Let's talk about 'Growing Up'

I've recently been thinking about the idea of 'Growing Up', and what that means for actors and other creatives out there. As a child, everything is magical - you can make a pirate ship out of a cardboard box, or the Amazon from your back garden. Their imaginations are brimming with fearless energy, and nothing can waver their belief in something being whatever they wanted it to be. Or whoever they wanted to be. 

I was lucky that I fell into the profession. It was never anything I thought was in my grasp - I saw people flooding to theatres to see the male-only companies, and even when the actresses came, they were wealthy and well-spoken, educated in the classics and could speak a hundred different languages. I never had that epiphany of 'I want to be an actress'. I never had to tell people 'I will be on stage, I will speak Shakespeare and Dryden, and make your heart bleed for me'. So I never had to experience the cynicism that came along with these dreams.

Nowadays, I see an abundance of young creatives who have huge dreams. Some have them come true - performing at the National Theatre or in the West End, going on tour with your favourite musicians, seeing your artwork in galleries or seeing your films in cinemas. But I am willing to bet that of all the dreams that these people have, barely 0.5% of them come true. And that is so so painful. It is painful to watch from the outside, as a friend/parent/teacher, but it is devastating to be in the centre of. I have known people that, from the age of 8 or 9, have wanted to be on the stage and by the age of 21, with over a decade of passion and work behind them, already feel like they are failing. They are told that they must ‘grow up’, find a job, buy a house, seek security and be happy.

Somehow, it has become acceptable to only follow your dreams up until the age of, say, 18. Then you enter 'adulthood', where saying you want to become an actress is like saying you want to become a unicorn or grow another head. Although I think it's safe to say that both of those things seem easier than being an actress. I don’t know if it’s connected to the appreciation of the arts in the education system, or peoples attitudes to ‘real jobs’, but growing up with a love for theatre/music/art is only ever seen as a hobby, not something you could ever find stability in. Teachers or parents may tell you that it’s unrealistic to follow your passion, and that just because you love something, it doesn’t mean you will succeed. And yet, the same people watch TV and Films, they have a Spotify subscription and a painting on their living room wall. Without the imaginations of these incredible creatives, who are so readily mocked for their ambition, how would you fill your time? How would you entertain yourself? Who would you sing along to in the car, or watch to bring you joy?

From the outside, no one can truly understand how hard it is to follow those dreams. How hard it is to keep fuelling that imagination, to be driven and passionate about something and see no fruit of your labour. To work weeks/months/years of your life on something, and have it be rejected. How hard it is to be told to ‘grow up’, and seem childish and idiotic to actually love what you do. To hold your head up high and say ‘I will do/be/create anything’.

I was watching one of the final performances of The Ferryman last week, and seeing those actors play and create on stage was overwhelming. They were so imaginative and free with their craft, it made me wonder if any of them had been told to 'grow up' or to walk away from the arts. 

It's so easy to praise imagination and creativity when it becomes a success story, but why can't we praise the grafters who don't get their moment in the spotlight?

There is no answer. 

There is no rhyme or reason.

There is no magic wand to wave for all your dreams to come true. 

We must plough on. We must work. We must create.

We must never grow up.

NG x

Happy 368th Birthday to me...

Apologies for my radio silence over the past few months, but I've been disgustingly busy since we last spoke. I spent most of my year thus far floating around London's auditoriums, doing lots of work (yes - even ghosts have rent to pay!) and planning a little getaway. 

In February, I decided to escape the grey, grim, rainy skies of London and jet off to the beautiful, snowy land of Vienna, Austria, all in celebration of my 386th birthday!

My 386th year has been a whirlwind so far - I can't believe we are already in April, where has the year gone?! I've had an incredible theatrical time of it, and although I can't give you all the juicy details about everything I've seen, here's a quick run-down of my happenings thus far:

January

- Hamilton (Victoria Palace, *****)

- Everybody's Talking About Jamie (Apollo Theatre, ****)

- One Voice (The Old Vic, ****)

- Girl From The North Country (Noël Coward Theatre, *****)

- The Birthday Party (Harold Pinter Theatre, *****)

- John (Dorfman, National Theatre, ****)

- Beginning (Ambassadors Theatre, ***)

February

- Bellville (x2, Donmar Warehouse, *****) 

