Errol Flynn - Lead Actors

I cannot leave my comments to date without special mention for my two leads, being Katherine English as 'Lois Tudor' and Tony Clarke as 'Errol Flynn'. Prior to auditions, I had seen both actors at work and held special admiration for them - Tony as a stalwart of Phoenix Theatre and Katherine as a Harbour Theatre regular. Neither of them auditioned. I hunted them down and eventually hounded them into taking these parts. Tony came along - as a replacement for Tim Prosser - to take up some of the multi-character roles. He admittedly lacks experience and had no pretentions to the lead role. I still had someone else in mind at that stage. When the alternative became unavailable, I put the hard word on Tony and he, with EF-style guts, said OK, he would give it 110%. Then by first reading, Tony had all his lines down for Act 1! (God, I wish my memory for lines was still that good - don't we all, Greg?!) I am totally happy with Tony's interpretation of the character of Errol. He was an Aussie lad, game as Ned Kelly, became a schoolboy hero, made the most of his hero status and lots of money but eventually lost it all and his self-respect. I know there will be lots of older practising-male-thespians out there who think they can do 'Errol' better, but toe to toe and nose to nose, my money is on Tony Clarke. Katherine English is indeed a gem. She digests a complex script in a couple of rehearsals and is a study in character development. Katherine is also a great influence on less experienced cast members in the way she does both. I am greatly indebted to her in both respects. Another thing about this play that may be missed by less sensitive audiences is the unwritten deep bond of affection (dare we say love?) that developes between the characters of Lois and Errol. If it is not apparent onstage - well, what goes on in the green room STAYS in the green room!