Grace and Favour

In a career spanning over 30 years, Joanne Heywood has made many stage and tv appearances, ranging from pantomimes and musicals through tv adverts and roles in sit-corms including First of the Summer Wine, The Brittas Empire and, of course, Grace and Favour. In recent years her TV work has been less frequent though she continues to be active in the theatre. In this interview, she talks about her career from appearing on stage at the age of only three through to her work on Grace and Favour and her role as the glamorous Miss Jessica Lovelock.

Q I guess these days you are living in London and most of your work is down there but do you still get up to York much?

Yes, I still have family in York so I try to visit once a month. It’s a beautiful City, so always a pleasure to visit. I also try to work “up North” as much as possible!

Q You apparently started in the theatre at a very young age – how did that come about?

My Mum took me to the Isobel Dunn School of Dancing when I was 3… just as a hobby really, she certainly didn’t realize she was setting me on my way to my future career. Fortunately for me, Miss Dunn saw potential and cast me as Louise in “Gypsy” when I was 14. Up until that point, I’d been set on pursuing a career as a dancer. Playing Louise opened my eyes to the possibility of a career in Musical Theatre, so I shifted my focus from pure dance to MT.

Q I read somewhere that you took a business studies course before going into drama school and worked as a temp between acting jobs? Was it difficult to make a living just from acting?

The reason for the business studies course came about when I changed my plans from applying to dancing school, to applying for drama school. I started auditioning at 15, hoping to go straight after “O” Levels, at 16, which would have been the right thing to do if I was still applying for dancing school.

When I auditioned at the Guildford School of Acting at just 15, that wasn’t the norm. They usually took students at 18, after “A” Levels, or even post-grad. So, although I was lucky enough to be accepted at such a young age, they asked me to defer starting for a year.

When you’re 16 and think you know everything, that seemed like a very long time to wait. There was no way I was going to do ”A” Levels in just one year, so I went to York College of Arts & Technology and did a one-year business studies course. Of course, I thought it was a complete waste of time – at the time… but it came in quite handy when securing “temp” jobs.

I was incredibly lucky and landed a TV role and theatre contract, immediately upon leaving GSA, and, within six months, I was working in a West End show … which had been my dream since Miss Dunn cast me as Louise, so I was earning a living just from my acting work for quite some time.

I registered with a temping agency so, if there were any gaps between acting jobs, I could put the one-year business studies course to good use! I had some fascinating jobs, ranging from working in the Chairman and Chief Executive’s office at English Heritage to a lovely stint at Coutts & Co (the “Royal” Bank) where, amongst various positions there, I was PA to the Head of International Private Banking for a time.

Q You appeared in every episode of First of the Summer Wine as the shop worker, Dilys. Did coming from York and being able to do the Yorkshire accent help you get the part?

That may have helped… although I nearly didn’t get to read for the role. Being cast as Dilys only came about due to a chance conversation in a West End dressing room.

I was almost halfway through my one-year contract in “High Society” and feeling very settled with life in the West End. One of the girls in my dressing room had a copy of The Stage newspaper. Back in those days (pre-internet!) it was one of the few ways to find out about auditions. There was an advert saying that the BBC was looking for “authentic Yorkshire Actors and Actresses”. I naively said, “well, I’m sure my agent will have put me up for it, how many Yorkshire actresses has he got on his books!?…”.

Thankfully, I didn’t leave it there and I asked my agent about it. He hadn’t put me up for it but promptly did. However, as Nora Batty was the only female character he was aware of, he suggested me for the role of the young Nora.

In the Pilot episode, Nora didn’t have any lines, as they were trying to keep the audience guessing which character was the “young Nora”. There were a few red herrings and the audience didn’t find out until the end of that episode.

