Crime & Safety
Coronation Street star to appear on Oxford Playhouse stage
The Coronation Street star is taking on the role of Florence Foster Jenkins in a 20th-anniversary production of Glorious! at the Oxford Playhouse, running until Saturday, April 18.
Florence Foster Jenkins was an American socialite who became famous for her lack of musical talent, selling out concerts with her truly terrible singing.
Ms Peters, who became a household name as Cilla Battersby in Coronation Street, said: “Last March, I was Florence at the Hope Mill theatre in Manchester. We had a ball but it was hard work. I had to learn to sing opera badly.
“I’m a musical theatre performer; I started my career in productions like Guys and Dolls and Sondheim’s Into the Woods. More recently, I was in Sister Act.
“I can so it’s proved quite a challenge to sing off-key.
“Florence sings four big numbers in the play including Mozart’s Queen of the Night from The Magic Flute.
“I started by learning it note-perfect. Then, with the help of the musical director, we tweaked certain notes that I’d sing flat or where I’d get the phrasing wrong.
“I’ve got a stronger voice than Frances’s so I had to work at producing more of a reedy sound.”
Ms Peters reflected on whether Jenkins understood the reality of her performance shortcomings.
She said: “I wonder. I think it must sometimes have crossed her mind that audiences were laughing at her rather than with her and there would be a reason for that.”
The show has a mix of humour and emotion, especially in the later stages.
Ms Peters said: “Absolutely – and particularly in the second half of the play.
“On the other hand, she got her wish to perform to 3,000 people at Carnegie Hall, which would have bankrupted her if the concert hadn’t sold out.
“So, the woman had chutzpah.
“But whatever she might be doing wrong, she could see that she was loved, see that she entertained audiences.
“Mind you, it’s a shameful reflection on human nature that people get pleasure out of watching somebody doing something badly.
“But then, just think of the early auditions on X Factor.”
For millions, Ms Peters is best known for her time on Coronation Street, a role that changed her life.
She said: “I’d been working for 10 years when I got the role of Cilla but there’s no doubt she opened a lot of doors for me.
“Glorious! is a case in point. So, I’m grateful to her although, within a week of appearing in Corrie, I was being stopped in the street.
“You don’t realise the power of a soap until you actually appear in one as a regular character.”
Ms Peters enjoyed playing the mischievous but troublesome character, even if she wouldn’t want her as a neighbour.
She said: “To begin with, she was mischievous and fun but she quickly morphed into a bit of a monster.
“She wasn’t murdering anybody but she was a real trouble-maker.
“I don’t think anybody on the cobbles liked her but I loved playing her although I wouldn’t want to live next door to her.
“She’d have been a nightmare neighbour.
“It’s always more fun playing a baddie.”
Ms Peters left the soap in 2007 after four years, wanting to return to theatre and spend more time with her daughter.
She said: “I wanted to go back to doing other things like theatre and panto.
“Also, I was living in London at the time so I was having to travel up to Manchester a lot and I missed my little girl, Gracie, who was only four when I started playing Cilla.
“But luckily, they didn’t kill her off so she’s still out there somewhere.”
Ms Peters remains open to a possible return but is focused for now on her latest role.
She said: “People always ask that and I always answer in the same way: never say never.
“If they came up with an irresistible storyline, I might be tempted.
“That said, I’m too busy at the moment.
“My head is full of Florence.”
Leonardo Silvestre, aged 23 and of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Monday (April 13).
He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on May 12.
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This follows his arrest on April 10 at Denchworth Road, Wantage.
Thames Valley Police said they stopped a male “posing as a food‑delivery rider after suspicious behaviour caught our attention”.
The force added: “That instinct paid off — during a search we recovered 16 wraps of cocaine and over £1,000 in cash. All seized.”
The police team said that this was part of their ongoing crackdown on drugs in Wantage.
They said: “Our recent survey told us loud and clear that our community wants us to focus on drug-related activity—and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Over the next few days they had several other encounters with possible drugs offenders, including arresting a man, reportedly mid drug deal, on April 11, at Naldertown in Wantage.
