Richmond Theatre's Applause

Côte Richmond

is proud to sponsor

the Friends scheme

Spring 2010Moscow City Ballet perform

Sleeping Beauty

For Richmond Theatre’s Friends, Ambassador

Friends, and Matcham Club Members

RT Applause Spring 10 14/1/10 14:49

Friends upgradesWould you like more from your Friends

membership? Then why not upgrade

and get even more benefits and ticket

savings. Ask the Box Office for moreinformation about the different levels

or get hold of a copy of the Friendsleaflet. You can upgrade at any time

as we’ll work out the cost pro-rata.

Twitter ye not...Follow us at twitter.com/RichmondTheatre and we’ll keep you updated with the latest theatre news as well astitbits and gossip. It’s also a greatway for you to tell us what youthink of the shows you see here.

Make a date with us!If you come to the theatre alone,

or would simply like to meet other

theatre-goers the Mid-Week Meet

is just for you. For an extra £5 in

addition to your ticket you will

receive a post-show drink and

programme, as well as the use of a

private area in the Stalls Bar. It’s

available on selected shows, so check

with the Box Office when booking.

It’s behind you!

Snow White may have left

the theatre, but our 2010

production of Sleeping Beauty

is now on sale. Check out the

Hot Tickets section for details

of Friends discounts.

GOSH - it’s Snow WhiteThe cast of our pantomime paid

a welcome visit to Great Ormond

Street Hospital to meet the children.

Richmond Theatre’s show is helping

to raise funds for Theatre for

Theatres Appeal to pay for two

new operating theatres at the

world-famous hospital.

Olivia Taylor, aged three,

with the cast


The pantomime has ended, it’s snowing hard, and the

general election campaign has already started. It can

only mean one thing – the start of the Spring season!

We have made a few changes to Applause. The Stage

Door section will bring you details of new productions or

events and your chance to book before the general public.

It also has the latest casting news and any changes to

our programme. The Hot Tickets section has some of the

current offers, but there is not the space to show you

them all. If you have internet access and haven’t yet

registered online with us, please do so as you will then

receive details of offers from the West End and other

regional theatres. If you don’t have a computer, you can

still take advantage of them by asking the Box Office

when booking your tickets.

Our 110th anniversary celebrations continue apace

and this issue also talks to our very own ‘Mr Showbiz’

marking a birthday of his own. We’ve had fun compiling

this issue – I hope it’s as enjoyable reading it.

Nick Bagge

Friends Co-ordinator

020 8332 4523

[email protected]

Welcome

The Green Richmond Surrey TW9 1QJ

Box Office 0844 871 7659 (transaction fee applies)


Belinda Lang is no stranger

to Noël Coward; in fact, she’s

rather an expert on his work.

This month, she appears in

Richmond alongside Robert

Bathurst and Serena Evans

in Present Laughter, a

wickedly funny play set in the

glamorous world of theatre.

Devilishly handsome leading

man Garry Essendine is

visited by a terrifying group

of ex-wives, lawyers, writers

and one-night stands – so

it’s all back-biting and

vengeful repartee.

This is Belinda’s first go at

directing. Over coffee during a

rehearsal break, I ask her how

to direct oneself on stage.

‘This is a good question,” she

muses. ‘The actor-director is

an old theatrical tradition –

and my character is pretty

straightforward – so I am

hoping that I’ll be okay if I

don’t bump into the furniture.

It’s a thrilling, wonderful

bunch of actors. I’m not

thinking much about my

acting – more about the bigger

picture, so that’s healthy.’

Belinda’s stage experience

is vast: she last appeared in

Richmond Theatre last year

in Song at Twilight and has

starred in Life x3, Hobson’s

Choice, Dead Funny,

The Women, Tales From

Hollywood, Antigone,

Hay Fever, Three Sisters 2

and previous productions

of Present Laughter. She’s

a well-known face on TV

too, first in the BBC series

To Serve Them All My Days,

then in Dear John, Stay

Lucky, Second Thoughts,

Bust, The Inspector Alleyn

Mysteries, Making News –

and the one we all remember

with affection, her role as

harassed mother Bill in

Two Point Four Children.

