Glenn's trip to London seems to have been a magical and inspirational journey indeed. "Jeffrey had to bow out at the last moment because of work so it was just my dear friend Jean Lickson and I that made the opening of Sir Nigel's KING LEER at The Barbican Theater in London. 

The entire run of the show sold out months ago as did it's subsequent run through the spring at Stratford. Jean and I spent our first days in England at London's Park Lane Hotel at Picadilly. Jean and I were in drama school together and she is currently a Professor at FSU where she is head of their acting company. We had a BLAZING two days of shopping at Herrods, Liberty, Portabello Road (on it's mad Saturday open market in Notting Hill) and took naps in the late afternoon and went to the theater in the evening. Enjoyed Vanessa Redgrave and her brother Colin Redgrave in Noel Coward's SONG AT TWILIGHT. It was a bit dated but Vanessa Redgrave never fails to delight me. One night we had dinner with Tim Dutton who starred in THANKS (the fate of which is still hanging in the balance. The sets are still up on stage 5 at Disney). Anyway, now to KING LEER!  What an amazing production. Let me give you a bit of it's history. It is a coproduction of The Royal Shakespeare Company and Japan's Sainokuni Shakespeare Co. in Tokyo. All the performers except Hiroyuki Sanada (brilliant as The Fool) were English and the show was rehearsed and first presented in Tokyo as directed by Yukio Ninagawa. Mr. Ninagawa does not speak a word of English so all direction came through an interpreter.  You can imagine the task before this group of theater artists. Whatever the trials, they came through with the most unforgettable production of a Shakespeare play that I have ever had the pleasure to audience. Sir Nigel gave us a KING LEER like no other. My prejudice as his friend might be taken into account but The Times Of London agreed and the review on Sunday was a thoughtful and insightful RAVE.  

By that time Jean and I had met The King and Queen of Norway in Nigel's dressing room, been whisked away with our kindly Knight to Hertferdshire, and put up in two of the upstairs bedrooms of Fabdens (an incredible ancient country estate built in 1432 that Nigel shares with Trevor Bentham, his companion of 24 years). We may as well have been in OZ. The four of us; Nigel, Trevor, Jean and I hiked all over the grounds and formal gardens of the estate, toured all the adjacent buildings (including a small Chapel where Nigel goes to rehearse), walked along the river that runs through the property, ate incredible meals prepared by Trevor, and generally enjoyed this magnificent old home filled with flowers (mostly orchids) from well wishers all around the world.

In one of the five outer buildings is an indoor Olympic size swimming pool surrounded by walls and ceilings of beautiful blonde wood and decorated with large turquoise colored hammered metal art pieces hanging from each wall. It was like walking through a door and finding yourself on some south sea island. The four of us talked and laughed ourselves silly. All of us are prone to story telling and believe you me, some stories were told in those three unforgettable days and nights. The very last evening Sir Nigel proposed something to me and with dear Jean and Trevor as my witnesses I will always remember his kind offer.

"Why not write down every anecdote you have ever told me," he said. "Don't worry about structuring so much as just getting all your tales down on paper. You could, with collaboration, create an evening of theater. And I could direct!"  Well, needless to say, I was astounded at this generous offer and I am back in California doing exactly what Nigel suggested I do. Between film work I will be at the keyboards and will stay at my keyboards until every story I have ever told that remains in this old actor's brain of mine is down on paper. You don't know what a chance is until you've had to seize one. I bless the heart of this kind gentleman who has so generously offered his thoughtfulness and faith.  I am grateful beyond words for the inspiration. Now comes the WORK.

The next morning, after this momentous (certainly from my perspective) discussion, Jean and I were stuffed with scones and jams and fruits and kea, then bid our hosts a fond farewell.  We were driven by their driver to Gatwick Airport and back to our separate realities... Jean's as a Theater Professor in Tallahassee Florida and mine as a struggling Character actor in Los Angeles.  Nigel told me to read Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT and in it I would find the title of my one man show. Yes, I'm reading, I'm reading!

In the picture above we are standing in front of what is known at Fabdens as the "Hog Door," an ordinance dating back to the 15th century when Fabdens was built (1432 a.d.) provided that hogs on their well worn path to market must be allowed to pass through the dwelling through the house and out the front.  Fortunately, for Nigel and Trevor's housekeeper, nary a hog has been spotted of late.  There's a hill that we're facing that Nigel informed us was the burial sight for some of the ancient kings of England.  All we saw were grazing sheep."