Jack's Throwback Attack Podcast - S3 E5 - A Chat With Nick Mercer

 After a bit of a break I am back and with a brand new episode of the podcast!

You can also listen to the chat via Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Next up is a chat with actor, puppeteer and voice artist Nick Mercer. Nick has played characters on some of the most iconic children's TV shows over the last 35 years: Starting off on the final year of Playschool, he then performed the eponymous character in the fantastic Greenclaws - a show which ran for two series and was repeated for many years after. 

Nick as Greenclaws alongside
Iris (Stella Goodier)

Nick also appeared on Playdays for a few years as the Violin and Brass-playing Charlie Grindle - on the Roundabout Stop and later the Whybird Stop. In the 2000's Nick was part of the team for the hugely successful CBeebies show The Story Makers. He had three roles in that programme - being the puppeteer for Jackson, voicing the Blue Cow stories and playing one of the librarians of the children's library that The Story Makers reside at.

Nick voiced over 200 Blue Cow stories
for Story Makers!

Aside from that Nick has also appeared on the likes of pre-school music programme The Fun Song Factory, the mid 90's CBBC gaming show Reactive. and many other puppet and animated series. Since the mid 2000's Nick has also been playing Timon in Disney’s production of The Lion King, both in the West End, and around the world.

Nick as Timon, with Pierre Van Heerden as his
comedy partner Pumba

I have to say this was a most enjoyable chat, recorded on a hot summers day in the middle of 2020 during lockdown. This is referenced at the start, which makes it funnier seeing as I'm releasing it in a very cold, wet January.

There are some really wonderful stories shared here, listen out in particular for Nick's story about the teddy bears picnic episode of Greenclaws, what it was like performing on the Puppet Special of The Weakest Link, and also Nick reprises many of his character voices for the first time in years.

Oh and, ever wondered what happened to Greenclaws? Well...

Sorry to ruin your childhood. Sleep well and don't
have nightmares!