May 4^th – June 2^nd 2007

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Coronation Street star Jayne Tunnicliffe has swapped the cobbles for canvas with an exhibition of her own paintings inspired by the country’s longest running soap. Self-confessed Corrie addict Jayne, who plays Cilla’s brassy best mate Yana, has captured classic moments and iconic characters from the show’s entire 47 year history in a style owes as much to Warhol as it does Weatherfield.

From monochrome ‘stills’ featuring the street’s early stars such as Violet Carson as Ena Sharples, through to the more recent demise of Charlie Stubbs at the hands of Tracy Barlow, so Jayne has vividly documented the personalities and gripping storylines that have perpetuated the show’s popularity since first broadcast in 1960.

Accompanied by Jayne’s speech-bubble captions that summarise the thoughts and context of each subject, Corriecatures features street legends such as Elsie Tanner, Hilda Ogden, Bet Lynch and Annie Walker.

Complementing these individual character portraits are snapshots of dramatic and comic moments from the street’s colourful and turbulent storylines; Vera accosting Jack over his precious pigeons; the Mike Baldwin, Deirdre and Ken Barlow love triangle; Haley Cropper’s arrest and Gail Platt’s relationship with killer Richard Hillman.

These and many other classic Corrie scenes are all painted in a pop art style that reflects Jayne’s own creative influences and her background as an artist.

At just 16 Jayne left home and started a business with friends painting Beatles murals in pubs and clubs around Liverpool and became a freelance artist two year later. At 20 she returned to her native Yorkshire and studied for a degree in Art and Design at Bradford College. Jayne cites Peter Blake, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol as influences on her style, together with mixed media sculptors such as Elizabeth McGrath and Joseph Cornell.

Jayne enjoyed a hugely successful career as an actor and comic prior to landing a role in the street in 2004. She has appeared regularly on TV with the likes of Peter Kay and Paul O’Grady, starred in the BBC’s Clocking Off and created the celebrated ‘ukulele playing strumpet’ stand-up character Mary Unfaithful.

As well as a painter, stand-up and actor, Jayne is also an accomplished guitar player. Living in Manchester, she is married to former Coronation Street storyline creator Mark Bickerton.