Rhubarb October 2022

terms to prepare and had the School wearing '50s clothes; Hamlet (1979) – RogerWood (Sing’s, 1974-1979) became an actor, and little did I know, Elizabeth who played Ophelia was to be my future wife; and touring with Equus in the US (1982).

INTERVIEW

Hamlet (1979)

What have you done to keep busy since you retired from teaching? I'm happily married to my husband, Kun, while following and supporting my three sons' careers. Since 1993, I've directed my own Shakespeare company in ten shows at the magical Minack Theatre, Cornwall. Played Lear again, at the Oxford Fire Station theatre, then survived leukemia. Recent stage roles, for the Tower and Questors: Krapp in Krapp's Last Tape , Capulet,Wilhelm Furtwangler in Taking Sides , Crocker-Harris in The Browning Version. Film/TV parts include a doctor in Restoration (screenplay by Rupert Walters, OSE); Erasmus andWilliam Cecil for Catholic TV; a Celtic merchant in Sky’s Britannia, with the lovely Zoe Wanamaker; a lead in a full-length feature, Application Process; and six film shorts, one of which, Horse Play, made it to the Cannes Film Festival. My Kensington Gardens tour story runs from HenryVIII's deer chase to the paparazzi chasing Diana in Paris – followed by high tea in the Pavilion. It's a pleasure meeting people from all over the world. Also, to keep active during Covid, I've walked the Thames paths and the London Loop. How did your teaching career prepare you for all your work in the theatre and the cultural tours in London? Well, teaching is half performance, isn't it? So, the classroom, acting and directing are inextricably linked. Forty-four years of teaching has been a huge learning experience. With all your experience and knowledge of the theatre, which production has given you the most pleasure and why?

Having directed almost a hundred productions over nearly 60 years, it's impossible to answer that one – sorry, David!

Tudor series, Catholic TV

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