The show must go on after Compo

Mar 27 2000

A new run of the hit comedy Last Of The Summer Wine starts on BBC1 next Sunday. The first episode deals with the funeral of Compo and the arrival of the character's long-lost son, Tom Simmonite, played by Owen's own son, Tom. Examiner reporter ROSEY HAMILTON speaks to the stars about the new series.

SEEKING shelter from a Holme Valley cloudburst, I climbed into a battered yellow van with two raincoated gentlemen.

While rain pounded on the van's roof, Peter Sallis (Clegg) and Frank Thornton (Truly) were seated calmly on a Paisley sofa amidst greasy garage paraphernalia.

The Van and paraphernalia were part of the props for Compo's son Tom.

The veteran actors spoke about how difficult it had been continuing the series without Bill Owen, who died of cancer last July aged 85.

Peter, who had been the only cast member to attend his funeral on request of the family, said that he had hoped the show would continue.

"If I had died, Bill would have felt the same - the decision had really been made before he died," he said.

"In the last week when we knew he was terminally ill there were conversations between producer Alan Bell and writer Roy Clarke and three new episodes were written."

Said Frank: "Roy Clarke wrote what they called the Compo Requiem. Encompassing death in a sitcom is almost unheard of.

"There's all the poignancy of us losing a friend and at the same time it's very funny. It's most extraordinary stuff.

"And for Peter and me, behind the death of Compo was the death of Bill - that could have been so tasteless in the hands of someone else but there won't be a dry eye in the house."

Both men admit that they were deeply affected by the filming of those episodes.

Frank said: "In one scene there were tears in Mr Sallis' eyes and I thought that's not only Clegg but also Peter."

Peter agreed: "It was very moving - it was difficult to know whether I was thinking about Compo or about Bill but I was really thinking about both."

Only six weeks before he died, Bill Owen went with the cast to France to film the millennium episode and managed to star in three further episodes.

Outside the van the rain stopped for a few minutes and the dignified raincoats seated themselves on a wall to record a scene in which they discuss Tom Simmonite, Compo's son.

Truly (Frank): "We will be here to keep him onside, turn him into something his Dad would have been proud of."

Rain stopped play and we were bundled into the van again.

"Bill was determined to carry on and he did carry on," Frank laughs.

"He was determined to make a success of everything he turned his hand to,' said Peter.

"Before we finished filming he said: 'I want to go on living, I've got so much to do'."

Since the series began 27 years ago, the "third man" has been played by three different actors but Frank, who currently plays well-to-do retired policeman Herbert Truelove, thought that the other two friends could never be replaced.

"When Bill died I thought - what are they going to do? Then I was told that Tom Owen was playing Compo's son - what an extraordinary idea.

"It was a stroke of genius because you couldn't possibly have replaced Bill with another old man who was at school with the others."

Both men are astonished that Roy Clarke has kept the series going with fresh ideas and situations for so long. They have every faith in him.

Peter said: "From time to time he has made changes where I personally have thought 'Oh-oh, I don't know about that' but he has always been right.

"For example I didn't think Auntie Wainwright would last but now she's a key figure."

Did Frank and Peter think the relationship with Tom which would be so crucial to the success of the new series was working?

"We shall have to see if it's going to work. But Roy always comes up trumps, he has a totally individual approach to things," said Frank.

I asked for an example and the two performers gave me a taste of brilliant comedy writing in their own unique style.

Truly: What do you call your wife, Clegg?

Clegg: Mrs Clegg.

Truly: But what about in moments of passion?

Clegg: Well there weren't many really, she was Chapel and there was all this new furniture.

Truly: The former Mrs Truelove has all the arrogance of an attractive woman. It's a pity she hasn't got a face and figure to go with it. In between perms she looks like Max Wall.

Clegg: I like Max Wall.

Truly: Not to wake up with.

"Nobody else could have thought of lines like that," said Frank.