Coward’s Bel of the Ball

Belinda Lang makes her directing debut with a Noël Coward classic,

but, as she told Victoria Kingston, her feet remain firmly on the ground.


Coward is special to

Belinda. ‘He gets under my

skin. He wrote with the most

disciplined structure, but

underneath are big ideas

about human beings and

what makes them tick. His

writing is profound and

moving, but done with grace

and lack of pretension. As

with all great writers, his

words carry you along and

if you just speak the lines

with truth, it will take you

on a wonderful journey.’

Although Coward sets the

play in the 1930s, Belinda

sets it in 1949. ‘I wanted to

get away from the war,’ she

explains. ‘1949 was such an

interesting year – not least

for women. Also, the 30s have

become a very specific era

and you can fall into the trap

of playing the period, not the

play. It’s rather idiotic that a

30s play will be full of art

deco furniture, which wouldn’t

be the case – many people

would have older things in

their houses, just as we do

now. There’s an expectation

of entering a totally art deco

world – and I wanted to

escape that.’

In real life, Belinda is

married to actor Hugh Fraser

and they have a daughter, Lily.

It’s a famously happy marriage

but she is reluctant to discuss

it. ‘I hate reading about

people’s tips,’ she laughs.

‘I haven’t a clue really. Work

is very important to both of

us – it keeps us grounded.’

It’s well known that for

women in middle age, acting

parts are thinner on the

ground. ‘Yes and who knows

what will happen in the future,

but I’ve been very fortunate

so far. I know I can no longer

sit around waiting for that

fabulous job to come along –

it won’t happen because I’m

not a megastar by any means.

I’m a sort of middle player,

so I keep my nose to the

grindstone and look for

interesting work.’

Belinda once told me her

childhood piano teacher told

her acting would be a waste

of a brain. He was completely

wrong of course – she has

approached all her work with

intelligence and painstaking

attention to detail. Are there,

I ask her, any parts she still

wants to tackle? ‘Yes, but I

don’t necessarily know what

they are yet. The nice thing is

you never know what bizarre,

wonderful thing someone will

offer you, that will open up a

new side of yourself - like

being given a chink of light

in your persona. You know,

with life and acting - it’s all

a bit of an adventure really.’

Belinda Lang will be

starring in Present Laughter,

Mon 18 - Sat 23 Jan.

For more information

check out

www.ambassadortickets.com/

richmond or call the

Box Office on 0844 871 7659.


Asides

It’s official - we really are No.1!Richmond Theatre is now part of the UK’s largest theatre group.

Our parent company, the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), has

completed a £90 million deal to buy the 17 UK theatres of Live

Nation, including The Lyceum and Apollo Victoria Theatre in

London. The portfolio stretches from Bristol to Edinburgh, taking

in Oxford, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Sunderland

and when Aylesbury’s theatre opens later this year will number

40. Howard Panter, ATG’s co-founder, said Live Nation had some

of the world’s best productions. ‘Our aim is to help maintain the

shows and theatres as vibrant successes.’ Former BBC Director

General Greg Dyke joins the company in the new role of Executive

Chairman. ‘ATG is a great British success story,’ he told Applause,

‘and the acquisition of the Live Nation Theatres will make the

Group even more successful.’

Meanwhile there was more good news for ATG’s owners Howard

Panter and Rosemary Squire as they beat Andrew Lloyd Webber

to the top slot of a poll of the 100 most influential people in

theatre published annually by industry newspaper, The Stage.

Second bite - a classicHollywood comes to Richmond in February with the UK release

of the remake of the 1941 classic monster movie The Wolfman.

Like the original, the new film, starring Benico Del Toro,

Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt, is set in Victorian England

and cast and crew spent a week at in Richmond Theatre’s

auditorium in May 2008 to film a performance of Hamlet.

One click and you help usEasyfundraising.org.uk is a free fund-raising service where you

can raise funds for the Richmond Theatre Trust when you shop

online. You still shop directly with each retailer as you would

normally, but simply by using the links from the website first

at www.easyfundraising.org.uk/rtt each purchase you make

will generate a cash-back donation to the trust at no extra

cost to you.

