'Me and Macca? We're Just Good Friends'

FORMER SINGER AND 80S SITCOM HEARTTHROB PAUL NICHOLAS ON HIS MAJOR ROLE IN THE MUCH-LOVED COMEDY, AND MEETING 'FAN' SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY

- By HANNAH REES

Joanne Clifton and Paul Nicholas in Fawlty Towers - The Play, and below, Paul with Jan Francis in Just Good Friends

LEGENDARY actor Paul Nicholas shared memories of Brian Epstein and Paul McCartney as he prepares to return to the Liverpool Empire stage.

Following two sold out and critically acclaimed West End seasons, John Cleese's Fawlty Towers - The Play kicked off its major 11-month tour at the end of September. The show will run at Liverpool's Empire Theatre from Tuesday, November 11 until Saturday, November 15.

Fifty years since Fawlty Towers was first broadcast on BBC Two on September 19, 1975, comedy legend John Cleese, who originally co-wrote the much-loved sitcom with Connie Booth, has chosen three of his favourite original TV episodes - 'The Hotel Inspector' and 'The Germans' from series one and 'Communication Problems' from series two - and adapted them into a two-hour play, complete with a new finale.

The play stars Danny Bayne as Basil Fawlty, Mia Austen as Sybil, Joanne Clifton as Polly and Paul Nicholas has reprised his role as The Major. Ahead of the show's arrival in Liverpool, actor Paul Nicholas spoke to the ECHO about the tour and shared fond memories of the city.

Paul said: "Well, it's been very enjoyable. We did it in the West End. It got very good reviews. It was well attended by audiences. And so far, touch wood, it seems to be proving a winner on tour. We've been to other venues, Eastbourne, Bournemouth, Bromley and Wimbledon. And now we're in Manchester, which is not a million miles from you, as you know. The audiences seem to be enjoying it and we've got very good houses. So I think it's a winner.