The Fleeshman family seem to have the Midas touch when it comes to showbusiness.
Mum, Sue Jenkins (Corrie’s Gloria Todd and Brookside’s Jackie Corkhill), has just finished filming a comedy pilot for Channel 4 and is now directing a play for the 24:7 theatre festival, The Shadow of Your Hand.
Dad, David, is currently in rehearsals for Hard Times at Manchester’s Library Theatre.
Daughter Emily can be seen in Jimmy McGovern’s drama Moving On for BBC, which screens this summer.
Son, Richard is taking the West End by storm in smash hit musical Ghost, which premiered in Manchester.
And young Rosie has, up until now, had to fit professional acting roles around her school work, so who knows what might come her way in the future.
Some might say it’s easy for them with their showbiz connections. But while they may be Manchester’s best-loved acting dynasty now, neither Sue nor David, who met while performing together at Manchester’s Contact Theatre, came from acting families.
Any one of the family will tell you that their so-called lucky breaks didn’t come without a lot of hard work.
And for those willing to put the time in, Sue is setting up a new drama academy.
“I don’t think that you can teach people to act,” Sue explains. “But if someone has a talent you can make it grow, which is really exciting to watch.”
The Actors’ Lab, which will be held at the Zion Centre in Hulme, is founded by both Sue and David, with Emily on board as the sensible business brain and Richard as the official patron.
Anyone aged eight and above is welcome at the classes which will be taken by one of a hand-picked pool of professional actors with additional master classes by Sue, David and some as yet unnamed special guests, although The Diary can guess one already.
“Yes, Richard will definitely do a guest master class, when I can get him,” she laughs. Sue will be calling on her wealth of connections to support the venture but hopes that people won’t see it as a shortcut to fame. For details visit theactorslab.co.uk or call 07934 216 217.
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"Manchester’s best-loved acting dynasty" - is someone having a wind-up? How is it an acting dynasty? ", "Richard will definitely do a guest master class" - how is he experienced or talented enough to do this? Once again the MEN bigging up people who really havent done that much but because they come from "Manchester" (a very loose sense of the word as they are actually from Cheshire) they get the MEN treatment
This sounds a really great idea. If the Fleeshman family has the support of the MEN, that's terrific and why not?
The family has been part of Manchester for over 35 years (going right back to Contact Theatre and the Library Theatre, long before their TV work. In fact David Fleeshman is about to open in @hard Times ' for the Library Theatre and Sue Jnekins is directing for the 24/7 festival in Manchester.
This Academy will have a lot to offer.
I wish it evry success
This sounds grear. Wish the new venture great success
Sounds great! Hope it does well. The Zion Arts is a great venue too
Thsi sounds great and should be very popular. Good luck to the whole project
I agree> I;ve been looking for something like this for ages. The try out workshop sounds good too, look before you commit, can't say fairer tha that.
I like the idea of working with professional too.
Yes, agreed, sounds really good
Was a brilliant Open Day Workshop.Well done. Excellent. Course starts August 3rd.
Will be there.