When I turned up for the audition, Gareth Gwenlan, the Director, said that he couldn’t ask me to read for the role, as Nora didn’t have any lines, so we would just chat. I explained that I’d been hoping to read for him as, although I’m Yorkshire born and bred and can do a genuine accent, I hadn’t wanted to speak with a broad Yorkshire accent for the whole meeting. My television work was minimal, at that point, so I didn’t for one minute expect to be cast as Nora. I’d gone in with the intention of just getting myself in front of a BBC Director and hoping that I might be right for something else. So, Gareth asked me to read for Dilys and that’s how I came to be cast.

Q You were already experienced in the theatre and television by the time you appeared in Grace and Favour but the role of Miss Lovelock was very different from Dilys. Was it difficult to get into the role?

No, not really… with good writing, the character just comes off the page. David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd (who wrote Grace & Favour) created such fabulous characters and Miss Lovelock was a great role to play.

Q I know it’s a long time ago now but do you have any special memories of working on Grace and Favour? Any favorite episode or scene?

It was a long time ago… but I have many wonderful memories. We spent several weeks on location for each series, then an episode a week in the studio… so that was quite a lot of time spent together over the two years.

Molly Sugden was an absolute joy to work with and a great sport. She threw herself into everything… literally! If you know the episode where Mrs Slocombe is accused of stealing a gypsy horse and cart, there is a misunderstanding in the Court scene when the Judge says “Hang the bird in the cellar” … meaning the pheasant that had been taken along as a bribe. Of course, “Mrs Slocombe” thinks he means her and she faints. Molly did a perfect “prat” fall… and she was no spring chicken at the time! When the Director called “cut” and the floor manager ran over to make sure Molly was ok, she was giggling away on the mattress that had been placed there for the fall.

On another occasion on location, I was on horseback and Frank Thornton (Capt. Peacock) and Molly were in a horse-drawn carriage. The bench seat in the carriage collapsed mid-scene – it wasn’t meant to but, again, when the production manager ran over to make sure Molly was ok, she was giggling away on the carriage floor.

It’s impossible to pick just one scene or episode. I had a hilarious Pas De Deux with John Inman (Mr Humphries) in one episode. As you would expect, it was all very OTT. He was Romeo, I was Juliet and he had a rather over-sized cod-piece.

I had many lovely moments with Frank (Capt. Peacock) but, if I had to pick one episode, it would be the one where we found the mummified cat in the attic. In the storyline, Capt. Peacock had a dream and we shot the dream sequence in black and white. It was very much an homage to the film “Wicked Lady” with him as James Mason and me as Margaret Lockwood… such fun and rather different from other episodes.

Q In the motorbike episode where you take Captain Peacock for a quick ride, was this you?

Ah, spoiler alert but I’m afraid it wasn’t. I had a lovely stunt double – Roy Alon. I’d actually met Roy many years earlier when I was in a children’s TV series called The Book Tower. Roy played a highwayman and was kind enough to spend many hours chatting with me and my Mum, between takes, about his experiences as a stunt man. So… to meet him again all those years later and as my stunt double was amazing.

Q You seem to be very good with the horses, had you had any experience with horses before you did the show or did you have to learn “on the job”?

Haha… actually, I was a bit naughty and wore jodhpurs to the audition. I knew that “Miss Lovelock” rode horses and a motorbike but, in fact, I’d never ridden either. When I was offered the role, I did confess that I didn’t ride (horses) but I arranged to have some lessons before we started filming. I was going to do the same for the motorbike but the BBC told me that they wouldn’t be letting me loose on the motorbike!

I only had time for a few lessons but I figured that, as it was a sitcom and not a drama, there probably wouldn’t be a panoramic shot of me galloping along a clifftop, a la “Poldark”!… more likely, I’d be in and around the stables and need to look very comfortable with the horses. So, I learned to pick its hooves, plait its tail, etc and as far as riding was concerned got up to a gentle, rising canter.

I sought out the animal handler, on the first day on location, and was very honest about my limited ability. As it turned out, both the horses I worked with, “Flash Jack” and “Sally” had a lot of film and tv experience and would literally “go” on “action”. Flash Jack, in particular, made me look a lot more competent than I was. I asked to have him back on the second series, as I felt we had bonded.

Q Were there any particular problems working on the series, for example working with animals?