Liverpool Empire Theatre

The Wolfman


Stage Door

My Dad’s Army

Arnold Ridley is remembered

as the doddery Private

Godfrey in BBC TV’s Dad’s

Army, but he was also the

author of the classic comedy

thriller Ghost Train. In this

free talk, Arnold’s son

Nicolas describes his

father’s extraordinary life.

The talk will include readings

from Godfrey’s Ghost, his book

about his father, followed by a

question and answer session

and a book signing. The event

is at 5.15pm on Wed 10 Mar,

immediately after that day’s

matinee of Haunted at

Richmond Theatre.

Wife After Death

Tom Conti stars in a new

comedy by Eric Chappell from

Mon 17 - Fri 22 May, 7.45pm

(Wed and Sat, also 2.30pm)

about a hugely successful

television comedian who has

died leaving his wife, agent

and gag writer (Conti) bereft.

But who is best placed to

benefit from the legacy?

Tickets £15 - £28.

Ruby Wax - Losing It?

Ruby Wax and acclaimed

musician Judith Owen combine

their talents in a new show,

prior to the West End. When

Ruby painted her house beige

for the 47th time people

realised something was

wrong. There was only one

thing for it – send her to the

Priory! This is Ruby at her best.

Sun 23 May 7.30pm, tickets £20.

A contribution from ticket sales

will be donated to Comic Relief.

Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show

Join the British Comedy Award

winner for an evening of

anarchic comedy, celebrity

satire and music spoofs as

she returns to her live roots

with old favourites and new

material. Suitable for ages 14+

Sun 13 Jun, tickets £18.50.

Blood Brothers

The cast for Willy Russell’s

multi-award-winning musical

includes Lyn Paul, one of the

original members of the

chart-topping New Seekers.

Considered by many as the

quintessential Mrs Johnstone,

Lyn performed the role in the

West End and now on tour.

Runs Mon 22 - Sat 27 Mar

(Wed and Sat, also 2.30pm),

tickets £14 - £29.

Witness for the Prosecution

The cast has been announced

for the latest instalment from

the Agatha Christie Theatre

Company. It stars Honeysuckle

Weeks, Denis Lill, Ben Nealon,

Robert Duncan, Peter Byrne,

Jennifer Wilson and Mark

Wynter. Runs Mon 10 - Sat 15

May, 7.45pm (Wed and Sat,

also 2.30pm), tickets £14 - £26.

To book for any of these

shows and take advantage

of your priority booking

contact the Box Office

0844 871 7659.

The very latest news, including three new shows now

on sale to Friends, a free talk and two casting updates


Without a doubt, Tom Conti

is one of the nicest guys in

theatreland. He’s the thinking

woman’s heartthrob – with

a warm smile, a distinctive

mellow voice that is both

velvety and gravely at the

same time with a slight

Scottish brogue – and an

irrepressible sense of humour.

Over coffee at Richmond

Theatre, Tom talks about Wife

After Death, a brand-new play

by Eric Chappell, coming to us

next May. ‘Eric wrote all the

Rising Damp series for TV –

and it’s such a pleasure to

find a play that’s written by

a craftsman. His writing is

character-driven, which the

best comedy is, and you feel

you know the people you’re

watching.’

The plot is this: a much-loved

comic has died – and the play

opens on the morning of his

funeral. Tom plays Harvey, the

comic’s scriptwriter and friend;

he mourns the loss of his

chum but has other conflicting

Growing Old Disgracefully

Tom Conti tells Victoria Kingston why he still gets excited about new plays


feelings. ‘Suddenly, his rent has

gone,’ laughs Tom. ‘The writer

truly did love him – he was a

close friend, but still, the main

source of his income has died.

He has to hurriedly arrange a

season of re-runs on the

satellite channels.’

Does a play that’s hot off

the press have an added buzz?

‘Actors of my generation were

brought up on the hunt for a

smashing new play. Now it’s

difficult to get theatres to take

them. A trusty Bernard Shaw is

fine – they’ll instantly book it –

but there will be resistance to

anything that’s untried, even

by a well-known writer like Eric.

