The Play's the Thing (ll) - extract from an email to a friend

"The play is going extremely well, and I've nearly stopped trying to walk through the scenery. I play her as a very stiff upper lipped, rather dim woman, who cracks in her last speech - and then dies! A small part, but mine own. A really funny thing happened on Tuesday, which is before an invited audience of old people from a couple of homes (god kill me off before I get to that state, please). The actress who plays my daughter came on in one scene, when she isn't meant to. I hadn't seen her behind me, and after talking to the other character, I'm meant to sit down, semi-backing up to my chair. In mid squat, I see she's on this chair, have to lurch upright again, and carry on. Meanwhile, she can't get off the stage, and nips on to another chair and ends up as a gooseberry in this tete a tete, grinning idiotically between the two of us. I had this ghastly feeling I was doing the wrong scene, but as the other character was responding, I thought well, I might as well carry on - cos there was nothing else to be done. Eventually, it's my exit, and the other actress scuttles off behind me, and we have to collapse silently behind the set, screaming with soundless laughter."