- The Rat Pack (Theatre Royal Haymarket, ***)

- Mary Stuart (x2, Duke of York's Theatre, *****)

- Frozen (Theatre Royal Haymarket, ****)

- Macbeth (Olivier, National Theatre, ****)

- Girls & Boys (x2, Royal Court, *****)

March

- Paint Your Wagon (Liverpool Everyman, ****)

- Pinocchio (Lyttelton, National Theatre, ***)

- Amadeus (Olivier, National Theatre, *****)

As well as the above, I have also had the pleasure of going along to a few talks, including 'Michelle Dockery and Douglas Henshaw on Network' (National Theatre) and 'In conversation with the cast of Mary Stuart' for He for She Arts Week, which was an extraordinary experience.

It was lovely to be able to take a trip out of London last month to see the Liverpool Everyman's Rep Company 2018. Paint Your Wagon by Lerner and Loewe was not a musical I was familiar with, but seeing a company gel together so well and create such a wonderful piece of art was glorious. They are currently performing The Clockwork Orange, followed by Othello and The Big I Am, before going into rep with all 4 of their shows until 14th July. 

April has been another busy month, with fewer trips to the theatre than I'd like, however, I have lots of dates in the diary and lots of thoughts to share!

I hope you're all enjoying this stint of fine sunshine, long may it last.

NG x

Follies

Follies

*****

Olivier Theatre, National Theatre

National Theatre's Follies: Glorifying British Theatre. 

It's difficult to know where to start with Follies; there is so much to explore, and I've hung around the rafters enough times to have noticed (and loved) everything about this production.

The first professional staging of Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece in the UK since the original London production in 1987 (minus a 3 week run in 2002 at Royal Festival Hall and a one-night-only concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2015), director Dominic Cooke brings Follies to the Olivier stage of the National Theatre, fronted by musical theatre royalty. 

Set in 1971, on the eve of the demolition of the Weismann Theatre, the chorus girls of Weismann's "Follies" reunite for one last hurrah, reliving the glory days and lying about themselves a little.  Imelda Staunton (Sally), Janie Dee (Phyllis), Philip Quast (Ben) and Peter Forbes (Buddy) lead as four lonely, slightly broken souls, thrown together again and faced with the regret and pain which consequenced the choices of their youth.

Staunton's unwavering dedication to her volatile, neurotic character is no less than an absolute masterclass in focus and craft. It's clear that everything she does and says has a direction, a relevance to her past. Having heard Dominic Cooke speak about the rehearsal process, and knowing how closely each senior actor worked with their younger counterpart, seeing Staunton and Alex Young (Young Sally - you can read more about her here) side by side is a testament to incredible direction and team-work. There isn't a single action or quirk that hasn't been carefully thought about, with no imagination needed to see the correlation of growth between the Sally of 1941 and 1971. The devoted passion of which Young is absorbed by is so visible in Staunton's eyes, having tuned to crazed infatuation in the post-follies years. Both are also incredibly vocally gifted; Staunton has utter control over her voice, sharp and delightful, the likes of which only seen in veteran-performers, whereas the freedom and light found in Young's vocal quality is fresh and exciting. Her performance of 'Losing My Mind' is so bitterly soul destroying, breathing longing and loss into one of the saddest songs in musical theatre - a masterclass every aspiring actor/actress should study.

Dee brings a spatter of black comedy to an otherwise heartwrenching performance as the unrelenting, thick-skinned and formidable Phyllis. As this production is filled with complex characters, it would be easy to consider Dee's take on Phyllis as somewhat shallow and unaffected, however, there is so much depth to her pain, as she is faced with the reminder of a life wasted trying to be the woman Ben wanted in his 20s.  In terms of dialogue, the text dedicates itself to the bitter wit of Phyllis; Dee is cutting and hilarious, exercising this particularly in 'Could I Leave You?'. Dee also proves herself to be a wonderful dancer, a trait shared with Zizi Strallen (Young Phyllis). Strallen plays a young woman who is overcome and blinded by love, and her talent shines as she looks upon a Phyllis, 30 years down the line, who is cynical and indifferent to everything she once was, with an anguish and disappointment which is truly painful to behold.

