Roy Hudd writes just for you…
Roy’s off causing trouble around the country in a new play…
I’m back on the road again! This time with the play Waiting for God. I’m just pleased it isn’t Waiting for Godot – I’ve read that several times and to me it still makes Brexit sound like Little Bo Peep! For those of you who didn’t see the Nineties TV series that our play is based on, let me tell you a bit about it – please. The two main characters, Tom Ballard and Diana Trent, were played on TV by Graham Crowden and Stephanie Cole. This new stage version by the chap who wrote the original series, Michael Aitkens, has myself as Tom and Nichola McAuliffe as Diana. They are a pair of irreverent retirement home residents who, like so many of my friends, refuse to be bullied into being a couple of ageing, do-asthey’re-told pensioners. They both love life in their different ways yet come together when there’s ever a whiff of rebellion in the air. I’m not going to give away any of the wise, and funny, lines on the subject of growing old that Nichola and I have been given to say, but I do like Tom’s complaint that he feels he’s been cheated by being born young. His answer is we should all be born old and get younger – stopping at around 23. Personally I like the present arrangement – I’m enjoying being the age I am. The great American comedian, Milton Berle, used to say – “The best time for men to have babies is when they’re 80. That’s when they have to get up ten times a night anyway!” He also said, “At 80 there are six women to every man. What a time to get odds like that!” I’m excited about touring again. A few years back, touring wasn’t popular and theatres were closing because of poor attendances, but recently things have picked up greatly. One reason is the cost of attending shows in the big cities: fares, eating out and expensive tickets, but local theatres are coming into their own again. The folk who run them, and the promoters who take shows on the road, try to find out, more than ever, just what their customers want to see. Staying in the same theatre for eight performances, rather than doing one-nighters, means you have to stay in the nearest town. In digs. Not as easy as it used to be when theatrical landladies were either terrific or ‘orrible. The latter never lasted very long – their shortcomings went around showbusiness faster than a flash flood. The good ones you kept for you and your best chums – you didn’t want any ‘orrible performers spoiling a nice landlady’s care and good grub. We start off in Eastbourne (April 25-29), followed by a week at a special favourite, The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford (good digs there – with my daughter-in-law). The next week is at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich – this is my local theatre so at least the digs will be okayish – and the landlady is very obliging! We’ll be searching for a good pull up for actors round the country till July – try to catch us if you can.
‘At 80 there are six women to every man. What a time to get odds like that!’