Guest Author - Pam Lawrence

Small, as we know, can often be mighty. Although the run time of An Audience With Coronation Street is a scant 45 minutes, it certainly offers a great deal of entertainment for fans of England's longest running and most popular soap.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the 'audience with' format, having missed the programme when it originally aired here in Canada on the CBC back in the spring. The set is all glitz, glamour and glitter, with 60 cast members past and present in the audience in their finery, along with an array of celebs which include Les's favourite band the Quo, Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales, who played Eileen Hughes in 1961, and Street creator Tony Warren.

This 2006 production gets off to a fascinating start as William Roache,(Ken Barlow) the only cast member remaining from the show's first year, and the show's youngest star Sam Aston (Chesney) introduce a themed montage of splendid Corrie moments. From weddings, mishaps, accidents and explosions to punch-ups, affairs and death, the Street has seen it all.

It is especially moving to see the wonderful Jean Alexander as Hilda Ogden sobbing over her beloved Stanley's specs as she mourns his passing. Interesting too, to relive that moment when one of the cobbles best baddies, Alan Bradley, meets his maker under a Blackpool tram, and absolutely hilarious to hear the old harridan of the snug, Ena Sharples, relating her mother's dying moment “she sat up, broke wind and died”

Filler segments, introduced by other cast members, involve other celebs asking questions of the Corrie cast. Simon Gregson (Steve MacDonald) relates a very funny story about his first day on the set, and Michael Le Vell (Kevin Webster) tells us all about plucking his eyebrows, following the advice of Johnny Briggs.

Great Corrie trivia is revealed as William Roache and Sue Cleaver take us for a walk around the set, inside and out, with Cleaver revealing that since Elsie Tanner had a red phone installed at number 11, every occupant since (including Eileen) has had one of that colour. Roache shows off some heirlooms at 'home', as the table, chairs and bureau which once belonged to Uncle Albert are still used every day by the Barlows after 47 years.

There were a couple of naff, cringey moments in an otherwise very entertaining piece- namely as Tupele Dorgu and Ray Fearon (Kelly and Nathan) did the dirty on a very jazzy version of It's A Wonderful World. However, the show stopping rendition of Walking in Memphis by SoapStar SuperStar winner, the lovely Richard Fleeshman, was the absolute highlight. He also did a bang up job of Hey Jude alongside fellow Superstar rival Andy Whyment. (I never knew Kirky had it in him !)

When the programme was originally broadcast in the UK, Johnny Brigg's Mike Baldwin had just been 'killed off', so it was a delight to see his former wife Amanda Barrie (Alma) introducing a touching tribute to him, revealing the huge influence he had on fellow cast members.

Other musical performances include Wendi Peters (Cilla) performing a very upbeat Get Happy, and a cute version of the rocking hit Sweet Child of Mine performed by mum and son team Simon Gregson and Bev Callard (Steve and Liz MacDonald)

All great fun.Keep an eye on the forum as a copy of this will be up for grabs very soon.