Quast and Forbes, both old-hands in the theatre world, bring such vibrant contrasts to their female counterparts. Quast fights an inward battle throughout the show, realising he craves the love he feels he was never afforded in his marriage. It's an interesting development to witness; Quast takes his character on such a pivotal journey, and it's almost heartbreaking to see him splinter and disintegrate. A lesson his character teaches the audience is to look to yourself, before looking to others: you can't expect anyone else to love you, until you love yourself. Adam Rhys-Charles (Young Ben) is so entirely charming and self-indulgent, consuming himself with ideals of success and riches, it's eerily clear how he may grow into the lost, neglected 53-year old of Quast.

Buddy's story, so beautifully portrayed by Forbes, is just as agonising to watch. No matter who he takes himself to outside of his marriage, he is continually faced with the fact he is simply in love with Sally. Forbes plays a tortured soul with such empathy and harrowing betrayal, it's so clear that he has dedicated his life Sally's happiness, only to have it proven that she's never had the same affection. Young Buddy, played by the wonderful Fred Haig, is absorbed by puppy-love for a young, spritely Sally. It is almost pitiful to see how genuinely in love Buddy is as a young man, and as Haig discovers where Sally's heart truly lies, he is passively accepting of second-place. Haig could not be more lovable and winsome in comparison to Rhys-Charles's power-hungry front.

All eight of the above are triple-threats to the nth degree. Their acting and vocal abilities are incomparable, and meticulously trained to handle Sondheim's repertoire. Although some have had to take on more choreography than others, all have proven their abilities beyond question.

Although there's not a single undeserving member of this cast, there's no escaping the fact that this production is led by a plethora of power-house women. 'Who's That Woman?', 'Broadway Baby' and 'I'm Still Here', by the incredible Dawn Hope (Stella Deems), Di Botcher (Hattie Walker) and Tracie Bennett (Carlotta Campion) respectively, are vocally huge numbers, and all three give first-rate performances. 'One More Kiss', sung by the wonderful Josephine Barstow (Heidi Schiller) and Alison Langer (Young Heidi) is one of the most gutwrenching moments to witness; as the eldest Follies girl at the reunion, Heidi is a woman who knows she is dying, and returns to Weismann's Theatre to honour the girl she once was, and find the closure to move forward with the final chapter of her life.

Not only do they overcome the musical challenges Sondheim famously presents, but their outstanding acting abilities shine through alongside. With every reference to their past, it is clear they have an exact memory in their mind to draw upon; they know the detailed timeline of their character's life and the events and traumas that brought them to this point. Unlike that of the central 4, the audience is left with a genuine satisfaction that these women have found happiness and a closure to that time in their lives. Other notable performances include Bruce Graham (Roscoe), who's number 'Beautiful Girls' is simply exquisite, Geraldine Fitzgerald (Salonge LaFitte), Barnaby Thompson (Young Theodore) and Jordan Shaw (Kevin), all of whom light up the stage with every appearance. Each of the 37 cast members deserves a mention, so I'll be leaving a full cast list below.

Dominic Cooke's direction is no less than a creative, open-minded work of genius. Very rarely is the character preparation for a music so thoroughly explored; having recently heard Tracie Bennett talking of the rehearsal process, Cooke had the pairs of younger/older actors detail back-stories which included their families, their upbringing, their relationships, their homes and childhood bedrooms, and their lives during their Follies years. They knew how they saw their lives planning out, and what their wishes were for their future, and this rigorous background work emanates in every glance, grimace, and smile; one of the most devastating moments is when Strallen (Young Phyllis) looks upon Dee (Phyllis) and is horrified at the jaded, bitter woman she has become, completely fallen out of love with the man she so adored. Cooke pushed each actor to get the utmost truth and sincerity from every line and lyric, noting that a song is merely a continuation of the dialogue, set to music. The way in which he uses the 'ghosts' is almost cinematic, and one of my favourite things about this production. Never before have they been used with such depth and intricacy, literally following around their future-selves in awe, and replicating their movements and interactions. They are ever-present spirits, lingering in dark corners and reacting to the horror as it unfolds.

