Hard though it is to believe, almost 25 years have passed since the 10th and final series of Hale and Pace’s ITV sketch show aired.
A must-watch for millions of viewers every Sunday, the former teachers were one of the most popular double acts of the ’80s and ’90s. Looking back, Norman Pace – an acclaimed theatre actor since the turn of the century – believes at least half of their material would no longer be allowed to air.
“I don’t think we would get away with it, if I’m being honest,” said Pace. “What we’ve seen recently with Jimmy Carr shows you have to be very selective about the material you use now and I think he would probably agree he made a mistake there. People send me links to YouTube of some of our old material and the ones still being passed around aren’t controversial and have stood the test of time.
“We had a script editor, an ex-plumber from Leeds who’d worked on Spitting Image and other shows, and he said we needed factory nudges, which were people going into work the next day and saying, ‘Did you see that on Hale And Pace last night?’ So we did some pushing-the-envelope material – tasteless, I would say, in retrospect – and it was deliberately trying to be controversial.
“I remember in our first episode, which went on to win a number of awards, we pretended to microwave a cat. The props department came up with a very good dummy cat and all the cat owners were up in arms but the following week we got two million more viewers, so Laurie the plumber was right. You needed to prod a little to make yourself stand out.”
Neither Hale nor Pace have any intention of reuniting as a comedy duo but they remain friends, living just a stone’s throw from each other. Pace is currently appearing in Hairspray as Wilbur Turnblad, a role he’d previously played pre-pandemic.
“During lockdown, I sat at home wondering if I’d get back on stage again, because the years are passing quickly now,” admitted the 69-year-old. “I was asked to come back by the producers and it’s been brilliant.
“We’ve been on the road eight months, and we started rehearsing in May, half of which we did on Zoom due to Covid outbreaks. Learning to dance on Zoom was one of the strangest experiences of my career. Our choreographer, Lindsay McAllister, who is from Scotland, was in her front room showing us the steps and we practised them at home.
“We’ve only lost four shows during the eight months. We’ve all caught it – I had it six weeks ago and it took me out of action for two weeks. I still have a few side-effects but I can function.”
Set in the early ’60s, Hairspray sees teen heroine Tracy Turnblad dance her way on to national TV, and she tries to use her fame to fight for liberation, tolerance and interracial unity.
“I play her dad, Wilbur,” Pace continued. “He’s the world’s most optimistic man and is never low. He sees the positives in everything and it’s a pleasure to play.”
The tour comes to an end in Scotland and Pace is looking forward to returning, as he has many fond memories of past trips.
“Gareth and I first did the Edinburgh Festival in 1980 and we came over to the Gorbals during the run. We used to do a parody, Paul McSimon and Art McGarfunkel, and I wondered if we should risk doing it in Scotland in case we got our heads chopped off! We did it in the Gorbals and after every line there was a round of applause.
“I have a special love for Scotland – I learned to play golf in Edinburgh. I’m sure some of my friends will take me for a round at Gullane. I was introduced to single malts in 1988. I’ve now collected 150. They’re all open, I don’t keep them for posterity.”
Hairspray, Edinburgh Playhouse, March 14-19, King’s Theatre, Glasgow, March 28-April 2
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