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Reference > Erinsborough News > London, Here Comes Linda!

Neighbours favourite Linda Hartley, who quits the series next month after almost two years, has signed on for a play and pantomime in London.

She will leave Australia with her husband, musician John Clark, days after shooting her final scenes on July 27.

Linda will star in the touring Prisoner play for 12 weeks, beginning in late August. She then goes straight into the holiday pantomime Mother Goose, in the role former Neighbours star Elaine Smith played several years ago. Linda’s Ramsay Street colleague Kristian Schmid is also in the cast.

“The pantomime came up in February but the Prisoner offer came after I’d made the decision to leave,” Linda says. “This will be the third touring Prisoner show. They’ve all been incredibly successful.”

Linda played Roach in Prisoner, which has a huge following in the UK. “I’ve never been to London before,” she says. “I’m just dying to get there. John’s had an offer to tour with Shirley Bassey so we’ll be renting out our house here. I won’t be back until early next year.”

Linda’s decision to quit the series, prompted by unhappiness with her character Kerry Mangel, has shocked Neighbours fans and is another blow for the ailing series.

It is not known how the five-months pregnant Kerry will be written out or how her husband Joe Mangel (Mark Little) will be affected. Linda says she has been unhappy with the role since the wedding late last year and was “very upset” about the pregnancy.

“I’ve talked to the writers a lot but they had definite ideas and they wouldn’t change,” Linda says. “I think the writers do a fantastic job, I really do, and I’m hired as the actor, but I didn’t want to spend the next year surrounded by more children.”

This article originally appeared in TV Week magazine, dated 16th June 1990 and was written by Chrissie Camp

Article submitted by Steve