Alan: I want to be in 'Enders!

Alan Fletcher has played Dr Karl Kennedy since 1994. Despite being one of the longest serving cast members in Neighbours, he is also a keen musician. We caught up with him on his recent tour of the UK.

How is the tour?

Absolutely fantastic. I couldn't bring my band sadly because of the global financial crisis but I joined up with a bunch of boys who called themselves The X-Rays for this tour. We've been chugging around universities playing at freshers' balls and I'm doing solo stuff as well. There was an overwhelming response as usual. This is my seventh tour. A student population comes out in force to support me and they love the music. And I love to meet them as it reminds me how wonderful my job is.

What's your favourite place in the UK?

I'm a big fan of Yorkshire. I do love Sheffield and Leeds as cities to visit and play. I always get a fantastic response there. There are a lot of students so it's a natural fit for me.

Did you originally want to be a musician rather than an actor?

I think it's really important for almost all actors these days to have a musical string to their bow, so to speak. And I've done a lot of music theatre rock and roll but playing in a band didn't come along till much later in life. I met some musos in Perth. We decided to get together and form a band, and we've evolved from there and started recording our own music. It's just a fabulous outlet.

For me, acting and music go hand in hand. Both are about telling stories, entertaining people and having a good time and being entertained. I don't draw a preference for either.

What do your fans call you in the street?

They call me Dr Karl. I hear it shouted around the streets wherever I go which is kind of cute. I answer to the name Karl wherever I go too. It gets a bit embarrassing. Once someone shouted out 'Hey Karl!' at the football and I turned around and waved and he said 'Not you!'

What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever sent you?

A young lad many years ago sent a lot of the cast very strange books. For me it was Helicopters At War. I never quite got that. There was lots of other military-style memorabilia sent to the others so perhaps his focus was a little out of whack.

The surrogacy storyline involving the Kennedys has been controversial, hasn't it?

The notion of a mother being a surrogate for their daughter is something you can't pretend is not controversial. The writers embraced that and showed how Susan's decision divided the community and has potential to divide the family. It's a very strong story and played in the wrong way could be dreadful but Jackie Woodburne is so consummate in the way she's crafted this performance so I know people will find it riveting.

Will Karl be faithful from now on?

If you were looking to make a bet, you wouldn't waste your money on betting that Karl would have an affair. The odds are very strongly stacked against it. But the words 'never' and 'soap opera' don't go together.

Is Karl going to go back to his job at the hospital at any point?

Again, if you were a betting person that would probably be quite a good bet.

Karl seems to turn up to every medical emergency in Erinsborough. Have you learned anything about medicine?

I've picked up a lot but I don't pretend to have any medical knowledge of any import. If someone collapsed next to me on the Tube I'd be the first to put my hands in the air screaming my head off. And it would be more dangerous to apply the small smattering of medical knowledge I do have than to stand back and let the professionals do it.

What's the most ridiculous storyline you've been involved in?

The one I loved the most was when Karl was stealing garden gnomes when his life was in crisis. I justified it to myself by saying that at university Karl had been part of a group called the "Misgnomers" and that the way of dealing with stress is to go and do something silly.

How long do you want to be in the show?

I never give that a moment's thought. I plan my life very much in terms of what I know is happening rather than what I would like to think would happen because that is a natural way to disappointment. If they come to me and ask if I'd like to do some more then it's a nice surprise.

You must be one of the oldest cast members now!

Tommy Oliver exceeds me by age. And there's another person who's slightly older than me - Stefan Dennis. But it's very slight and he looks younger than I do which galls me enormously.

Do you worry about being typecast?

That's always in the forefront of your mind but having the opportunity of playing Karl for so long is of infinitely greater benefit than leaving earlier and not being typecast. The pleasure I derive from Neighbours far outweighs any downside.

What's your relationship with Jackie Woodburne like in real life?

Jackie and I go back a very long way. She played my sister in a television show in the early 80s. We enjoy a very special relationship in the sense that as actors we are very trusting of each other, and we assist each other in our work without ego. Off-screen we are great friends and always have been. We share a similar sense of humour and we are great pals.

There have been a lot of musical cameos in Neighbours. Who would be your dream act to have on the soap?

I'd love the Kaiser Chiefs on Neighbours. I think they're the perfect fit. And I've put it to them! They've got a delicious sense of humour in what they sing about and a lot of their songs are about suburban life, city life, street life and so forth.

Do you ever plan to come and work in the UK?

If and when Neighbours finishes for me you'll probably see me here on these fair shores because I have the ability to work here and feel an enormous connection with the English TV and theatre world.

Would you ever like to be in a British soap?

I wouldn't mind at all. There are some terrific shows. Anne Charleston did Emmerdale for a while and she loved that experience.

Which soap would you pick?

Probably EastEnders. I'd like to be in EastEnders if I could play a Cockney. I'd have to try and pull off a genuine East London accent.

:: Alan has teamed up with National Grid to support a campaign for student safety. For more information see http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/