As soon as I read this play,

I loved it.’

Tom will also be directing,

as he frequently does. Is it

difficult, when combined with

acting? ‘No, there’s no great

magic to it. Directors come in

all shapes and sizes – some

have great concepts for plays –

the Eskimo Hamlet – and they

don’t understand actors. Then

other directors concentrate

solely on the actors and don’t

really understand the play.

When I am directing, the first

person I talk to is the designer

– it’s something as mundane as

where do I put the doors and

windows? Then you create a

model of the set. When the

actors arrive several weeks

later, you can really get the

production under way. In many

ways, good actors will direct

themselves. If they need to be

told everything, I tend not to

cast them again. I mean, I’ve

heard an actor say – I’m no

good with props. Well, what are

they doing in the theatre then?’

Tom is part of an acting

family. His wife Kara Wilson

and their daughter Nina starred

with him at Richmond Theatre

in the 2000 production of Neil

Simon’s Last of the Red Hot

Lovers, which he also directed.

They don’t, he assures me,

have any clashing egos. ‘We

just get on with it. Kara and I

have a grandson now – and

because Nina and her husband

are both comics, they are

constantly doing gigs, so we

get roped in to babysit Arthur,

which we love. Your

life changes, doesn’t it?’

There is a bias towards

young actors nowadays. Does

that get in the way? ‘Certainly

for women – less so for men,’

he muses. ‘It’s very strange.

There are TV series with older

actors, which pull in huge

viewing figures, which is an

embarrassment to the TV

companies because they

have this thing about casting

younger people. Look at

Foyles War. Michael Kitchen

is no kid – he’s fabulous.

Look at Cranford, New Tricks.

Commissioning editors seem

to forget that young people

don’t watch much television.

There’s no point in trying to

lure them.’

He’s looking forward to

being back in Richmond

Theatre. ‘I love it – apart from

the dressing rooms,’ he laughs.

‘It’s a beautiful theatre and

the audiences are very

discerning. They won’t take

anything tawdry.’

Are there any parts he

yearns to play? King Lear?

‘No, no, no,’ he laughs. ‘Can’t

be bothered with that. I never

understand it when actors say,

“I want to give my Lear.” I

mean, why? It’s extraordinary.

An actor needs to be thinking –

what do the audience want?

What will make them laugh or

cry? Not – oh, how wonderful

that I can give them my Lear.

We’re not in the business

of changing people’s lives –

we have momentary effect –

we give pleasure if we’re lucky.

I think this play is engaging –

with real people and real

human problems – it’s a

good play that happens

to be very funny.

That’s all I hope for.’

Tom Conti is appearing

in Wife After Death

Mon 17 - Sat 22 May


Norman’s Wisdom

From Charlie Chaplin to John

Gielgud, Charlton Heston and

Judi Dench, Richmond Theatre

has played host to some of the

biggest names in theatre in its

glittering 110-year history. The

theatre, built by arguably the

country’s greatest architect,

Frank Matcham, is justifiably

proud of its heritage and of

the people who have made it

such a success story.

One such person is Norman

Fenner, the theatre’s honorary

archivist, who is celebrating a

milestone of his own – his 90th

birthday. Born in Fulham, and

still living in the same house,

his first visit to a theatre was in

1924 when his mother took him

to see Sinbad the Sailor.

The early signs were not good.

‘I was terrified,’ said Norman,

‘and had to be carried out

screaming.’ But far from

being a setback, he was soon

a Saturday regular at theatres

in Fulham, Chelsea, Shepherd’s

Bush and Richmond.

At the tender age of ten he

Norman Fenner, Richmond Theatre’s honorary archivist, talks to Nick Bagge


was forced by his mother

to take part in a tableaux

portraying Dante. ‘All was

going well until one of the

flaring torches held by a row

of Roman centurions caught

fire where it shouldn’t have.

The sight of him trying to

extinguish it and at the same

time keeping perfectly still

was too much for me and I

‘corpsed’. Exit in disgrace!’