Choreographer Bill Deamer had his work cut out for him, wrangling such an age-diverse cast, however every single one of them dance like a seasoned, trained pro. Highlights include the 'Who's That Woman', 'Loveland', 'Buddy's Blues', 'The Story of Lucy and Jessie' and 'Live, Laugh, Love'. Depending on where you are in the auditorium, Deamer's attention to detail really shines through; from a front view, it's easy to miss the fully choreographed 'Beautiful Girls' behind the arch, or the men performing full throttle in the dark back corners during the mammoth tap number 'Who's That Woman?', whereas from the rafters they are really endearing nuances that add so much charm.

Vicki Mortimer's set design is synonymous with the characters it houses; pitiful and neglected, the bare brick walls and the decrepit auditorium seats emit the feel of a place once loved and adored, where memories were created and lives were changed. The costume design is also so wonderfully detailed and telling of their post-Follies lives; Phyllis is the classy, elegant wife of a politician, Sally echoes a conventional, trying housewife, Carlotta emanates a suave, sexy movie star and Emily is the bubbly, happy-go-lucky ex-pro reliving the glory days. The designs for the 'ghosts' are so astonishingly historically accurate, with details drawing back to the exact year of their stardom. The beading, feathers, skirts, and head-pieces are intricate works of art and draws the audience's imagination to performances from 1918 to 1941.

The 21-strong orchestra achieves complete perfection, headed by Musical Director Nigel Lilley and Musical Supervisor Nicholas Skilbeck. Even the first few notes of the 'Prologue' are enough to stir the deepest reverence for their skill and the wonderful orchestrations of Sondheim's work by Jonathan Tunick. It's difficult to find the words to describe how beautiful and fulfilling the music is, and the depth and concord it adds to the production. There's not a single note misplaced, and the colour and shade compliment the staging flawlessly. I would be hard-pressed to pick a favourite musical number, I only hope that a cast recording will follow to fill the Follie-less time that lays ahead.

Hailed unquestionably as the finest production of Follies in its lifetime, it was my pleasure to have haunted the Olivier Theatre during it's run - I will be heartsick to see it go on Wednesday 3rd January 2018. On behalf of 97 indebted audiences, to everyone involved - thank you and congratulations.

Until next time,

NG x

CAST
Imelda Staunton (Sally Durant Plummer)
Janie Dee (Phyllis Rogers Stone)
Philip Quast (Benjamin Stone)
Peter Forbes (Buddy Plummer)
Alex Young (Young Sally)
Zizi Strallen (Young Phyllis)
Adam Rhys-Charles (Young Ben)
Fred Haig (Young Buddy)
Gary Raymond (Dimitri Weismann)
Bruce Graham (Roscoe)
Dawn Hope (Stella Deems)
Tracie Bennett (Carlotta Campion)
Josephine Barstow (Heidi Schiller)
Di Botcher (Hattie Walker)
Geraldine Fitzgerald (Salonge LaFitte)
Billy Boyle (Theodore Whitman)
Norma Atallah (Emily Whitman)
Liz Izen (Deedee West)
Julie Armstrong (Christine Donovan)
Gemma Page (Sandra Crane)
Leisha Mollyneaux (Young Stella)
Emily Langham (Young Carlotta)
Alison Langer (Young Heidi)
Aimee Hodnett (Young Hattie)
Sarah-Marie Maxwell (Young Salonge)
Barnaby Thompson (Young Theodore)
Anouska Eaton (Young Emily)
Christine Tucker (Young Deedee)
Emily Goodenough (Young Christine)

Kate Parr (Young Sandra)
Jordan Shaw (Kevin)
Adrian Grove(Sam Deems)
Edwin Ray (Cameraman)
Ian McLarnon (TV Interviewer)
Liz Ewing (Weismann's PA)
Jeremy Batt (Ensemble)
Michael Vinsen (Ensemble)

A Night Off with Alex Young and Jennifer Whyte

A Night Off with Alex Young and Jennifer Whyte
*****
Bishopsgate Institute


I don't often have time to pop along to one-night-only performances, but I've seen Alex Young recently in Follies at the National Theatre (review to follow soon!) and she is just wonderful to watch, so I knew I couldn't miss this night.