Having said I asked for Flash Jack for the second series, I did end up in the “outtakes”. He was very playful and knew I wasn’t experienced, so he wouldn’t always do as I was asking. There was one scene where Capt. Peacock asked, “will you be following the pack, Miss Lovelock” in a reference to the Hunt… Flash Jack decided he’d had enough and set off down the lane. It wasn’t a spectacular gallop just a slow saunter but I was powerless to stop him, Frank concluded, “Yes, I guess you probably will”.

Q You haven’t done so much television in recent years. I heard a radio interview with you in which you talked about how television has changed, not for the better I gather? Would you like to do more television?

In the interview you heard, I was probably bemoaning the sad loss of the sitcom. I’d been very lucky to have a wonderful career in that genre but, slowly, one-by-one, they were no longer commissioned and it seemed that every other tv programme being made was about DIY or Gardening. Basically, reality tv took hold and it became much harder to secure tv work. Of course, I would love to do more. For me, an ideal year is a mix of theatre and tv work.

Q Your tv and theatre work has been quite varied – lots of adverts, musicals, comedy, and the children’s’ series Knightmare. Have you any preferences and is there anything particular that you would like to do more of?

My first love was “Musicals” and the theatre is truly my happy place. When I was at Drama School you were taught acting for theatre, not tv. There were no camera skills classes or any tv training at all, so I really had to learn on the job and it was a huge learning curve!

I feel lucky to have worked extensively in both tv and theatre and, as there is no retirement age for an actress, I hope to continue for many more years to come. I don’t really have a preference… as long as I can keep securing exciting, challenging roles that will make me very happy.

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My sincere thanks to Joanne Heywood for taking the time to answer all my questions.

All images for this interview are courtesy of Joanne Heywood

She’s feisty, sophisticated and glamorous. I am, of course, referring to Miss Jessica Lovelock, Young Mr Grace’s personal secretary and companion, who was apparently responsible for his demise when they were scuba diving while on holiday together in the Caribbean. His equipment was in perfect working order but the sight of Miss Lovelock losing her bikini top was too much for him.

We get to know this in the first episode, after the Grace Brothers staff have returned from his funeral to discuss the will with the solicitor. The atmosphere in the boardroom is subdued and beneath it there is a simmering animosity. Miss Lovelock sits perched on a desk, apart from the others, wearing an eye-catching black dress with white spots, and – as Miss Brahms is quick to point out – black stockings and suspenders. Mr Thorpe, the solicitor, asks the staff if they have met her and they respond with a a strained chorus of “yes”. They then discuss what happened to Young Mr Grace and Mis Brahms says, “My paper had a misprint, said he was scrubber diving.” It’s obvious, from the start, that Miss Brahms and Mrs Slocombe dislike her, though it soon becomes clear that Captain Peacock has her in his sights.

The ladies are jealous of her getting special treatment – Young Mr Grace converted a room in the grooms quarters for her and left the horses to her in his will. While the staff go about the business of running the hotel, she is indulging in her own interests: riding and, in particular, taking part in the local hunt.

She is often seen striding through the hotel in her riding gear with her whip in hand; or, as she is on their first evening at the Manor, sitting seductively in the lounge, wearing a shimmering black dress as though she’s about to go on a night out. She rarely shows any interest in the others or their problems; neither does she participate in the staff meetings. When gathered for their first meeting, Miss Brahms complains that she’s done nothing, while Mrs Slocombe’s comment that she did look after Young Mr Grace in his declining weeks, falls on deaf ears. She is, however, one of the co-executor of his will, although her duties at the hotel apparently amount to little more than signing cheques.

