| THEATRE |
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| School for Scandal |
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I joined the Bristol Old Vic
Company about a month after leaving RADA and found myself working with
Jeremy Irons, Simon Cadell and Tim Piggott-Smith (to name but a few). We
were all acting ASMs which meant we did everything - helped put up
the sets, make the props, make the tea and even act! - and all for nine guineas
a week (£9.45). It was wonderful. |
| As You Like It |
|
This was the last show to be
performed in the old Theatre Royal (before it was 'modernised' - never
to be the same again!) and on the last night the prologue and the
epilogue were performed by Dame Edith Evans and Dame Sybil Thorndike;
and the then Prime Minister (Harold Wilson) and the Poet Laureate (Cecil
Day-Lewis) were there too. I felt very
privileged to be a part of it. |
| The Winter's Tale |
 |
This was my first 'big' part
(the young shepherd/clown) and I had a ball. |
| Narrow Road to the Deep North |
|
A smashing company of actors
including Pete Postlethwaite in his first job, the lovely Margaret
Ashcroft, Ronald Magill and directed by Howard Davies. |
| In Celebration |
|
Nice play - but I can't
remember very much else about this production, I'm sorry to say. |
| The Abdication |
|
This was a new play
(starring Gemma Jones) which was meant to transfer to the West End - but
it didn't work out like that. The opening music used was Carmina Burana
which I have loved ever since. Tony Robinson, if I remember correctly,
played the part of a deaf and dumb dwarf - and we all envied him the
fact that he therefore didn't have to learn any lines! |
| The Licentious Fly |
|
A delightful, bawdy romp
with Christopher Benjamin, Antonia Pemberton, Norman Chappell, Lloyd Lamble, Queenie
Watts and Larry Noble and I was chased all round the
clever set (designed by Robin Archer) by the lovely Gay Soper. |
| Taming of the Shrew |
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Kika Markham and Tony Webb
were the protagonists and I remember a happy run. |
| The French Mistress |
|
My first job in this lovely
theatre - directed by the wonderful Joan Riley. The French Mistress was
beautifully played by Judy Buxton and my father was played by
Geoffrey Lumsden - a fabulous character with a wicked sense of humour.
Very happy memories. |
| Vivat, Vivat Regina |
|
My first job in the theatre where, years later, I was to
meet my wonderful wife. I played Darnley and in one scene had to wear an
all-round white head mask - it looked wonderfully scary - but with my
claustrophobia it was a nightly nightmare. |
| People are Living There |
 |
Athol Fugard's play starring
Maureen Pryor who was terrific. I remember Richard Beckinsale and Judy (Loe)
coming to see this show - it was the last time I saw Richard. |
| Lover |
|
Written by Brian Clemens (of
Avenger's fame) we opened at the Memorial Theatre in Stratford on Avon
and then did a 'number one tour' before opening at the St. Martins
Theatre and closed 10 days later! Produced by Peter (the
Mousetrap) Saunders it had a wonderful cast including, Sally Ann Howes, Max Wall,
Derren Nesbitt, Jeremy Hawk, Roger Lloyd Pack and James Smilie. |
| How the Other Half Loves |
|
Penelope Keith played Fiona
and Alan Ayckbourn came to the first night and 'discovered' her. She
went on to play in the Norman Conquests and, as they say, the rest is
history. It would be 17 years before Alan Ayckbourn worked with me - but
there again, I don't think I was particularly good as Bob Phillips. |
| Cinderella |
|
A happy production by the
wonderful Hazel Vincent Wallace (who also ran the Theatre). I was one of
the three broker's men and Stacey Gregg was Cinderella. Zoe
Bright played Little Miss Muffett and has remained a great family friend to this
day. |
| Death of a Salesman |
|
Directed by Harry Landis.
Mum was played by Liz Smith and my brother by William Marlowe. I played Happy but I didn't have a
particularly happy time. |
| Ted |
|
A terrific play by John
Pudney which I loved doing. |
| Henry IV part I |
|
Shakespeare in the round. We
also toured this production to schools and it was 'fun' to play Hal with
youngsters on all sides turning the pages of the script and checking
one's every word. Charlie Rae was a terrific Falstaff. |
| In Praise of Love |
|
Terence Rattigan's terrific
play with a wonderful cast - Robert Fleming, Muriel Pavlow and Robert
Beatty (and me). It was fabulous to work with such people and to learn
so much. Alvar Liddell came to one performance and came round backstage
afterwards and said such kind things about my performance. Made my week. |
| London Assurance |
|
Such a fun play to do with a
super cast - Helen Ryan and Harold Innocent to name but two. |
| Misalliance |
|
This was one of my least
happy experiences. Bill Fraser was wonderful as Tarleton, but I'm sorry
to say I'm not a lover of Bernard Shaw and I found it very difficult to
make anything of Johnny - I always felt as if he were simply a
mouthpiece for Shaw's propaganda, rather than a rounded character. I
dried stone dead on the first night in the middle of a long speech and
wasn't quite myself for several weeks after! |
| Ticket of Leave Man |
|
A very happy and terrific
production by Geoffrey Edwards. Harold Hobson gave us (and me) a very nice critique
in The Times. |
| Flare Path |
|
Terence Rattigan again -
I've always been such an admirer of his work. Another splendid play and
we had a most successful tour all round the Country. |
| Ring Round the Moon |
|
Another extremely happy production with a
lovely cast and super director (Patrick
Tucker). Playing the twins is quite a tour de force and wonderful fun. |
| Bedroom Farce |
|
One of my poorest
