Paul Chuckle prepares for stage debut at National Theatre

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.