As Home and Away favourite Alf Stewart battles to recover from a devastating heart attack, the actor who plays the much-loved TV character has turned up in Auckland fighting fit.
Ray Meagher says he's counting the days until he reprises his role as Bob the mechanic in the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which arrives in Auckland in October. Based on the film of the same name, the show follows three drag queens on a journey through the desert " set to a soundtrack of disco hits.
It was last in Auckland in 2008 and broke box office records selling 100,000 tickets for its six-week season. Meagher has spent a few days in town talking up the show and travelling in its brightly coloured "Priscilla bus", which gets toots and waves from delighted fans wherever it goes.
That doesn't surprise Meagher, who says the show had a standing ovation every night when it was performed on London's West End nearly five years ago.
"People think it's just a 'drag' show or a 'gay show', but then they see it and realise it's got so much heart as well as fabulous music and stunning costumes," he says. "It's enough to melt the heart of the crustiest old homophobe."