Boycie and Marlene are coming to Nottinghamshire
Published: Thursday 3rd March 2016
Nottinghamshire residents will have a chance to meet two sitcom legends when Boycie and Marlene - aka John Challis and Sue Holderness - visit Mansfield on Thursday 17th March.
The on-screen husband and wife duo from Only Fools And Horses will be appearing as part of an 'An Evening With' event to meet and greet fans of the show.
The characters, who regularly frequented those 'hooky streets' of Peckham occupied by hard-up market trader Derek Trotter and his younger brother Rodney, will be appearing at a special night at the John Fretwell Sporting Complex.
Boycie, designed by Only Fools creator John Sullivan as an antithesis to Del Boy's flamboyant character, is the moustached, wealthy second-hand car dealer who declined to take pity on the Trotters. Rather than living in a council flat in Nelson Mandela House, he resided in a mock Georgian estate on Kings Avenue. The disparity between the two characters was perhaps best reflected by Boycie's silk-lined suits compared to Del's flat cap and jeans. Their relationship - thanks to Sullivan's scriptwriting craft - wonderfully emphasised Del's character depth and his loyalty.
John Challis's first appearance as Boycie was in the Series 1 episode Go West Young Man, in which Del and Rodney headed for a night out in Boycie's white E-Type Jaguar, which Del had offered to store in their council estate garage as a favour for his friend.
Meanwhile Marlene - a dapper, decorated cockney woman - was first seen by viewers wrapped in a fur coat and grappling at the end of a leash tugged by her Great Dane puppy dog Duke in the Series 4 episode Sleeping Dogs Lie.
This rare opportunity to meet both stars should appeal to fans of the show, as the pair will endeavour to discuss their life inside the Trotter globe, with the anecdotes and insights supplemented by a night of varied entertainment and a 'pukka' pie and pea meal.
Of course, after Only Fools And Horses ended, John and Sue headlined their own BBC sitcom, The Green Green Grass, which ran for four series between 2005 - 2009. Another Sullivan creation, it saw Boycie, Marlene and their lackadaisical son Tyler fleeing infamous London villains the Driscoll Brothers and settling in the shrubs of the Shropshire countryside.
But, despite the spin-off running for four series, both are still probably best remembered for their roles in the original show, with their memorable moments featured in episodes such as 'A Losing Streak', 'From Prussia with Love', 'Video Nasty', 'To Hull and Back', 'Little Problems', 'The Sky's the Limit' and the feature-length episode 'Miami Twice'.
Boycie's appearances on screen were oft accompanied by his trademark fire-cracker laugh, one which John admits was initially a mistake. "I actually don't know how it happened at all, it just sort of happened one day and everybody laughed at me laughing, which is very gratifying! John Sullivan seemed to like it and I think it was in the next script that my character was in that it said 'Boycie does one of his laughs'. Of course I couldn't remember what I'd done so I had to go back and replay the previous episode where I'd laughed!"
John and Sue make this visit to Mansfield courtesy of events company HCC Sportstalk, run by Nottinghamshire residents and comedy fans Carl Constable and Trevor Howis. Carl enthuses: "I'm a huge Only Fools And Horses fan and I think it's a massive coup to get these two stars to Mansfield. I actually didn't think we'd be able to pull it off, so I'm really pleased!
"Boycie and Marlene are sitcom legends and this could be the only time they both come to the town, so it's a great opportunity for people to come along, meet them and have their photo alongside them."
A replica Trotters Van, complete with a blow up doll in the back (as was seen in episode 'Danger UXD') is rumbling towards the venue, alongside a 'Pratmobile', the gaudy lime green Capri Gear motor identical to the sports coupe introduced in Series 7.
Here's a video message from Boycie himself, talking about the Mansfield show:
Standard tickets for the event are £15 and VIP tickets which include a meet and greet, Q & A, and photo opportunity are £35. For more details visit www.hccsportstalk.uk or contact Carl on 07758 540652.
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