Norman left school at 14 and

began working in the diamond

and jewellery trade, supplying

the likes of Asprey, Cartier and

Boucheron. ‘I was paid 12/6

(65p) for working Monday

to Friday and a half-day on

Saturday. In spite of the low

wage I managed to visit the

theatre about three times a

week. A seat in the Dress

Circle was 9d (4 1/2p), so things

haven’t changed much!’

His life was interrupted by

the war, and in 1940 he joined

the Army. ‘This was a sign of

how desperate things had

become as I was probably more

of a hindrance than an asset.’

Demobbed in 1946, he

became a civil servant in the

Ministry of the Arts, and also

joined The Tavistock Repertory

Company, first as a ‘dogsbody’,

but later a designer for more

than 100 productions. ‘Most

evenings were spent designing,

building and painting the

scenery, returning home at

well past midnight much to my

mother’s annoyance.’ In the

1960s Norman helped train

William Dudley, probably this

country’s most famous theatre

designer and six times an

Olivier Award winner.

Back at the day job, in 1970,

he was about to write a report

that would have lasting

implications both for the

country and himself. The

Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith,

needed urgent repairs – and

the architect’s name? Frank

Matcham. ‘I realised the

immense value of Matcham.

His theatres [he designed at

least 80] allowed great intimacy

and fabulous acoustics, but

they were also things of

beauty.’ Norman’s paper

helped preserve Matcham’s

theatres in all their glory.

Soon after retiring, Norman

was delighted to accept the

role of honorary archivist at

Richmond Theatre. ‘There was

no archive at all to speak of

back then. ‘Someone started

a list of the shows until 1912

so all the early ones were

done for me and I did the rest

from then on – it’s amazing

to see all the famous actors

who have played here.’

To mark Norman’s 90th

birthday and to thank him

for his life-long dedication to

Richmond Theatre, the Ivy

Room has been renamed in his

honour. Karin Gartzke, Chief

Executive, said, ‘To us, Norman

is a national treasure, which is

why we felt it appropriate to

dedicate the room to him.’

You can join Norman for

a guided tour of Richmond

Theatre. The tours take place

on the first Saturday of most

months at 12 noon. Tickets are

£3 from the Box Office, but are

free to Friends and Matcham

Club members.

You can hire the room

from £25. Contact the Theatre

Manager on 020 8332 4500.

History in the Making

As part of our 110th

anniversary celebrations we

are delighted to announce

that the Heritage Lottery

Fund have awarded Richmond

Theatre Trust £49,700 for two

exciting arts heritage projects.

Supported by the V&A and

Museum of Richmond, they will

bring together people from

different backgrounds and

generations to learn about the

history of Richmond Theatre

and to create an exhibition

and performance to share

their learning with the wider

community. There will also

be a permanent board

detailing the history outside

the front of the theatre.


Hot Tickets

Richmond Theatre

2-for-1 ticket offers

Haunted

Mon 8 – Fri 12 Mar,

all performances

Oh What a Lovely War

Tue 27 – Fri 30 Apr,

all performances

Maximum: Richmond Friends,

2 tickets; Richmond Family

Friends and Matcham Club

members, 4 tickets.

Not available to

Ambassador Friends.

My Wonderful Day

Mon 15 – Fri 19 Feb,

All performances.

Matcham Club only.

Maximum: four tickets.

Friends Post Show First Night Parties

Supported by

My Wonderful Day Mon 15 Feb

Hedda Gabler Mon 15 Mar

Tickets £5 (includes a drink)


2 tickets; Richmond Family


members, 4 tickets.

West End and Regional TheatreHairspray

Shaftesbury Theatre

Starring Brian Conley

£25 off tickets on selected dates

The History Boys

Theatre Royal, Brighton

Alan Bennett’s award-winning

comedy. 2-for-1 on Mon 29 Mar

on selected tickets

Richmond Theatre standard discounts

This is just a small selection of the ticket offers available to Friends. For the latest offers go

online to www.ambassadortickets.com. You may also book tickets in person or by calling

the Box Office on 0844 871 7659 (Matcham Club members should use their own hotline).

Terms and conditions: Offers are subject to availability, are not retrospective, cannot be combined with any other offer,

and may be withdrawn at any time. Some offers may be available only online.

