Al Hunter Ashton
His first professional acting work was with a Theatre in Education company in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. He was then cast in Willy Russell plays; Breezeblock Park (at the Liverpool Playhouse) and Blood Brothers (at the Derby Playhouse). In 1985, Russell commissioned him to write the BBC Schools television play Teaching Matthew. This is a satire on Russell's own Educating Rita. Hunter often wrote himself parts in the scripts he produced. In Teaching Mathew he had a small role as a policeman.