Interview: Lorraine Chase and Deena Payne, actresses

"IT'S nice here, innit?" That catchphrase, taken from the classic Campari adverts of the late-70s, launched the acting career of Lorraine Chase which, two decades on, brought her to Emmerdale as the evil Steph Stokes.

It was the next of those iconic ads however, that gave Chase her most famous line - when asked by her aristocratic suitor if she was "wafted here from paradise," she replied, "Nah, Luton Airport." However, when that catchphrase was adopted for the 1979 Top 10 hit Luton Airport, it wasn't Chase on vocals, but fellow Emmerdale star Deena Payne.

The petite actress, who has played Viv in the long-running soap for the last 17 years, recalls, "In 1978 there was an advert for a girl group called Cats UK. I auditioned as I was in musical theatre and I got the job - it was to sing Luton Airport. Clearly this song was done for Lorraine, she'd said it in a famous advert for Campari. But Lorraine didn't really want to have anything to do with it. So Cats UK ended up recording it and went to No 9 in the charts."

Payne and Chase, who left Emmerdale four years later were reunited when they swapped notes on their Fringe shows - Payne choreographed Barockestra, which stars her husband Steve Grant, at the New Town Theatre, just two blocks away from Chase, who is starring in An Evening With Elsie Parsons, at The Dome On George Street.

Laughing, Payne recalls, "The first thing I said when I met Lorraine on Emmerdale was, 'I did Luton Airport and you didn't. Why not?' She said it was because she knew she wouldn't get paid for it, and, of course, she was right, we didn't. Then we filmed a few scenes together and by the time we were in our shared dressing room, we had put the world to rights."

Payne also designed Barockestra in which Grant's band deliver dynamic rock interpretations of popular classical music, accompanied by opera singers and ballet dancers. She says: "We've worked on Barockestra for a number of years and have put all our eggs in one basket to bring it here. We feel that the Fringe will give us the opportunity we need to perfect the show and take it to the next level. We're kinda living all together and bonding as a band and company - it's a really fantastic experience."

And there's a treat for fans of Emmerdale, Payne will be making a special guest appearance every night until Sunday.

Barockestra, New Town Theatre, George Street, until August 29, 10.10pm, 11-12, 0131-226 0000

An Evening With Elsie Parsons, The Dome, George Street, until 28 August, 10, 0131-226 0000