him up and down, and commented: "You're rather fat, aren't you? I wouldn't wear any of those clothes."

More recently, Dunn has been playing Sgt Rick Astel in BBC1's Newcastle-set police series 55 Degrees North. It was odd to be back filming in the places where he grew up, although the bitter winter weather and night shoots made it cold work.

A second series seems likely to be filmed in the winter months - and by the time he's finished that, it'll be Carroll's turn to work again. She's set to tour, as Lady Sneerwell, in a production of School For Scandal with Paul McGann and Eva Pope next year.

"I decided I couldn't do touring until Elliot was older. But he's a very secure little boy and understands what we do. Now, especially being part of something with us, hopefully it'll all make sense to him," she says.

And, as Dunn points out, appearing in Brassed Off will be an experience that Elliot will be able to look back on in later years and say, "I did a play with my mum and dad".

* Brassed Off is at York Theatre Royal from September 6 to 25. Box Office: (01904) 623568

Published: 26/08/2004