Laughter in the Rain

Churchill Theatre, Bromley

Best tickets £19 on Thu 4 Mar

at 7.45pm

Evita

Churchill Theatre, Bromley

Tue 23 Mar - Sat 10 Apr

£5 off selected tickets

One Night of Robbie Williams

Regent Theatre, Stoke

Sat 5 June


Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

New Wimbledon Theatre

2-for-1 on Tue 16 and Wed 17

March, both 7.30pm

(price bands £18.75,

£17.75 and £13.25 only).


2 tickets. Richmond Family


members, 4 tickets. Please

quote Richmond Friend Offer.

Ambassador Friend

£5 off up to four

Stalls/Dress Circle seats

Saturday matinee

Richmond FriendRichmond FamilyFriend

As Ambassador Friend, plus

£5 off up to two (Family four)


Mon-Wed eve

Matcham Club

As Ambassador and

Richmond Friend, plus

£5 off up to four


Mon-Fri eve and Wed & Sat mats


DiningOffers

FishWorks13-19 The Square Old Market,

Richmond TW9 1EA.

Tel 020 8948 5965

www.fishworks.co.uk

OFFER: £12.50 for two courses

plus a complementary glass

of wine Available Mon - Fri,

12pm-3pm and 6pm-7pm.

Not valid with any other offer.

Brouge Bistro5 Hill Street, Richmond TW9

1SX. Tel 020 8332 0055

www.brouge.com.uk

OFFER: 25% discount off the

bill with offer card. This offer

is not valid in conjunction

with any other promotion.

Maximum 6 people.

Pizza ExpressLion House, Richmond

TW9 1RE. Tel 020 8948 7460

www.pizzaexpress.com

OFFER: 20% discount off the

bill with offer card. This offer

is not valid in conjunction

with any other promotion.

Porridge


Mon 15 - Sat 20 Feb


The Hobbit


Tue 4 - Sun 9 May


High School Musical 2

New Victoria Theatre, Woking

Mon 22 - Sat 27 Feb

£3 to £5 off selected tickets

Snow White on Ice


Wed 2 - Sun 6 June


The Sound of Music


Tue 22 - Sat 10 July


Côte Bistro24 Hill Street, Richmond

TW9 1TW. Tel 020 8948 5971

www.cote-restaurants.co.uk

Sponsors of the Richmond

Theatre Friends scheme and

winner of the Which? Good

Food Guide – Best Value

Restaurant in the UK award.

OFFER: a complementary

glass of Kir Royale with offer

card, for pre-theatre menu,

prices £9.95 - £11.90

La Buvette6 Church Walk, Richmond

TW9 1SN. Tel 020 8940 6264

www.labuvette.co.uk

OFFER: a complementary glass

of Kir with offer card, prices

£14.50-£17 for three courses.

Not valid with any other offer

or promotion. Valid all week,

maximum of four guests

per card.

Pizzeria Rustica32 The Quadrant, Richmond

TW9 1DN. Tel 020 8332 6262.

www.pizzeriarustica.co.uk

OFFER: 20% discount off final

bill with offer card. Pre- and

post-theatre only. Not valid in

conjunction with any other

promotion, set or lunch menu

offer. Maximum six guests

per booking.

Why not make your visit to Richmond Theatre even better

with these special discounts from our corporate partners.

Offer cards are available in the bars and foyer.

Rosamund Pike stars in Hedda Gabler


La Buvette

La Buvette has established itself as

Richmond’s premier, independent

French restaurant.

The informal, intimate dining room

and secluded courtyard, for al fresco

dining, has welcomed guests from far and

wide, whilst maintaining popularity with

neighbours and friends of Richmond.

Since opening in September 2004 it

has created close working relationships

with the Arts of Richmond, including

alliances with Richmond Theatre,

Curzon Cinema (the old Film House)

and The Orange Tree Theatre.

Originally an annexe to St. Mary

Magdalene Church in Richmond Town

Centre, the building was used as a

canteen, bridge club and latterly a

café until La Buvette opened. It has

established itself as the most fashionable

and charming bistro-style eatery in

Richmond town centre, welcoming

theatre, film and sports stars, politicians

and artists, whilst maintaining popularity

with neighbours and friends. Menus are

strongly influenced by regional French

cooking and the wine list remains

predominantly French.

