Lost Soul at Royal Court: It’s so true to life, some nights it’s like a panto

Sep 18 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

LINDZI GERMAIN is happy to be back on stage in pyjamas and housecoat, as Liverpool success story Lost Soul returns to the city once more.

The comedy about two couples trying to come to terms with middle-age and dreaming of the halcyon days of their youth is still packing them in, midway through its second run.

Lindzi plays Donna, married to Andrew Schofield’s Smigger, who manages to keep her head when all around are losing theirs, including sister Pat (Eithne Brown) and brother-in-law Terry (Gary Bleasedale).

She reprises the role following the Royal Court debut last year.

“The first time I did Lost Soul, everyone was so lovely to work with,” she said. “And I love Donna, she is like the one everyone always comes to with problems.”

Lost Soul was written by Dave Kirby, whose credits also include Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels.

“Dave writes for Liverpool people. It’s a brilliant story and people can see their lives in it and really relate. The number of people who say ‘Are you sure you’ve not put a camera in our house?’ It’s so true to life.

“Some nights it’s like a panto audience, they get so involved they don’t shut up. I think the Royal Court welcomes people who never would have gone to the theatre.”

A regular on Liverpool’s theatre scene, her credits include Berser-ker Boys, Bon Voyage, Virgin Ex-press, Night Collar, The Alehouse, Twopence To Cross The Mersey, Her Benny, The Entertainer, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. On television, she has worked on Emmerdale, Common As Muck, Prime Suspect, Bodies 2, and just finished filming Lynda La Plante’s new two-parter, Above Suspicion.

She is also fine-tuning her com-edy career, which took off after she helped make up the numbers for a funny women contest that she won.

“I don’t push it as much as I could, as I’ve been a bit busy, but I’m still writing all the time. I still get nervous doing the acting and singing but with comedy I just feel like I’m going to throw up. But once they say my name I go out and do it and think, this is brilliant.”

It could have all been so different for the 36-year-old mum. “At Childwall Valley girls school, I had an English teacher, Mr Harvey, who said I had a flair for drama and I should look at it for a career.

“I left and never saw him again, but I’d love for him to come down to the theatre and meet him again to say ‘look what I’ve achieved’.

“Before that I wanted to be a lorry driver like my dad, or work in a mortuary!” she laughed.

She’s enjoying being back in Lost Soul. “It’s just like putting on old comfy shoes. It’s like we’ve never been away.”

* LOST Soul is on at the Royal Court until September 27.

vickyanderson@dailypost.co.uk