performances, I seem to remember. A difficult part in a difficult play -
but I'm just making excuses for not being very good, I'm afraid. |
| Old Heads and Young Hearts |
|
Wonderful cast, fun play,
fabulous costumes and sets. A reworking of the original script by the
clever and delightful Peter Sallis. Frank Windsor and I shared number one dressing
room and I have happy memories of the whole season. |
| Wizard of Oz |
|
One of the few times I've
been asked to sing and been paid for it. It was such an exciting show to
be a part of and there was always such a buzz when the overture started. My
costume was actually made from a metal dustbin and when the others all
went out for a meal between shows, they left me propped up in a corner as
it was much too much effort for me to remove all the metal work and
the silver
makeup. |
| Merchant of Venice |
|
A British Council tour - just eight of us (most playing
several parts) and carrying all the sets and costumes in three capacious
metal trunks. I played Lorenzo, Aragon and the Duke of Venice and we
travelled to Swaziland, Mauritius, Malawi and Zambia. |
| Season's Greetings |
|
Six months in the West End
and I can sadly and honestly say that when the notice went up (two weeks
before the end of the run) I said "That's the nicest thing to happen since
I was asked to do the play". I loved doing it, it's just that 6 whole
months during one of the hottest of summers and dressing up as Santa
Claus (with loads of padding) and then being shot eight times a week
(by Peter Vaughan) took it's toll! It was wonderful to be directed by Alan Ayckbourn. |
| Look Who's Talking |
|
Can't remember much about
this one. We toured all over the place and had some happy times
(particularly in Dublin). Donald Hewlett was lovely to work with and
great fun. |
| Design for Living |
|
Lovely theatre - but not a
great production of a difficult play. Meg Davies and Dominic Jephcott
played the others in the menage a trois. |
| Two for the Seesaw |
|
One of my loneliest
experiences. A two handed play (which means that during the interval the
only person to talk to is the one you're talking to all evening on
stage!) and we were doing it in Stockholm - a lovely city; but in March
everything was shut (except the Wasa which I visited and thought
magnificent every weekend!) |
| The Rivals |
|
A very difficult rehearsal
period with little direction. Once we'd learned to do it ourselves it
turned into a very happy and most successful production. June Whitfield
was a wonderful Mrs. Malaprop. The charming Clive Owen played a Coachman
in one of his first jobs after leaving RADA - I wonder whatever happened
to him?! |
| Absurd Person Singular |
|
Great fun to do. Happy
times. |
| Widow's Weeds |
|
A strange play by the
brother of Peter Shaffer. We had a happy tour all over the Country, but
the play left a strange feeling with the audiences and never quite
satisfied either them or us. |
| Touch and Go |
|
John Betjeman described the
Gaiety Theatre in Douglas as the loveliest theatre outside London and I
bet he's right. We had a very happy time there for the Summer Season. |
| Getting On |
|
Alan Bennett's terrific
play. Timothy West and I played the two MPs and the wonderful Prunella
Scales directed. 'Mum' was played beautifully by Paula Jacobs. |
| The Grass is Greener |
|
Simon Williams directed his
parent's play and apart from the problems I had in trying to learn it
all (it's a big part) it was a happy run. |
| The Wind in the Willows |
|
My happiest theatre work
ever! Right from the first rehearsal it was a joy. Alan Bennett's
magnificent script, the incredible talents of the director Jeremy Sams
and the thrill of playing at the Old Vic (where I used to queue up all
night in the 60s as a student to see Sir Laurence Olivier et al) - well,
I felt I was a very lucky bunny! The major sadness during the run was
the death of Jeremy Sinden - I thought he was magnificent at Toad
and such fun to work with, even though he knew he was not a well man. We
did about 250 performances and I can honestly say that there was not one
which I didn't look forward to doing. |
| Absent Friends |
|
Another 'strange' play - but
I enjoyed that challenge and believe we did it quite well. |
| Catch Me If You Can |
|
A 'Derek Nimmo' tour to the
Far East. Wonderful to go to Thailand, Malaysia, Dubai, Singapore, the Sultanate of Oman and the U.A.E. and to stay in some of the most
fabulous hotels in the world. Thank You Derek. |
| Aladdin |
|
Ian Lavender directed and
played Widow Twankey and I played Abanazer. I thought it was an
excellent pantomime and we all had a lot of fun. I was booed throughout -
even at the curtain call! |
| Sitting Pretty |
|
A smashing play, written by
the delightful Amy Rosenthal (daughter of Jack Rosenthal and Maureen
Lipman). A lovely cast of actors and a very happy run. |
| Wife Begins at Forty |
|
A clever play (by Ray
Cooney) and great fun
to do. |
| Rebecca |
|
A short tour with fun
people, including my mate Ray Lonnen and the delightful Fenella Fielding. |
| Hay Fever |
|
A couple of weeks in Jersey
in the season and a fun play. Sabina Franklyn was terrific as Judith
Bliss. |
| The Ghost Train |
|
This was a very long tour -
26 weeks - and we renamed it "Carry on Rehearsing"! So many actors left
to do other jobs (Ian Lavender leaving to join Eastenders for one) that
we seemed to be forever re-rehearsing with new people. It did, however,
keep us on our toes - we were never quite sure who we were going to meet
when we got onstage! It was terrific to work (at last) with the
delightful Henry McGee. |
| It Runs in the Family |
|
We opened this production on
the end of the pier at Bournemouth and had a lot of fun with it there
and all over the place. |
