From Emmerdale and Hollyoaks to his own one man stage show award winning Burnley actor looks set for stardom

A professional actor and golfer, Graeme can now add award winning film maker to his CV. For his film, Kingsey, won the short film category at the Marbella International Film Festival.

Shot around his Fence home, the 22 minute film is about convicted bank robber Graeme King who has been released early due to coronavirus pandemic. In the boredom of lockdown he turns to drink and drugs to escape the reality before he begins to display paranoid behaviour.

And on Friday Graeme will star in his own one man show at the Little Theatre in Colne.

Inspired by English actor and playwright Alan Bennett, Alan Bonnett's Diary will be performed by Graeme using all his own original material. He has based some of his stories on everyday life events, and conversations he has had with his own mother with a tongue in cheek approach and dry wit.

Tickets are almost sold out and plans are on the cards for Graeme to take his show on tour next year. And he already has a London based producer promoting him in the capital.

Considering Graeme only started acting a decade ago at the age of 50, he has achieved phenomenal success. It was his fiancee, Jane Rogers, who encouraged Graeme to enter the profession as she could see he had a natural born talent for acting.

Graeme audtioned for two acting schools in Manchester and was offered a place at both! He accepted the offer at Act4TV, which was established in 2009 and has a reputation for being one of the UK's most innovative schools for film and television acting.

Since then roles in TV soaps, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks followed, along with the Yorkshire based drama Happy Valley while he was with Manchester Talent Agency Mint Casting. He has also starred in several theatre shows.

Graeme said: "I think being told at school that I would never achieve anything has been the driving force in my life as I wanted to prove those who told me that they were wrong.

"I failed the 11 plus exam and was written off because of it."

A student at the former Barden High School for Boys in Burnley, Graeme gained a degree in sports psychology at the age of 30 before he went on to complete a PGCE in the subject. He then began to play golf and had a handicap of four when he became PGA qualified.

"I saw one of my old teachers and it gave me great pleasure to tell him what I had achieved," said Graeme.

Graeme lists Timothy Spall as one of his favourite actors and one of his biggest inspirations is Burnley born television screen and producer writer Paul Abbott, creator of the critically acclaimed TV drama Shameless.

Graeme added: "I knew Paul and his siblings when I was a teenager and he really is inspirational."

* Alan Bonnett's Diary will be performed at 8pm at the Little Theatre, Colne this Friday, (December 17th). Tickets are £5 and available through Eventbrite