La Buvette, 6 Church Walk,

Richmond TW9 1SN.

Telephone 020 8940 6264

www.labuvette.co.uk

Parker Car Service

Telephone 020 8560 0000

www.parkercarservice.com

Parker Car Service is one of the largest

and longest running car services in

London and is licensed by Transport for

London. They provide a five-star service

on every journey, with drivers who are

friendly, reliable, trained and security-

checked. Using London’s first GPRS

technology in all cars means they can

tell you exactly when your journey time

starts. Their chauffeur division dates

from 1956. Parker Car Service has a long

tradition of taking good care of all their

customers with service and safety

their top priority.

With more than 300 cars available,

24 hours-a-day, seven days a week, they

can supply executive saloons, estate

cars, minibuses and vans for parcels

up to transit size.

Parker Car Service also provides an

expert airport transfer service and has

vast experience in handling the demands

of prestige corporate clients, including

Richmond Theatre. They accept all

major credit cards.

Next time you visit Richmond

Theatre, consider using Parker Cars.

They will take you there in comfort

and return you home safely after

the show.

From two of ourCorporate Partners


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I love ‘Rob Roy’s Cave’ – Gilderoy’s Cave,

Burn O’Vat, Dinnet, Scotland

It is an hour away from Aberdeen, where I

grew up. It was thought that Rob Roy hid there

when he was trying to evade the law. It is a

spectacular red stone amphitheatre shaped

gorge with an entrance, which is hidden

partially by a huge boulder. Standing in it

makes me feel like an adventurous explorer.

Steven Spielberg films I grew up watching

his films. He is a great storyteller and they

are magical to see. He is probably the

David Lean of my generation. I watch them

over and over again. John Williams’ music

is also a huge part of what makes them

so special. E.T. is my favourite film.

This photo of me I usually do not

like my photo being taken but I think

this one is fun and cheeky. I share

the hobby of photography with

some of my dearest friends and

one, Katrina More-Molyneux, took

this photo of me that I am very

fond of – it was taken very shortly

after I heard I was going to play Spike.

Long walks in my wellies I love going for

long walks with my friends, putting on my

wellies and, when it is cold, wrapping up

warm in a beanie hat, scarf and coat.

There is nothing better than warming up

afterwards with a cup of coffee and cake.

Rosamund Pike Google her! You’ll see why

and see the film, An Education. I have a bit

of a crush on her. My mother would approve

if I brought her home and it would make my

friends hugely envious. I bet she is a laugh!

I hate Any chap who has had the pleasure

to go out with Rosamund Pike

Having said that, I feel that the likelihood

of her wanting to meet me, let alone go out

with me has been very swiftly eliminated!

Goat’s Cheese Yuk! I find both the taste and

the grainy texture horrible. Whoever looked

at a goat and thought it would be a good

idea to milk it should be strung up; and the

person who decided to make cheese from

it should be made to watch! As you can tell,

I feel very strongly about this.

Big Brother It seems to be a circus,

which celebrates stupidity and embraces

ignorance a little too much.

Pessimism It is such an unhelpful trait.

I very much admire Michael Caine. I am

reading his autobiography at the moment.

He lives his life with the motto, coined from

Winston Churchill – ‘If you are going through

hell, keep going’. I would like to think that,

when I am up against it, I could make

the best of the difficulties too.

Cranky Health and Safety These words

cause a unanimous rolling of eyes!

People should be given more credit that

they can look after their own well-being.

Children especially – I saw in the paper

that conkers now had to be played

with protective eyewear! Surely

children, with a little guidance, should

be encouraged to indulge their

imagination by being able to play

outdoors, climbing trees etc. Bumps

and grazes are par of the course

to develop their common sense.

Love it,Hate it

Actor Sholto Morgan, is soon to make

his professional debut in Spike Milligan’s Adolf Hitler:

My Part in His Downfall at Richmond Theatre, 25 - 30 Jan


Richmond Theatre's Applause

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Transcript of Richmond Theatre's Applause