Performing songs from the well-known hits of Sondheim and Rogers and Hammerstein, to hilarious self-adapted songs, Alex was no less than masterful. Vocally, she is simply outstanding; having trained in Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music, Young's technique is powerful, sweet and somewhat flirtatious. The words 'acting through song' are continuously batted around in this industry - it's supposedly a fairly straight-forward skill - however very rarely do you see it done with such heart and mischief. From literally crawling through the audience having a breakdown (yes, it was as hilarious as it sounds) to unquestionable heartbreak, Young put 110% into every word, and the audience lapped it up. It is worth mentioning: Alex Young is hilarious. If I wasn't near to crying, I was laughing hysterically at everything she said. Her shining personality and charisma are infectious, and I would challenge anyone to spend 2 hours in her company without coming away feeling warm and fuzzy. As a side note - she also makes the most incredible mince pies... really, it's worth making friends with her just for a continuous supply of Christmas goodies.

Jennifer Whyte was Miss Young's wonderful accompanist for the evening, however we were also treated to a few of Whyte's original compositions. With extensive credentials as Musical Supervisor and Musical Director, Whyte is currently pianist for Follies alongside Young. She is such a beautiful player, with every number so careful and heartfelt. You could see the love she poured into her music, and the way in which she spoke of her own pieces and what they mean to her was inspirational. With a premier performance of a number form her own musical 'Underworld', as well as singing a deeply personal song, with lyrics written by her own father, we were privileged to have witnessed Whyte's talent and collaboration.

It's hard to pick a highlight of the evening, however "I Won't Mind", originally written for the musical The Other Franklin and covered by Audra McDonald in 2000, was simply exquisite. The pain of 'Aunt Lizzie' watching her godson grow up, knowing she cannot bear children herself, was etched onto Young's face and echoed in every word she sang.

I am so glad I was able to experience the joy of Alex Young and Jennifer Whyte as a duo, and I hope they will continue this partnership with more events in the future. 

More info on both (including Jennifer's album Stories) can be found here: 
Alex Young: www.missalexyoung.com
Jennifer Whyte: www.jenniferwhyte.co.uk


NG x

Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle

Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle

***

Wyndham's Theatre

It's UK premiere, brought to London by director Marianne Elliott and playwright Simon Stephens, both of NT's Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle is absolutely true to the principle on which it is based; the observation of chance meeting between Georgie and Alex sparks a plethora of events, impossible to predict.

What started as an awkward watch, full of brief, sullen silences turned into an evening of continuous laughs and heart wrenching confessions. 42-year-old Georgie Burns (Anne-Marie Duff), an American pathological liar, and 75-year-old butcher Alex Priest (Kenneth Cranham), meet by chance on a train station platform, and thus begin an unintentional whirlwind friendship. Both are solitary individuals who are circumstantially alone in the universe; the play dips into their world on a weekly basis, giving the audience the highlights (or rather, lowlights) of their time together. From one meeting to the next, it is impossible to predict how their story will conclude, but their journey is honest, moving and at times a little eccentric, relinquishing fear of death and igniting sparks of joy into two rather sad and lonely lives.

The relationship Duff and Cranham brought to the stage is hard to pinpoint; their friendship was heartwarming, funny and crude, and sometimes sexual. Due to the parent/child-sized age gap, it should have been an uncomfortable watch, but they masterfully saw beyond the romanticism of a couple and created a relationship based on Alex’s philosophy: doing, not feeling.

At first, I found Duff hard to grasp. Her character is wistful and fast thinking, with very little filter between her brain and her mouth. There didn’t seem to be any meaning to what she was saying, other than to fill the peace left by Cranham’s quick and succinct dialogue, however as the play progressed it became clear that she lies and speaks at such an alarming rate to stop people from leaving her. If she’s more interesting, more fun or more engaging, she won’t have to be so alone.

Kenneth Cranham’s handling of Simon Stephen’s text was beautifully subtle and charming, and he brought an astonishing focus and truth to the role on a remarkable level. Far more normalised than Duff, Cranham was warm and instantly likable. It was no far stretch of the imagination that he was an idolatry man so set in his routine that anything beyond his normal day was an unnecessary effort in his life. It was so refreshing to see an older person physically unphased by their age; Cranham was as spritely as Duff, and his age would have never come into question had it not been a running joke throughout.

Bunny Christie's design is as masterful as her work on Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and People, Places, and Things; the set is bare, crystal white with moving walls and furniture rising from the ground as and when required. With Paule Constable's lighting and Ian Dickson's sound design, the atmosphere was futuristic, sharp and clean-cut, complementing Elliott's vision perfectly.  

