Corrie's Jayne Bickerton returns to stand-up comedy

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog January 2013, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Copyright Mark Bickerton 2013

Remember Yana Lumb? She was Cilla Battersby's best mate, played by actress Jayne Bickerton. Since leaving Coronation Street Jayne's turned her hand to scriptwriting and artwork and now she's going back to her real love of comedy stand-up as Mary Unfaithful.

Jayne, who lives in Manchester with her Corrie scriptwriter husband Mark Bickerton, put Mary Unfaithful into retirement back in 2000 says Manchester City Life.

Jayne says: “I’d played Manchester a lot as a stand up and I saw people getting jaded with the circuit. I put the uke away.”

Then, last year, her husband bought her a new uke. She started writing songs again, and then had two crucial conversations: one with local funnyman Justin Moorhouse about performing at his new Laugh Local event, and another with Gag Reflex’s Lee Martin, who gave her the advice she needed about getting back on stage.

In truth, she had plenty of experience to draw on already. During the 1990s, she toured with Lily Savage, Craig Charles, Jo Brand and Steve Coogan, and eventually went on to work in TV with Peter Kay and on hit series Clocking Off. 

An exhibited artist with her own jewellery range, Jayne also worked as a production secretary on Countdown and wrote scripts for Corrie and Emmerdale.  But she says it’s time for Mary to unleash her latest songs – written for the settled, Radio 4 crowd – on the world.

Find out more about Jayne Bickerton and Mary Unfaithful at Jayne's website here.  She's got gigs coming up this weekend - go and see her!


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