Actor has schooling to play Dixie Dean role

Apr 19 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

Dixie Dean (158)

A LIVERPOOL actor who played for the same school football team as Dixie Dean has been picked to play the Everton legend in a new play.

Dean’s biographer, John Keith, decided to turn his writings about the centre forward into a play, to mark the 80th anniversary of the footballer’s record-breaking feat of scoring 60 league goals.

It will be performed on May 5 – the anniversary of the exact day that happened.

Yesterday, Steve Hazelhurst was unveiled as the actor chosen to take on the demanding role in the two-man show, in which Mr Keith will play the narrator of The Dixie Dean Story.

Mr Hazelhurst will portray the player from his childhood until his death watching a Merseyside derby in 1980.

He said: “Being the first man to play Dixie Dean on stage is a huge challenge, but it’s one I’m really looking forward to because he was the greatest.

“I’m very excited and proud and privileged to be chosen.

“The coincidence about our backgrounds is amazing and I can’t wait to start learning the script.”

The 38-year-old former paratrooper and ABA standard boxer has been acting for eight years and has appeared in film, TV and theatre, including Coronation Street, Blue Murder and The Odd Couple.

A Tranmere Rovers and Liverpool fan, he went to the same primary school on Laird Street in Birkenhead as Dean and even played centre forward for the school team.

Mr Keith said: “It was 18 months ago that I had the idea of developing my biography of Dixie into a play to mark the 80th anniversary of him scoring 60 league goals.

“At the same time, the Everton Shareholders Association had the same idea. We decided it would be stupid to do two, so we pooled our resources. We’ve found the right man for the role and it is going to be brilliant.”

Producer Gill Beattie, of Arts2u, said: “We have spent weeks holding auditions for the role of Dixie and we’re delighted that we’ve found Steve. As well as having a fine acting pedigree, he’s a football fan and has great enthusiasm for the role.”

The Dixie Dean Story will have a premiere performance on May 5 at Crosby Civic Hall with matinee and evening performances the following day.

Tickets are available from www.dixiedean.org.uk.

vickyanderson