There is one occasion when she does get involved and it’s in a role-playing exercise. But what role could she play? Captain Peacock doesn’t think she wouldn’t have had much experience in a hotel, while Mrs Slocombe believes quite the opposite. Miss Lovelock, for her part, boasts that she’s stayed in some of the best hotels with Young Mr Grace and would be more than qualified to judge whether they were up to standard, which prompts Mr Rumbold to suggest that she takes on the role of a guest. Tensions rise still further when Miss Brahms is put in charge of the bar; she immediately gestures to Miss Lovelock and, with obvious delight, exclaims, “You’re banned!” and saunters off. Mrs Slocombe then asks what role she should have and Miss Lovelock suggests she can do the bedrooms, be a waitress or help in the kitchen, but then tells her to keep out of sight which reduces her to tears.

“She’s a tart!”

One of my favorite moments occurs in the petrified cat episode, after Captain Peacock and Miss Lovelock have removed the cat and taken it to the local museum. A superstitious Mr Moulterd warns them that its removal will bring on a curse and, predictably, the staff soon begin to experience a series of strange events. Mrs Slocombe claims her drawers mysteriously fell out, but Captain Peacock has a more rational explanation and blames it on a passing lorry. That night in her room, Mrs Slocombe jumps up and down in an effort to simulate the effect and see whether the vibrations really do make her drawers fall open. The noise immediately prompts a complaint from Miss Lovelock, who opens the door and asks, “Will you be doing that for long?” As she closes the door, Mrs Slocombe whispers to Miss Brahms, saying “she’s a…” Miss Brahms asks her to repeat it louder then Miss Lovelock opens the door again and says, “a tart!” quickly shutting the door again.

In a continuing thread through the series, Captain Peacock can often be seen trying to impress Miss Lovelock with (highly exaggerated) accounts of his wartime exploits or commenting on her appearance – her trim figure is of particular interest, such as when he meets her at the stables where she is raking the hay.

All of which doesn’t go unnoticed by Miss Brahms and Mrs Slocombe. At a staff meeting, Captain Peacock gets annoyed with their constant snide remarks that imply he is attracted to her and protests his innocence. Mrs Slocombe rather weakly tries to reassure him that no offense was intended but Miss Brahms remarks “We’re amazed you can still pull!”

Despite his denials, Captain Peacock clearly does fancy her, as we see in the petrified cat episode when she is helping him to prepare a room for Miss Brahms. She discovers an old painting of the Earl of Millstone and recounts a story about the Earl’s affair with Leonora, his wife’s younger sister who falls madly in love with him. In a dream sequence in which they are dressed in period clothing, he takes her in his arms but alas, it’s only a fantasy. Miss Lovelock has briefly left the room and as she returns he is jolted back to reality.

Although Captain Peacock takes quite an interest in Miss Lovelock and even joins in with some of her sporting activities, he soon proves no match for her. When she offers to take him on her motor bike to the village for Mrs Slocombe’s court appearance, she gives him a trial run around in the farmyard which results in a rather shaken Captain Peacock reluctantly declining the offer and deciding to travel with the others on the back of Mr Moulterd’s tractor. His attempt at horse riding is equally unsuccessful and lacking her youth and athleticism, he has great difficulty in dismounting, which gives Miss Brahms and Mrs Slocombe an opportunity to indulge in some typical innuendo. Mrs Slocombe: “Perhaps I can help you get your leg over.” Miss Brahms: “I should leave that to Miss Lovelock, she’s had more experience.”

She may be a rather arrogant snob who talks down to everyone, but Miss Lovelock does take part in some of the activities organised by the staff, such as the entertainment for the Americans where she dances with Mr Humphries in an extract from the ballet, Romeo and Juliet. She also joins in with the church service and the harvest dance and accompanies the others to the pub for the darts match. In another episode, however, the staff are having their photos taken for the hotel brochure and this time she wasn’t invited. She goes into the kitchen and asks Mavis why they didn’t ask her to join them. After a brief exchange with her, she says “it would be nice to get some service around here,” and wanders off. She’s clearly used to being waited on, unlike Mavis, the hard-working, farmer’s daughter who is concerned with rather more mundane activities such as clearing out the cow shed.

