Nick Day is a London Walks guide. First and foremost, though, he’s an enormously successful actor (we don’t get him very often – when he’s “resting”, which isn’t very often these days, or when he wants a break). His career in the West End (and on television and in films) has spanned half a century. He’s created for us a stunning Virtual Tour called ‘My Life in Theatre’ – Nick Day Looks Back. It couldn’t be further from “normal” Theatreland Tours. Oh, yes, Nick squires us round the West End, shows us the theatres and the actors’ haunts, etc. – but the real joy, the thrill, of this tour is that it’s so personal, private, anecdotal. It’s as if we’re out with an old friend – an enormously gifted friend – and he’s reminiscing, looking back, remembering, telling personal story after personal story. It’s the kind of thing most theatre buffs never get to experience – and would die to do so. This podcast is an excerpt from that virtual tour – Nick Day’s My Life in Theatre. In this excerpt Nick warms up by talking first about how things have changed – he uses greasepaint, make-up, as his jumping-off point for that recollection. And then it’s on to something much bigger, something utterly gripping, harrowing even. Nick leads into that by talking about the genesis of Dealer’s Choice (it was a huge hit) – the company and the rehearsal period and his role and the run, etc. It makes for gripping listening. We really are privy to something personal, something private, something backstage, something arresting and spellbinding. And, yes, at the end, harrowing
This is one – the tour, I mean – you won’t want to miss.
“I broke down into tears”
“what is it really like to play an enormously demanding role”
“IT had the most extraordinary visceral effect on me”
“I couldn’t talk about it”
“I ended up one night in hospital”
“I had a minor breakdown at the end of the play”
“I had to be carted off”
“it was a desperately difficult situation”