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By Karen Joyner
Yorkshire Evening Post, October 21, 1999
From straight-laced police blues to the swirling ripple of luscious red skirts, actress Seeta Indrani refuses to be pigeon-holed. After almost 10 years in TV's cop show THE BILL as WPC Norika Datta, the trained dancer has flexed her talents to scale the heights of other arts.
As an acknowledged Flamenco dancer and teacher she regularly visits Seville, and is currently starring in a lavish touring opera production of DIE FLEDERMAUS as the narrator. 'I'm still on UK Gold in THE BILL which is weird,' says the actress, who is also squeezing in a trip to Australia. 'Over there it's really popular, and I'm going to dash over for just two weeks to go to lots of events and meet key people. I'm really cutting it fine because I've got to be back here for Die Fledermaus and certain other engagements.
Leaving
Although still reaping the rewards of The Bill's fame Indrani is firm about leaving that part of her acting life behind. A regular character at the fictional Sun Hill station from 1989 to 1998, Datta's serious, quiet personality wrapped up in a police uniform, sensible shoes and chequered neckscarf hid the real Indrani who came out by night - dressed in dashing red and switching her lace-ups for sparkling dancers' shoes. 'I actually had my own company while I was in The Bill called FUEGO FLAMENCO,' explains Seeta. 'They have a very good policy of letting you do anything to develop yourself, I'll always be grateful for that.' Three years ago Seeta went to Madrid and immersed herself in the culture and life which surrounds flamenco. This summer she returned to Seville to repeat the experience. 'I was just hanging out and being a flamenco again, which was wonderful,' she says.
Territory
The move into the new territory of opera came after a phone call from her old friend Peter Mulloy, the man behind the revival of Britain's oldest company, CARL ROSA. 'He asked me ages ago if I was able to do it, and I couldn't because I was busy working with RAMBERT DANCE COMPANY,' she recalls. 'I was a bit unsure about the singing part, but Peter knows me as a singer and although it was quite a different ball game, he wouldn't have employed me if I couldn't do it. 'A friend of mine who I worked with at The National came to see the show in Sheffield the other night and couldn't believe it was me up there.'
Narrating
'The company feels very new and young despite the fact that it is over 100 years old,' says Seeta. 'They were the first to take 'opera to the people' and were doing when America were just a couple of shacks and a railroad, and you didn't use that kind of jargon. 'I'm Prince Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus, narrating the story in English and on stage all the way through to help people understand the tale, which is in German. 'It's one of those complex stories where everyone dresses up as everyone else.'
The new narration by Ranjit Bolt brings in elements from the original book and play, and Seeta's character introduces the characters and their situations from his own perspective.
Despite being part of the company, she has no hopes of becoming the next Dame Josephine Barstow. 'I'm sure that the fact it's me doing the narrating is getting the company a lot of publicity and interest.' She says honestly, 'I have no delusions of being an opera singer, you can't just say 'I think I'll do that tomorrow'. What I like, and why I left The Bill, was the sheer variety of things I am being offered. It's so interesting.
Overlap
Sometimes things tend to overlap a bit too much though. Recording for a television episode of NIGHT FEVER, Seeta found herself singing pop songs one moment and back on stage as a soprano the next. She has a CD coming out in November which she has recorded for Christmas with Chris Tarrant, Sam Kane and other television stars, and is gearing herself up mentally for a Christmas season in Aldershot in Peter Pan.
'I was driving myself crazy when I was at The Bill, because I knew there were all these other things that I still wanted to do.' says Seeta. 'One of the nice things about being around for a bit is that friends come to you with projects. It's an exciting time.'
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