# Paul Chuckle prepares for stage debut at National Theatre

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/paul-chuckle-prepares-for-stage-debut-at-national-theatre/
- Published: 2026-11-05T06:09:54+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T07:26:29+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Entertainment (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr89zjy9lvjko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Entertainment, Sheffield

## Key points

- Paul Chuckle will make his first straight-play appearance at 79.
- He plays Mr Boo in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.
- The National Theatre production will tour after its London run.

## Summary

After 63 years in entertainment, Paul Elliott, known as Paul Chuckle, is preparing to make his debut in a straight play at London’s National Theatre. The 79-year-old will play club promoter Mr Boo in Jim Cartwright’s The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, marking a new stage in a career that has included children’s television, film, pantomime and circus.

Elliott said learning lines without the ad-libbing he enjoyed with his late brother Barry has been challenging, and that live theatre leaves no chance to redo a mistake. His experience performing in working men’s clubs helped lead to the role. The production, directed by Robert Hastie and starring Francesca Mills and Jill Halfpenny, runs from 2 December to 23 January before touring, including to Newcastle, Sheffield and Salford; Elliott is also due to tour in Sister Act in late 2027.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.