The force said: “As a result, a 22-year-old male from outside the area was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.
“Drugs and cash were located on him, and his vehicle was seized.”
That man has since been released on police bail until June 26.
On April 12 they saw another man engaging in drug-related activity in Wantage with the suspect running from the police officers.
“Despite our best efforts—and assistance from the police helicopter—we were unable to locate him,” the police said.
They added: “However, we did seize his vehicle, along with cash and significant items inside.”
As of Friday, April 17 no arrests have been made in the case.
In one of their updates the Wantage and Grove neighbourhood police team warned that much of the drugs activity in the area relates to ‘county lines’.
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The police explained: “It’s when organised drug networks from big cities push into smaller towns, exploiting vulnerable people to move drugs and money. It brings violence, fear and exploitation into communities that deserve better.
“This is one of several arrests we’ve made recently. Every time county lines tries to creep into Wantage, we’ll be there — and we’ll stop them.
“A huge thank‑you to our fantastic colleagues from Abingdon and Faringdon neighbourhood police teams for backing us up. Teamwork keeps our communities safe.”
Thames Valley Police said they confiscated the vehicle today (Friday, April 17) as it was on the roads uninsured.
In addition to the vehicle seizure, the driver has been reported.
A spokesperson for the Roads Policing team said: “First vehicle seizure of the late shift today by XRC01 on the A41 near Bicester.
READ MORE: Vauxhall seized as motorist drives from Oxfordshire police
“Driver was going to get around to insuring it at the weekend. Vehicle seized. Driver reported.”
This follows an incident on Wednesday, April 15 when a Vauxhall car was confiscated by Thames Valley Police.
The police attempted to talk to the driver of the car who then “made off” after which the car was located and recovered from its registered address.
Dr Tina Tian, a consultant dermatologist at Stratum Dermatology Clinic Oxford, has provided advice on how to encourage children to wear sunscreen amid a warning about leaving kid’s skin unprotected.
This not only comes ahead of Melanoma Awareness Month (May) but also with a heatwave predicted for much of the south of England.
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The Daily Express has said that temperatures in counties, including Oxfordshire, could soon soar to up to 23°C, citing the latest ECMWF weather model.
Its data reveals temperatures are likely to peak on April 29.
Considering this Dr Tian and Dr Ross Perry, GP and medical director of Cosmedics, have highlighted the importance of encouraging children to wear sunscreen.
Dr Perry said: “Children’s skin is significantly more delicate and vulnerable than adult skin.
“The outer barrier isn’t fully developed, which means ultraviolet (UV) radiation penetrates more easily and can cause damage at a deeper cellular level.
“What many people don’t realise is that a proportion of lifetime sun damage actually occurs before the age of 18.
“Even a handful of serious sunburns in childhood can increase the risk of skin cancers, including melanoma, later in life.”
Dr Tian agrees with Dr Perry and has provided some advice on how to encourage children to wear sunscreen.
This includes making it part of their routine, involving them in the process and turning it into a game.
Dr Tian said: “I often ask my daughter what kind of face she wants me to paint with the sunscreen to try to make it more fun.”
She also suggested non-stinging sunscreen.
“When sunscreen gets into children’s eyes, it can really sting so look out for sunscreen that is labelled as non-stinging,” she advised.
“The P20 one is really good due to the fact that it’s so water-resistant, so it doesn’t really move and won’t migrate into the eyes and make them sting.”
The experts also advised explaining why it’s important, using age-appropriate language, and to make it a reciprocal process.
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Dr Tian said: “With my son I find it really helpful to get him to put some sunscreen on me first to make it a bit of a reciprocal thing.”
Finally, she suggested letting children play with the lids and to warm up the cream beforehand.
She said: “A lot of sun creams have lids and you can draw funny faces on the lid and let your kids play with it while you’re doing the cream.”
She added: “Sun cream often feels very cold, so it can help to warm it up in your hands a bit before you start putting it on your child so it’s not too much of a shock for them.”
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