Steve Coogan to interview Frank Cottrell-Boyce at Shakespeare North Playhouse next month

Actor, producer, screenwriter and comedy legend, Steve Coogan will interview beloved children’s author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce at Shakespeare North Playhouse on Saturday the 4^th of February for ‘An Evening with Frank Cottrell-Boyce’.

2023 marks the 20-year anniversary of the cult-classic biographical-comedy drama about Manchester’s Factory Records, 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and starring Steve Coogan.

Now, 20 years on, the pair will reunite at Shakespeare North Playhouse for an evening of warmth, laughter and tales of Franks incredible career.

Steve Coogan will be the next in a string of well-known interviewers for Shakespeare North Playhouse’s ‘Evening with’ events. Previous hosts have included Johnny Vegas, Jimmy McGovern and Angela Griffin.

On interviewing Frank Cottrell Boyce at Shakespeare North Playhouse, Steve says:

“Kind and clever! Frank Cotterall Boyce is one of my favourite people, and the best thing to come out of Liverpool since the M62. So I jumped at the chance to talk to him about his life and work at Shakespeare North Playhouse. Book early to avoid disappointment!”

Born and raised in Manchester where he trained as an actor at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre, Steve Coogan is best known for the iconic British Institution that is Alan Partridge. He has received numerous BAFTA’s and British Comedy Awards for Alan Partridge and has taken the character on three nationwide sell out tours including STRATAGEM which toured in 2022.

MID MORNING MATTERS aired on Sky Atlantic in February 2016 to critical acclaim and was followed by a mockumentary special, SCISSORED ISLE for Sky for which he won a BAFTA for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme. In 2019 Alan returned to BBC One in THIS TIME WITH ALAN PARTRIDGE to rave reviews and was nominated for Best Comedy Programme at the Broadcast Awards. Alan has been the subject matter of two books I Alan Partridge: We Need To Talk About Alan released in 2011 and Alan Partridge: Nomad, released in October 2016. In 2021 Coogan launched FROM THE OASTHOUSE: THE ALAN PARTRIDGE PODCAST for Audible which was nominated for a British Podcast Award.

In 1999 Coogan set up Baby Cow Productions. Baby Cow have produced many successful and award winning programmes including ALAN PARTRIDGE, THE MIGHTY BOOSH, THE TRIP, GAVIN & STACEY, ZAPPED, UNCLE, RED DWARF, SENSITIVE SKIN, CAMPING, MOONE BOY, STARLINGS, HUNDERBY, THE WITCHFINDER and CHIVALRY which Coogan co-wrote and co-stars alongside Sarah Solemani for Channel 4.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce is an award-winning author and screenwriter. MILLIONS, his debut children’s novel, won the CILIP Carnegie Medal. He is also the author of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG FLIES AGAIN, COSMIC, FRAMED, THE ASTOUNDING BROCCOLI BOY and NOAH’S GOLD. His books have been shortlisted for a multitude of prizes, including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Whitbread Children’s Fiction Award (now the Costa Book Award) and the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth was shortlisted for the 2017 CILIP Carnegie Medal.

Along with Danny Boyle, Frank devised the Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics. Frank has written for the hit TV series DR WHO and has written a number of celebrated films including GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN, 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, MILLIONS and GOD ON TRIAL. Frank has two films that will be released this yearTHE BEAUTIFUL GAME and KENSUKE’S KINGDOM.

Frank and Steve have worked together on a number of projects most recently the ITV drama STEPHEN about the Stephen Lawrence police investigation. In 2015 Frank Interviewed Steve in a three-part radio 4 documentary KNOWING STEVE, KNOWING YOU.

On being interviewed by Steve, Frank said:

“I’m extremely excited to have this chance to talk with the mighty Steve Coogan in the thrilling surroundings of Shakespeare North. We can promise you an evening of wisdom, insight and funny voices.”

Before chatting to Steve Coogan, Frank will first host an evening with actress and television presenter, Angela Griffin, on the 28^th of January 2023.

Leeds-born Angela is a firm favourite with audiences around the world.  Her road to success began in 1993 when, as a 16-year-old, she assumed the role of hairdresser Fiona Middleton in ITV’s CORONATION STREET. Since then Angela has appeared in a wide variety of much-loved dramas from CUTTING IT, LEWIS and HOLBY CITY to Netflix series WHITE LINES and more recently Irvine Welsh’s CRIME. Angela is currently filming BBC One’s WATERLOO ROAD in which she will reprise the role of Kim Campbell, now Head Teacher at the iconic secondary school.  She can also be heard every Sunday night on BBC Radio Two’s Unwind with Angela Griffin.

Shakespeare North Playhouse’s ‘An Evening with’ events feature a ‘baton relay’ style of interviewers and interviewees hailing from the north of England.  Previous ‘Evenings with’ include Johnny Vegas and Jimmy McGovern.

Tickets for An Evening with Frank Cottell Boyce on Saturday the 4^th of February can be found on the Shakespeare North Playhouse website here and tickets for An Evening with Angela Griffin on Saturday the 28^th of January can be found here.