The intricacies of Steven Hoggart's movement direction, along with the ever-changing set, was impressive, to say the least. Not a foot was out of place as benches disappeared from below Duff, suddenly encompassing her between two narrowing walls, or Cranham standing in a spartan room to being trapped between the approaching furniture, stopping just before he's hit. Hoggart's choreography also signaled the passing of time, the weeks in between their meetings, creating sequences that turn their daily routines into more of a hallucinogenic dance.

Although the style of the piece took a little while for me to get my head around (we didn't have all of this mechanical stuff in my day), the story of these two lost souls was uplifting and hopeful, and I would love to have seen more of their unpredictable adventures.

NG x

Venus in Fur

Venus in Fur
****
Theatre Royal, Haymarket

This production embodies a beautiful amalgamation of creative insight and bucketfuls of sexual tension.

One stormy evening, actress Vanda Jordan (Natalie Dormer) arrives unannounced to an audition with writer/director Thomas Novachek (David Oakes), for the leading role in his new theatrical adaptation of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's 1870 novel Venus in Furs. What follows is a night of enigmatic power play, and the complex relationship between lust and command, master (or in this case, mistress) and servant.

With Dormer flitting between a racy PVC number and an elegant 19th century get up, her incomprehensible talent is proven as she transforms from bawdy Manhatten-ite to a European mistress at the drop of a hat (or, in this case, bustle).  There is no getting away from the fact that she steals this show; Dormer is incandescent, demanding the audience's attention unconditionally... you can't take your eyes off her.

Patrick Marber's direction is fascinatingly intricate. The back-and-forth between Dormer and Oakes could have been taken from any rehearsal room in the world, as actor and creator battle their way through the intentions and origins of the piece. As a woman accustomed to prancing around in a corset at the best of times, one can't help but feel somewhat perverse as your eye is drawn to Dormer's abundance of bare flesh, whereas Oakes' forearms are about the extent of his undressing.  Whether it be a directorial choice, or the whole point of the play, the audience is compelled to view Vanda Jordan sexually and objectively, through the male-gaze.

David Oakes brings a distinguished subtlety in his performance of Novachek, playing with David Ives' text to a heartbreaking degree. As he bends to Dormer's service, the revelation of the birth for his lust of dominance is discovered and, however titillating that sounds, the story was riddled with a devastating pain. Novachek is just about the only normalcy this play has to offer, however Oakes' generous performance should not be understated because of this.

The strains of Greek mythology and ancient tragedies running throughout are a gift to classical theatre lovers. The prominence of Venus' influence, famously having sovereignty over both gods and mortals alike, is radiant in Dormer's magnetism and Oakes' submission.

Rob Howell's design and Hugh Vanstone's lighting deserve a special mention. The set was flawless; an artistic, disheveled New York attic has never looked so good. The ambiance the two created was effortless, and so perfectly in touch with what the production needed.

Regrettably, the persistent thunder and lightning was off-putting at the best of times and the final minute was a little too random for me, although I could appreciate that it had an artistic meaning far beyond my understanding.

There will undoubtedly be conflicting opinions about this piece, however I could have happily haunted the Haymarket for longer than the 90-minutes this play provided, and I implore you to go along without any preconception.

NG x

Overture

Welcome, one and all - thanks for stopping by. 

My name is Nell Gwynn (you can call me Nelly), and I was once a shining star in London's finest theatres. I was born in 1650 and started off my teenage years as an orange seller on the streets of Covent Garden, before setting my sights on becoming one of England's first actresses at the 'King's Playhouse'... what I believe is now more commonly known as the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

I spent the rest of my short life in the midst of a complicated love affair with King Charles 11, with a bit of acting on the side, until I tragically passed away aged 37.

I have spent the last 330 years roaming around London's West End (and sometimes further afield) to keep an eye on how theatre is doing since the good old days. I like to keep track of what I've seen and what I thought of it, so rather than scribbling away on bits of parchment, I thought I would see what all this technology business was about and start a blog. 

I must warn you - I tend to be brutally honest in my opinions. Please don't take it personally. I learnt my trade with the King's Company, under the likes of Thomas Killigrew and Charles Hart, so I have become a bit of a perfectionist.

So please sit back, relax, grab a cuppa, and feel free to peruse the musings of a 367-year-old theatre ghost.

Happy Reading!

NG x