Laura laughs

DEATH has come as a blessed release for Hannah Waterman after her EastEnders character Laura Beale tumbled down the stairs to a sticky end in the top-rated BBC1 soap. "I'm learning how to laugh on stage again," she admits after four years of gritty storylines, ending with Laura's marital break-up following a one-nighter with garage mechanic Garry (her boyfriend in real life, Ricky Groves), a baby of dubious parentage and a rough and tumble with superbitch Janine.

With no way back to Walford, Waterman, 28, went straight into a rehearsal for a tour of The Vagina Monologues, which plays Middlesbrough Theatre next Thursday, June 3.

Speaking about the huge appeal of EastEnders and Laura, Waterman says: "All the interest is weird because I've been on tour since I stopped filming (in March) and I haven't been watching it. So it's like Laura's completely disappeared out of my life. I haven't even been able to watch Ricky's work as Garry because I'm told he's wonderful in scenes about baby Bobby."

She laughs at the idea of having a soap-debriefing service for departing major characters. "I think I've been very lucky to start something new and your head goes completely into the next job and that moves the process along. I also came out of EastEnders at the same time as two other good friends - Lucy Speed (who played Natalie) and Janine's alter-ego Charlie Brooks - and we were all excited about our futures." Waterman entered EastEnders as babysitter Laura with a three-month contract and ended up as the downtrodden wife of evil Ian Beale and taking more batterings than the fish in the couple's chip shop. She hasn't been put off the fast food for life, but admitted her mother - actress Patricia Maynard, who turned up in EastEnders as Laura's mum - recently celebrated her 60th birthday with a fish and chip van delivery and I told her: "Are you actually taking the rip out of me, are you expecting me to serve everyone wearing a canvas trilby?"

Of her decision to leave, she adds: "I didn't anticipate ever staying more than four years, but it's easy talking yourself into it because of the security of the job. Sometimes you've got to take the plunge and I realised I'd reached the end of the line. I'd been feeling pretty unhappy with the storylines since last July. I was happy with the 'who's the father?' stuff but I hated the fact that Laura lied to Garry and the scriptwriters knew I wasn't happy about why she couldn't go on and be a positive single mother rather than resorting to lying to a man because she couldn't cope. She committed to having a baby and to bail out at the last minute seemed pretty cowardly."

She said the programme makers were sympathetic about her views and things could have happened differently, but they didn't and it was time for her to go.

"It's been like a fantastic post-graduate training for me and EastEnders has taught me a hell of a lot. The highest point has been the job itself and the low point is that the filming is pretty relentless so that the people featured regularly have a knackering process involving 12 hour days." Amazingly, she claims not to have fallen out with anyone during four years of filming saying: "There are more important things in life, like having a blast in The Vagina Monologues. The character is more Hannah Waterman than Laura Beale, the conversation we have within the piece is more me and I have three slightly different characters with monologues."

She has joined a cast including Alison Newman, who plays Hazel in Footballers' Wives, and up and coming actress Stephanie Street.

"I'm actually losing my voice because I'm laughing so much. I absolutely lost it on stage last night when I laughed so much I couldn't talk," adds the actress, who admits that first night nerves meant she banned all family and friends except her sister, Ricky and her hairdresser.

Leaving EastEnders has also allowed Waterman to sign up for a pantomime debut after watching her famous actor father Dennis star in five. "I get to wear false eyelashes, a crown and glitter which is quite different to dowdy Laura's wardrobe. It's high glamour, but I'm too big to play principle boy," she roars.

Waterman is unable to say where she'll be starring in panto, except it won't be in the North-East. She's also hoping that her dad will be travelling back from India soon, where he's filming, and lower his macho man reputation to join an audience for The Vagina Monologues. "His girlfriend is definitely coming along and I think he should see it. I had to see Life And Loves Of A She-Devil on stage and that was pretty cringeworthy for me watching my dad snog someone."

* The Vagina Monologues plays Middlesbrough Theatre on Thursday, June 3. Box Office: (01642) 815181.

Published: 27/05/2004