"The Mirror" newspaper article by Alison Peachey from October 1995 about Barbara's starring role in 'Taggart'.
BARBARA HITS HIGH NOTES... OF DRAMA
Versatile Barbara Dickson was delighted to land the role of a Sixties singing star - even though she doesn't have to sing a note.
The 47-year-old performer uses her vocal chords to good effect in a chilling three-part drama, but only to spend most of the time shouting and yelling.
Barbara jumped at the chance to play a prime suspect in Taggart. As Marie McDonald, former lead singer of Sixties group The Adders, she faces tough questioning when the lead guitarist is found dead in a swimming pool.
"The group is similar to a Fleetwood Mac sort of sound," says Barbara. "My character's done really well for herself, and lives in a beautiful country house, but she's dissatisfied with her lot.
"She's a multi-faceted woman with quite a nasty streak. That's what makes her such good fun to play. Being the nice guy is nowhere near as enjoyable!"
Once Scottish TV made the decision to continue with Taggart after the death of its star Mark McManus, they had no doubts about who would fill the void. His screen sidekick Det Insp Mike Jardine (James Macpherson) may not have quite the same incisive approach, but he's getting tougher by the minute.
Barbara says: "I'd never played a suspect before, and I end up being grilled by Jardine.
"It was fascinating to do - and good practice, because shortly after filming for Taggart I appeared in Band Of Gold."
Taggart was filmed in June 1994 - well before Band Of Gold became the big TV drama hit of the summer. Playing prostitute Anita Braithwaite brought Barbara a whole new army of fans, and now she is recording a new series of the gritty drama, written by Kay Mellor.
She says: "I love playing strong women. In Taggart, Marie knows exactly what she wants, but she's also vulnerable. She's not happy at all and spends all her time yelling at her husband. Even when he's not there, she's on the phone yelling at him.
"Anita in Band Of Gold is different but still determined. She's very colourful and may look like a middle-aged bimbo, but she's nowhere near as stupid as people think. The new stories already look fantastic.
"I've only read the first three scripts, but they are so gripping, they'll suck people right into the series and hook them straight away."
Being in such demand means Barbara has to plan her family life down to the second.
She and her husband, TV producer Oliver Cookson, have three sons - Colm, eight, Gabriel, five, and four-year-old Archie.
"It usually works quite well," she says. "Oliver is around a lot of the time when I can't be. But if we both have to work at the same time I have a good network of people to rely on. Organising things at our house is as complex as the D-Day landings. But I enjoy what I do, and I enjoy my children, too."
Even though her acting career is going from strength to strength, Barbara has not forgotten her first love, singing. Her new album, Dark End Of The Street, is due to be released next month.
She says: "I reinvented myself as a recording artist in 1990. I didn't want to be doing the same old thing, so I've been developing a more distinctive style. My new album features a lot of my old favourite songs. I love the way things are going.
"I'm not prepared to do the same old thing all the time. I like acting and singing always to be a challenge."
