Diary of an actor

I put this on FaceBook today. I was looking for something and came across a diary I kept when we lived in Northampton – here it is word for word (more or less) and I remember very little of it. On another page of the diary I met a famous film director and don't actually remember it at all.

Elvis Presley died yesterday. I was listening to John Peel on the radio last night and he said he had heard the news from the news room. Then he carried on with his planned show as he said 'we don't play tributes' - or words to that affect.

I'm starting a new job the week after next. I am playing Richard (the Lion Heart) in The Lion in Winter at Cheltenham. The money isn't brilliant - £58.70 including subsistence – but we should just about manage especially if the repeats from the commercial start coming in.

I thought I might have been going to Northampton to do a play or two. I went to see the artistic director, David Kelsey; he was quite specific about the time, ten-o-clock, as he was due to start rehearsals at 10.30. I arrived at three minutes to and he didn't arrive till twenty past so I wasn't very optimistic.

He entered the office and picked up the newspaper, opened a few pages then put it down; looked at his mail, quickly, and put that down. Then he turned around to look at his bookcase, with his back to me, then called over his shoulder 'do you sing?'

Eventually he sat down and said 'have a look at Arthur Wickstead in this' and he threw a copy of Habeas Corpus to me after he had sent 'upstairs' for it.

He said the part can be played any age and said to come back the following Tuesday.

I looked at the role and it was originally played by Alec Guinness – but the character had a grown up son and was aged around fifty three. I thought it was a bit ridiculous but afterwards I got used to the idea. I went back to the theatre, as arranged – on time – and there he was in his office having a production meeting -'can you wait outside, Chris' he said; so I did.

I went to the empty bar and waited for about ten minutes then I heard footsteps going down the stairs away from me and someone said 'hello.' It sounded like Lionel Hamilton. I was sure that was David Kelsey's voice, answering him back, so I went down the stairs – I could talk to Lionel in any case.

Sure enough, when I got there, it was David Kelsey, wearing his hat, carrying his briefcase and on the way to rehearsals. I said a very quick hello to Lionel and stepped back to wait for them to finish their conversation.

When Lionel went, David Kelsey said 'what do you think of it?' I said I liked it and he beckoned me to follow him in to the foyer of the theatre where he said 'that role has gone to somebody else but would you look at the Vicar; I think you would be very good.'

I said okay and we arranged to meet to following Thursday at 12.30 pm.

Thursday morning a letter arrived from the theatre; the appointment was cancelled and 'could I call the theatre to arrange another appointment for Friday.'

I did and met David Kelsey at one-o-clock at the theatre and as soon as I got in to the office he told me he couldn't use me. The theatre was way over budget and the board had agreed that they couldn't afford me. I took his cigarette and went.

Over the next couple of days, England won The Ashes.