The Eclectic Career and Life of Lizzie Roper
Today, Danny is joined by Lizzy Roper, a comedian, actress, DJ, the face of Aunt Bessie´s and more. Her grandfather was a Londoner, but her father was born in Spain. When the civil war erupted, they became refugees. Lizzy was born and raised in Whetstone.
Lizzy´s career has included numerous stage roles and parts in 63 movies and TV shows, including Hollyoaks and Waterloo Road. As well as a significant period doing stand up alongside Lenny Beige, Matt Lucas, Sasha Barron Cohen, David Walliams and more. She shares some interesting stories, including why she had to learn Middle English to get her equity card, a funny Pink Panther story and tales of an eclectic mix of celebrities, including Tom Baker, John Hurt, Barry Cryer, Leo Sayer and Robbie Williams.
If you can´t get enough of these podcasts, head to https://www.patreon.com/DannyHurst to access my exclusive, member-only, fun-filled and fact-packed history-related videos.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
By the age of 5 Lizzy was already imitating entertainers she saw on TV. She was born to act.
In the late 80s, early 90s, London was still affordable, even for struggling actors.
London is really a series of little towns that are patched together.
In the West End, wherever you look, history hits you in the face.
Once you have lived outside of London for a while you forget that the city has its own behavioural norms.
The Gielgud Theatre had two previous names.
The Regency Rooms was known for its cabaret comedy, but a lot of big bands also played there.
Acting in a soap opera requires a different skillset. The insights Lizzie shares about how they make 2.5 hours of TV in under a week are fascinating.
BEST MOMENTS
“If I go back up there, they tell me I sound like a Cockney t**t.”
“It took me a while to get London.”
“Do you remember that wonderful word “profit share” that translates to profit loss?”
“My acting career took off by going through the back door of Cabaret comedy stand up.”
“When I met you, you were running the asylum at the time.”
“I know I can do a bit of stand-up, but I could not be a street performer.”
“There´s something magical about Liverpool.”
“Hollyoaks, it's more dangerous than a Mexican drug cartel.”
“I haven´t got the London code anymore.”
EPISODE RESOURCES
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1575301
https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/lizzie-roper
HOST BIO
Historian, performer, and mentor Danny Hurst has been engaging audiences for many years, whether as a lecturer, stand-up comic or intervention teacher with young offenders and excluded secondary students. Having worked with some of the most difficult people in the UK, he is a natural storyteller and entertainer, whilst purveying the most fascinating information that you didn't know you didn't know. A writer and host of pub quizzes across London, he has travelled extensively and speaks several languages. He has been a consultant for exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum and Natural History Museum in London as well as presenting accelerated learning seminars across the UK. With a wide range of knowledge ranging from motor mechanics to opera to breeding carnivorous plants, he believes learning is the most effective when it's fun. Uniquely delivered, this is history without the boring bits, told the way only Danny Hurst can.
CONTACT AND SOCIALS
https://instagram.com/dannyjhurstfacebook.com/danny.hurst.9638
https://twitter.com/dannyhurst
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-hurst-19574720
Unusual Histories
"History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake." James Joyce.
That was me at school as well. Ironically, I ended up becoming a historian. The Unusual Histories podcast is all about the history you don't learn at school, nor indeed anywhere else.
Discover things that you didn't know that you didn't know; fascinating historical luminaries and their vices and addictions, the other numerous sides of every story...
We start with the Monopoly Series, in which we explore how the game came to be, the real-life connection between the cheapest and most expensive properties, the history of each location, how proportionate the values were then and are today, what the hell a "community chest" is and whether free parking really does exist anywhere in London.
If you love history; or indeed if you hate history, this is the podcast for you…
Where can you listen?