Miss Lovelock’s relationship with Miss Brahms and Mrs Slocombe is a constant source of friction throughout the series. Sometimes, perhaps, it becomes a little drawn out and one might wish those two would make at least some effort to become more acquainted with her. As for Captain Peacock, it’s clear that his repeated attempts to charm her are doomed to failure. Yet without Miss Lovelock, life at Millstone Manor would have been so much duller for the now retired staff of the former Grace Brothers department store; that is, if they were there at all.

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Next month an exclusive interview with Joanne Heywood

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My sincere thanks to Joanne Heywood for permission to use the above images

For anyone wanting to delve more deeply into Grace and Favour there isn’t a lot of information available. The series has always been overshadowed by the far more popular Are You Being Served?, often dismissed in a passing mention on a website or relegated to a few pages in the back of a book on the original series. My site is attempting to address the balance. In the meantime here are a few of the main sources for further information which no serious fan of the series should overlook.

Wendy Richard…No ‘S’ My Life Story, by Wendy Richard. Pocket Books. 2001, 280 pages.

Published in 2000 before she left East Enders, this is a revealing and honest account of her life and career, beginning with her childhood and continuing through her personal struggles to her many TV and film appearances including, of course, Are You Being Served? the sitcom for which she is best known. There is a chapter on Grace and Favour in which she returned as Miss Brahms and here she tells some amusing anecdotes about working on the series, one of which involved a flock of sheep! She also devotes several pages to her friendship with Billy Burden which began while they were filming on location. There are many pictures, some in colour though only a few are from her time in Grace and Favour. One nice touch is the extensive list of her TV, film and theatre appearances, along with a couple of records she made early on in her career.

Are You Being Served? The Inside Story of Britain’s Funniest – and Public Television’s Favourite – Comedy Series, by Adrian Rigelsford, et al . KQED Books, 1995, 212 pages.

This is a great book for fans of Are You Being Served?, and its spin-offs. It was written when most of the cast were still alive and were able to give interviews so there is a lot of interesting material here. Fans of Grace and Favour, however, may be disappointed as the series is covered in a mere five pages and it’s mostly summaries of the episodes, although these do include brief but interesting notes on some of the actors. Each episode is also given a star rating. Of particular note, though, is the extensive interview with Jeremy Lloyd in which he discusses how Grace and Favour came about, and also such issues as why it ended after only two series and what problems they had writing it. A particularly useful feature, especially for American audiences, is the glossary of words, so if you want to know where the expression “grace and favour” comes from or what a “lift” is you will find it here.

I’m Free! The Complete Guide to Are You Being Served, by Richard Webber. Orion, 1998, 176 pages.

This profusely illustrated book has everything for fans of Are You Being Served? Including episode guides, cast lists, lots of interesting facts and a detailed history of the series. There is a little more on Grace and Favour, with the added bonus of some bios of the new members of the cast and anecdotes from Joanne Heywood and Fleur Bennett about working on the series. An episode guide is also included. First published in 1998, I’m Free! Commemorates the 25^th anniversary of Are You Being Served? And includes an introduction by the writers, Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft.

Are You Being Served? Central! – the Official Website

Now in its 12^th year, the Official AYBS?Central! website hosted by Elina Lampart over in the USA covers Are You Being Served? from just about every conceivable angle. There are bios of all the cast with listings of their TV and film appearances, and even pages on everything from stage shows to autographs and props. Fans of Grace and Favour are also surprisingly well catered for, with even information on the cast who had minor roles in the series. What the site doesn’t have are many articles or interviews with the cast (though there is one interview with Joanne Heywood which dates from 2004) and sometimes one could wish for more descriptions or commentary to accompany listings or photos. Nevertheless, with support from Jeremy Lloyd, the site has grown to become the most comprehensive resource for the series and it’s various spin-offs available on the net. One rather nice extra feature is a forum where anyone can post messages and discuss any related topics.

I’m amazed at how much Elina has managed to include, although as she says herself, the pages are still not complete and she does update them, though sometimes not so frequently as she would like due to other commitments but you can check for them on Twitter and Facebook. Navigating around the sight is straightforward and there are plenty of links to other resources around the internet.

.http://aybscentral.com/home.html