The Third Act plays two years later, and their relationships are not quite what you thought they would be. It’s an intriguing piece, adds Holland, it just shows that anything can happen whatever age you are. These are people in their 70s so what does happen in the second act couldn’t happen, says Holland, but it does, it’s lovely, full of surprises and a well written piece.  One of those couples, is of course, played by real life married couple, Jeffrey Holland and Judy Buxton.  It’s marvellous, working with my wife, says Holland, because we’ve worked together a lot.  We met while working together, and we have the same approach to our work. When I’m looking at Judy on stage, I’m not seeing my wife but the character she’s playing . We can both do that; others can’t quite cope but we’re quite compatible on stage.   The characters in AFTER ALL THESE YEARS all had careers in theatre. These are people in the variety world, says Holland, not people in the legitimate stage that we’re working in.  We certainly know these people because we’ve worked with them. Carol (Ball) used to be musical theatre performer, dancer singer, actor.   We know them inside out.

It's easy for audiences to relate to everyone in the play, adds Holland. We can all see something.  The characters worked in show business, but they also worked in department stores too, so we see them in domestic situations, the type that everyone has.

This is the fourth run of the play, having won the 2023 Outstanding Theatre Award at Brighton Fringe, it transferred to the Quay Arts Centre (Isle of Wight) and Jermyn Street Theatre. To be honest, it’s easy to keep fresh because it’s so well written, says Holland, it has good dialogue, because he (Giles Cole) writes the way people speak. It makes it easy to learn the lines for a start, and it’s natural to play. 

The play has both comedy and drama, there’s a lot of gags, says Holland, so it’s a good mixture.  It’s a nice piece to be able to do because it has quite a bit of emotion in it as well. It wouldn’t be right to let Holland go without asking him about his roles in the great British sitcoms, such as Spike Dixon in Hi-De-Hi! (aired on the BBC 1981 – 1988) and the footman in You Rang M’Lord? (1988 to 1993) both written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft.   I grew up doing rep, explains Holland.  I was very lucky to be able to, and to learn my trade in the theatre. I always had a leaning towards comedy, I gravitated towards it.   Perry and Croft did Dad’s Army stage show in the West end and that was when I first met them.

Holland’s many television roles include comedy gold shows Dad’s Army, Are you Being Served and It Ain’t Half Hot Mum. I think comedy is different these days, says Holland, because when we were doing sitcoms in the 80s there were only 3 television channels then and no such thing as mobile phones or laptops. Families don’t sit down to watch television together as they used to, the times have changed, comedy has changed.  Sitcom doesn’t have the same effect because there’s no studio audience. That made a huge impact on the way it was recorded and the way the viewer saw it at home. The live audience encouraged people to laugh, ‘this is a funny bit, laugh now’. They don’t use a studio audience anymore.

Attitude to comedy was changing, continues Holland, it used to be good old-fashioned fun then in the 90 we had comedies such as Men Behaving Badly; much more adult . It was very well done, written and played.  Mrs Brown's Boys (first aired 2011) has a studio audience, mentions Holland as an aside, and they make a big play on that.  

With so many character to choose from, could Holland pinpoint a favourite? Certainly, he says, from situation comedy playing James Twelvetrees (the footman) in You Rang, M’Lord (also written by Croft and Perry). It was Croft’s favourite show of all time too. It was a great character for me to play. The other one is my solo show, Stan Laurel (… And This Is my Friend Mr Laurel). I’ve been doing it for 10 years. It started at the Tabard. 

Most actors will probably prefer the live theatre, says Holland, I certainly do.    There’s a relationship you build up with audiences, with drama and particular comedy.  It’s you and them; the adrenaline goes both ways. Audiences cry at the sad bits and laugh at the funny bits.  It’s never the same bits, and that’s what is the wonder of live theatre.  It’s the same play, but we do it differently each night in relation to the audience who sit and watch it.

And, what of Holland’s role in AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, what was his first response? I said yes, please, he recalls, can I play Alfred, that’s for me. It’s a lovely part for me to play, unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I take great satisfaction from it. 

AFTER ALL THESE YEARS by Giles Cole is at Theatre at the Tabard, Chiswick

7 - 24 February 2024

Box Office 

Winner of the Outstanding Theatre Award at the Brighton Fringe 2023

A comedy about the passing of time, love, and last chances. 

Image (left to right): Judy Buxton (Lovejoy, Rising Damp, On The Up), Graham Pountney (Angels, Peak Practice, Doctors), Jeffrey Holland (Hi-De-Hi!, You Rang M’Lord?), Carol Ball (The Bill, The Trip)