Interview with Actress, Jackie Lye, by Noreen Rees
In life there are sometimes sliding-door moments, and so it was when I met actress Jackie Lye at the I Love North Shields Vintage Market. She was sitting alone at a table, scrolling on her phone. And I was holding a clipboard, asking visitors to the market to tell me their stories. Should I ask her for hers? If I hadn’t approached Jackie I would never have found out that she played the Geordie character Joy Horville in the long running Radio 4 series, The Archers. The Archers! Even if they only know the signature tune, pretty much everyone over forty must be aware of the show. And so it was that I rather ambushed Jackie into telling me her story, and she very kindly agreed that I could interview her more fully at a later date.
As a young girl, Jackie ‘took to acting very naturally.’ She studied at Longbenton High School where a very inspiring drama teacher, Chris Heckels, saw her potential and suggested she join Northumberland Youth Theatre. Several established actors (some now household names) began their careers there at the centre in Backworth. Jackie was cast – at age fifteen – as Minnie Bates in the TV series When the Boat Comes in. The huge cast included James Bolam, Tim Healey and Val McLane. Some episodes were written by North East writers Tom Haddaway and Sid Chaplin. Then she was cast in another play set in the North East, this time onstage at Live Theatre – CP Taylor’s A Nightingale Sang. Her parents who “just wanted us to do whatever we wanted to do,” were supportive, and by the time she applied to study Drama (at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama), she already had an Equity card. Unlike today, drama students from working class backgrounds were able to qualify for a full grant covering fees and accommodation, so Jackie was free to concentrate on her acting training.
After graduating, Jackie was able to find work in rep (repertory theatre) at Harrogate and York. She also worked a season at Newcastle Playhouse (now Northern Stage) in Newcastle. In York, in a play by Jane Thornton, she played the part of a hairdresser who not only had to deliver her lines but also blow-dry another actor’s hair! She also played the part of a woman wrestler in Trafford Tanzi. Of course, like most actors, Jackie had periods of ‘resting’ where she worked in bars and restaurants. But she was fortunate to land a job with Richmond Events who organised networking events, particularly on cruise ships. They were so impressed by Jackie’s work there that they gave her a contract so she could take unpaid leave when acting work came up. So Jackie continued to be employed extensively throughout the eighties, nineties then up to and after the Millenium. Acting credits included Grusha in The Caucasian Chalk Circle (her favourite part), Vera, Harry’s Mad, Emmerdale, Heartbeat and The Bill. Jackie was particularly known for playing Sandra in Brush Strokes between 1986 and 1991. At this time Jackie was living in London with her partner (a camera operator who covers football for Sky Sports and others) and was on the books of several agents.
Then Jackie was approached about playing the part of Joy in The Archers. The director of the wrestling play, Trafford Tanzi, had remembered Jackie, and as he was now an editor on The Archers, he felt that she would be right for the part. On the day of the first recording, Jackie was “absolutely terrified.” The scene was one in which most of the cast were present, as it was a Parish Council meeting. Jackie hadn’t had much experience in radio at that point but she found the cast very friendly. A plus point was also that initially she was in three episodes (she’s now been in 178), so had time to grow into her character more. Jackie says, “I love playing Joy – Joy by name, Joy by nature! I think everyone should have a friend like her.” From her experience of being in The Archers, Jackie feels that the writers have the ability to “construct storylines that fly.”
There have been some dark moments in character Joy’s life but in the show she has been shown to be very caring. Listeners might remember the support and empathy she gave to Ben Archer during his psychotic episode.
Ten years ago Jackie – like a homing pigeon together with her partner – decided to return to the North East, and has made her home in Whitley Bay. In the time she has been in London, much of the industry has changed. Nowadays many auditions take place over Zoom and self-tapes are commonly used by actors to showcase their work. There’s no longer the imperative or expense involved in travelling to London. Also, Jackie’s partner’s work as a camera operator is flexible. All in all, living almost three hundred miles away from London has become possible, and she’s very happy here.
So what’s next for Jackie? She’s hopeful that there will be a Joy storyline towards the Autumn. In the meantime, however, she’s in rehearsal for a touring production of six new plays, Haddaway and Write by Hooley Theatre. Some of the shows will be playing various venues in North Shields, including The Exchange. So, if you want to see Jackie playing a new character, you can book now.
