Charlie Quirke has been immersed in performing arts his whole life, his Mother is Pauline Quirke, best known for playing Sharon Theodopolopodous in the long running sitcom Birds of a Feather. Along with her husband, she’s also the founder of Pauline Quirke Academy for Performing Arts, and this year PQA have taken over Riddle’s Court, returning it to an Edinburgh Fringe venue and curating an extensive programme.
I meet Charlie in the beautifully restored courtyard of Riddle’s Court, and comment on what a great venue it is, there are free charging points which are very useful during long fringe days, but more importantly everyone who works here seems genuinely happy and friendly, “it’s really nice here, PQA have always been strong on family orientated events, and this feels like a really close-knit community” says Charlie.
And it’s a big community, PQA Venues has a mix of professional productions alongside students of The Pauline Quirke Academy, Charlie explains; “Q Productions is behind the rep company which I’m in, we are all professional actors and the revenue raised from our shows allows the students from PQA to come to Edinburgh and perform their shows here, which is a brilliant opportunity. If you can say you did Edinburgh Fringe at the age fourteen, what is there to stop you in the future.”
PQA was set up in 2007 by Charlie’s Mum and Dad, he tells me “they didn’t think there was a stage school that suited me, so they opened their own! There are over 170 academies across the country now, and the best thing is, it’s getting kids to perform, and they really help the shyer kids to come out of their shell, we’ve had parents tell us their kids were too shy to put their hands up in school and after a couple of weeks with PQA there’s a light burning inside them.”
For Charlie, his big break came when he was cast alongside his Mum in Birds of a Feather, “it finished for the first time just after I was born, so I wasn’t around for all the hype when it was on, but my first memory of being aware of it was when people would shout ‘Sharon’ at my Mum. I’ve always grown up with my Mum being an actress, and being called Sharon!”
But it might surprise audiences to know that the family connection didn’t guarantee Charlie a role, “production companies don’t allow just anyone to be cast these days, I had to go through four auditions, and that helped me realise that I had earned it, but there was some pressure, luckily my Mum is a great role model to watch and learn from.” Pauline isn’t Charlie’s only role model though, “it feels like I have three Mums on set, because I’ve known Linda (Robson) and Lesley (Joseph) my whole life, but I love working with my Mum, I really do.”
This is Charlie’s second year performing at Edinburgh Fringe, and this year he’s performing in two shows as part of a rep company. Both shows mean a lot to him, but one in particular has special meaning, “Early Birds is from the writers of Birds of a Feather (Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran), so I’m really close to that production, and it’s a true story, it’s all about how Birds of a Feather came to be, and how it was almost cancelled for being too racy!”
Charlie Quirke and Harriet Watson in in Early Birds at PQA Venues @ Riddle’s Court, 3 – 27 Aug (photo Peter Dibdin)Charlie describes Pauline’s reaction to Early Birds; “she cried when she saw it. It’s Laurence and Maurice’s story so there’s things she didn’t even know, but it all happened. She’s very proud of it¸ and I was touched by it, because it’s my Mum’s story.”
So, how does it feel being in both Birds of a Feather and Early Birds? “In Birds of a Feather I play my Mum’s nephew and in Early Birds I play alongside a girl, playing a younger version of my Mum, it’s like Back to the Future!”
Charlie’s second show is Our Boys, “Jonathan Lewis, the director was very emotional on opening night, he said he didn’t think it could be done, but we had surpassed his expectations, that’s all you want.”
“We’re spending a lot of time together outside the show, with Our Boys especially it’s a group of friends and the piece wouldn’t work if we didn’t get on. From day one we were taking the mick out of each other and having a laugh, that helps. We’re always together after, going for dinner, drinks, seeing shows, we’re having a wicked time.”
The Cast of Our Boys (photo Peter Dibdin)As well as the professional company, there’s also the PQA students at the venue which Charlie thinks is a brilliant opportunity, “it’s so supportive and the kids are able to come and talk to us, and we get to see their shows. You know they can learn from us, but we are learning loads from them too.”
What does Charlie think the biggest lesson the PQA students will learn in Edinburgh? “If something goes wrong, which it will – that’s ok, that’s life, you dust yourself off and you learn from it, continue to learn. Also, enjoy it, it’s a festival at the end of the day.”
It’s clear from talking to Charlie that PQA Venues is a very special place to be, there’s an extensive programme, but it’s Early Birds which has the biggest significance “Birds of a Feather changed a lot of people lives, including mine, I wouldn’t be doing what I am today if Mum wasn’t as talented as she is.”
“And it’s a knock-on effect, 172 schools with thousands of students, it’s changed a lot of kids lives too. Because of the academies, thousands of kids have had an opportunity they wouldn’t have had if it hadn’t been for my parents, I’m so proud of them and what they’ve achieved.”
To find out more about PQA Venues at Edinburgh Fringe click here.
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