ABOUT ME (And my Music.)
CHRISTOPHER LILLICRAP
Born in Plymouth in 1949, I started my professional life as a Secondary School Teacher in Mansfield. Listening to all the laughter in the Classroom, I soon realised I was doing more entertaining than teaching. So turning down the offer of my own Drama department I moved into Childrens Theatre, driving a van and performing for the Brian Way Company. I then got a job writing, composing and performing in the Nottingham Playhouse Roundabout Company and a couple of years later transferred to the main Rep Company under Richard Eyre. (Now Sir Richard of course.)
Whilst in Nottingham I auditioned for the Iconic BBC Series ‘Playschool’ but didn’t get the job. (I was gutted but told later it was because I was ‘too interesting.’) But as a result of that I was offered the tv series Playboard, for which I also wrote the Music. Many of you older folk will remember Mo and Hedge, as the series, which was only 13 programmes, ran for over 5 years.
I then auditioned for Rainbow , another job I didn’t get at the time, but as a result of my audition Thames TV offered me my own series; ‘We’ll Tell You a Story.’ I later went on to appear in Rainbow many times and write several episodes. ‘We’ll Tell You a Story’ was followed by the Tv Series ‘Flicks’ and the two series together ran for over ten years.
After these series I started writing for the BBC Education Department and the Series Numbertime won the Royal Television Society award for Best Education Programme, and the El Nombre animation strand, central to the programme, became an entertainment series in its own right.
My wife Jeanette and I wrote and produced several Pantomimes and Children’s shows, most notably Christmas Cat and the Pudding Pirates and Monty Moonbeams Magnificent Mission, which won the TMA/Martini Award for Best Show for Young People. I ended up playing Dame in our Pantomimes for 10 years.in Reading, Basingstoke and Worthing.
I also adapted, with Mike Fields, the J.L Carr novel ‘How Steeple Sinderby won the FA Cup’, which ran at the Mermaid Theatre for six months. Jeanette and I co-produced this show with the late great Bill Kenwright.
During this time I also developed a particularity successful method of Media training and over twenty years trained senior officers in almost every Constabulary in the UK as well as Fire Officers and NHS executives.
In 2009 Jeanette had a stroke and at the time lost all power of speech. We have worked on it over the years and she can now speak, albeit in a limited form. For someone with a Golden Voice who had appeared in numerous West End Hits like ‘Singing in the Rain’ and ‘City of Angels’ you can imagine the impact it had.
This led to our early retirement with me just doing a bit of Media training every now and then and we now spend much of our time in our house on the Greek Island of Symi.
Whilst here, the creative juices started flowing and in 2013 my book ‘Midas’ was Published and has just been republished by Troubadour.
In February 2020 Jeanette and I found ourselves stranded alone in Athens and this leads to one of those experiences that only happens once in a lifetime and out of the blue. If you read the Blog; ‘SOMETIMES THERE IS HOPE EVEN IF IT TAKES A WHILE ‘ you will understand.
This experience triggered a surge of song writing. I realised I need to somehow get this new stuff, not songs for Children by the way, recorded in some way so I didn’t forget them. Onto the scene, and just down the lane, cames Wee Stevie McAndrew with his mini studio. Not only did he record them but started arranging them, and brilliantly too. Ok, WE think they are great but will anyone else? I played a few to someone I know ‘in the business’ and got an instant response. ‘These are great, they tell stories, you must do something with them. ‘
This led to the next stage, see the Blog ‘BEING TAUGHT BY YOUR SON.’
The album has taken time, partly due to me deciding to have heart failure, open heart surgery, a by-pass, and a pacemaker. But according to my Cardiologist I’m almost back to Normal. What a terrifying thought. So, look out folks because I’d better get this Album out before I get any older. It’s not kids stuff, it’s for grown-ups, but I think those who have grown up with me will appreciate it. So that’s the answer to Christopher Lillicrap Whatever Happened To?
If you want a trip down memory lane you can still find some of my old Kids stuff on Bandcamp. Click here