Coronation Street legend Beverley Callard has a huge year ahead on the cobbles and elsewhere too, as she prepares to take on an exciting new theatre project.
The popular star, who marks her 30th year as Weatherfield's Liz McDonald in late 2019, has recently been cast in a brand new play called The Thunder Girls.
Featuring an all-female cast who are all over the age of 50, The Thunder Girls tells the story of a world famous girl group who reunite 30 years after a dramatic split.
Digital Spy recently caught up with Beverley for a big interview about her Corrie future and the new show.
This year, you'll reach your 30-year milestone in Corrie. Is it still your main priority?
"Yes it is. It's funny, because when it was announced that I was doing The Thunder Girls, loads of people said: 'Oh, she's got to be leaving, but she hasn't announced it yet.' I wouldn't tell lies. If I were leaving, I would tell you, and I'm definitely not.
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"I love playing Liz. We have a writing team that love writing for her and I really don't want to go. It's 30 years in the autumn, so long may it continue.
"Coronation Street also turns 60 next year, and I really want to be there for that as well. So no, I'm not going anywhere. I love it."
Is there anything you're really keen to explore with Liz this year?
"Well, there's all sorts happening. I had to go and see my producer for a big meeting recently. It was supposed to be for about half an hour, but I was in there for an hour and 20 minutes. The stories that are coming up for Liz are just fantastic.
"There's lots of drama, lots of comedy. So it should be good fun and I'm definitely not going anywhere."
You've been doing quite a bit of work away from Corrie in the past few months, with The Rocky Horror Show and now The Thunder Girls. Why was this the right time?
"I get sent scripts all of the time and more often than not, I have to say no – just because of my schedule, more than anything else. Years ago, you had to say no because we weren't allowed. But because the cast in Coronation Street is so big now, The Powers That Be there tend to be a little more accommodating.
"Most of the time you think: 'Well, my schedule is gruelling enough without taking on anything else.' But the first thing that cropped up was The Rocky Horror Show. When they came to me and said that I'd be the first female narrator ever, I couldn't say no.
"I went to my bosses at Coronation Street and said: 'Look, I'm willing to use some of my holidays – whatever. Can I do this?' And they were great – they said yes."
You've also got The Thunder Girls coming up. Can you tell us a bit about it?
"When I received the script, I just read it from cover to cover. I said to my husband Jon: 'Oh, goodness, I can't say no to this. This is amazing.' But it meant doing two extra things in a year. I thought: 'I bet work is going to say no to me.' Fortunately they didn't!
"The show is just a sheer piece of entertainment. It's not a high brow play but the audience will love it. The cast is four women in their 50s and you never get scripts like that. More often than not, you get sent a script, and even if you love it, there are usually eight men and two women if you're lucky.
"The female characters are often younger, too. So I just thought: 'This has got to be done.'"
What's the background to the play?
"I already knew the author, Melanie Blake, but when I spoke to her about it at length, she told me the most amazing thing. The story was first written 20 years ago. A television producer wanted to make it and Melanie was thrilled, but he said: 'The women have got to be younger. We've got to change their ages.'
"Melanie said: 'No, I can't do that, because only women of this age and above would have these experiences. They can't be any younger.' And he actually said: 'Ah, but women of this age are not saleable or marketable.' That is terrible, isn't it?
"Rather than letting it get made and taking the cheque, Melanie just said 'absolutely not'. How many times do we watch a film where the leading man is in his 40s, 50s or 60s and the woman is 30? You have a 60-year-old man playing a lead, and his wife will be 35. You think: 'Hang on, if it were the other way around, people would say she's a cougar or she's got a toy boy.'
"It's just wrong. I'm not anti-men by any means, but that is just wrong. But what's great is that I've hit 60 now, and all of a sudden, in one year, I'm doing three different jobs. How fantastic is that?"
Are things getting better when it comes to equality in the industry?
"I think we're beginning to chip away at it, but I do think a lot more has to be done. So many times, it's not about talent. It's about how someone looks – especially the women.
"You can see some amazing character actors – male actors – and we have many character actresses. But more often than not, they're in the minority. So I think we need to keep chipping away at it, but it's definitely on the up, rather than being ignored as it was before."
What can you tell us about your Thunder Girls character Roxanne?
"Roxanne is very feisty and very strong. She was really successful 30 years ago, so she has known wealth. She has also known poverty, love and heartbreak. She is really strong, but very disillusioned. She's also very bitter, but very funny without meaning to be.
"The bitterness is something that I've got to get into the character, without making her too dislikeable.
"The other thing that's quite scary is that it's a play with music, although it's not a musical. Apparently they are called 'playsicals' – a play with music. Listen, I will never be calling it that, but apparently that's what people call it. I've never heard such a wanky word in my life, but there we go! (Laughs.)
"The songs evolve just from the moment, from the emotion and from the characters. So yes, my singing lessons have begun as well."
When it comes to Corrie, do you always like to be in a big story?
"Yeah, I do like being in a big story. In my opinion, there's nothing worse than standing in The Rovers saying, 'And there's your change,' or, 'One hot pot, please.' I much prefer to be busy."
Do you ever put forward your own ideas?
"To be honest, we're not really allowed. The writers are scattered all over the country. And when they have the big story conferences, the last people in the world they want involved in those are the actors.
"Honestly, it's true! I'm sure they keep the writers and the actors apart deliberately, otherwise every single actor will be bullying the writers. So I'd love to be able to – but you can't, really.
"The producers are usually very accommodating and they listen to your feedback. But they wouldn't let you put forward your own stories. I'd be leading role constantly 365 days a year. (Laughs.) But that's no good for a soap, is it, really?"
Because it is your 30-year anniversary, would you like the show to bring back the missing McDonald family members?
"I'd love for them to. Whether they will or not, I don't know. But more than anything, I'd love that."
Would you like Liz's recent love interest Mike Thornberry to be a full-time cast member?
"Yeah, I would. I would like Liz to get married to Mike and live happily ever after. Louis Emerick and I have known each other for 30 years. I went to see him in The Full Monty recently. I love Louis and I love working with him. In my dream world of Liz, that's what I would want."
The Thunder Girls has its world premiere at The Lowry in Salford in September.
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