Coronation Street star Chris Harper is perhaps best known for his role as evil Nathan Curtis, at the core
of one of the ITV soap’s most hard-hitting storylines. But now, the actor is taking to the stage this
autumn in a new touring production of the celebrated play Art.
Chris stars in the play alongside comedian Seann Walsh and The Crown’s Aden Gillett. The trio play three old friends who end up in a debate about the blurred lines between art and reality, following the purchase of an all-white painting.
We recently caught up with Chris, as he explained what audiences can expect from the new production, originally written by Yasmina Reza and directed by Iqbal Khan – with tickets available to buy here.
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“It’s a play about three close friends being long-term friends who suddenly realise that they’re not all on the same wavelength,” he said. “They’re not in the same echo chamber. They disagree massively on some really fundamental aspects of each other’s lives, and the cracks not only begin to show, but rip open.
“They’re in love with each other, like family, but they suddenly find themselves furious with each other, and they just don’t have the vocabulary to deal with it. They don’t have a way of expressing themselves.”
While Art was originally performed three decades ago, Chris argues that it still resonates with audiences today.
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He said: “These days, you can be so angry with people who you care so much about. I think people in the audience will be looking at it and spotting arguments that they’ve either been in or have wanted to be in but didn’t have the guts to.
“I should be telling you it’s really funny. But we’re right in the middle of rehearsals right now, and we’re digging out all the blood, all the anger, all the upset. And it’s brilliant.”
As the play tours around the country, kicking off in Poole this week and finishing up in Sheffield in October, Chris is full of praise for his castmates. He said: “I’ve known Aden for years. I’ve toured with him before, and Seann’s an absolute genius. It’s brilliant to work with him.”
Earlier this year, Nathan made a dramatic return to Corrie after his prison stint for his grooming of Bethany Platt. His reappearance on the cobbles was a shock to not only viewers but to Chris himself.
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“Coronation Street is not a place for the journey of a paedophile to recover and become loved,” he said. “That’s not a thing you should be doing on a soap. And so, I was absolutely adamant that if Nathan ever came back, then he mustn’t be forgiven. But I did also know that it was about time he would be coming out [of prison], so I did wonder.
“But when I got the call from the producers, it smacked me sideways. I was shaken, because the story was so emotional at the time, and it made such a difference to my life, the people I met through it. So, coming back to Nathan was quite an emotional journey for me, to be honest.”
He continued: “I knew it mustn’t be cathartic. We mustn’t let him off the hook. He’s done his time, and he thinks he should now be free to go and do what he wants. But he comes out, and he hasn’t changed. He carries on doing exactly what he’s always wanted to do. So he deserves to go back down, frankly!”
Nathan is now back in prison, but this time for a crime he didn’t commit, with Kit planting evidence to frame him for attacking and abusing Lauren Bolton.
While Joel Deering’s eventual downfall might lead to his release from prison, Chris has confirmed that viewers won’t be seeing Nathan again on screen, at least for now.
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“No, I’m definitely not going back,” he said. “But never say never, I suppose! I genuinely do not want him to have a forgiveness arc. So, I don’t know why he’d keep coming back to Weatherfield. It’s Bethany’s journey, not his. It’s got to be about Bethany’s life, and I think he’s done his time.
“But if you could get Sally Wainwright to write something between Joel and Nathan, and it was past nine o’clock, I think it would be worth doing!”
As well as his new Corrie stint, Chris has appeared in several episodes of Call the Midwife since 2023, appearing as Trixie Franklin’s twin brother Geoffrey – a role that he will reprise again in the upcoming festive special.
“It’s like being welcomed into royalty, it’s amazing,” Chris said. “And they’re really lovely, it is genuinely like a family – all the good sides and the bad sides of being a very tight family. And I absolutely adore being treated like a regular [cast member].
“He’s so useful to Trixie in her time of need, but he’s also making friends with the nuns. I love the story. I love who he is. I love the fact that he’s a helper. I’m in the Christmas episodes. I’m loving it, and the other actors in it are just gorgeous.”
Reflecting on the different characters he has played recently, Chris said: “I’ve been incredibly lucky. I’m just incredibly fortunate, because it’s tough in the acting world at the moment.
“What’s happened is Nathan’s come out of prison [in Corrie] as Geoffrey’s arrived to help Trixie in Call the Midwife at the same time, and the 30th anniversary of Art has come up. So, I’m immensely lucky.”
