WC DECEMBER 19.
What a way to start a week!! A quick trip to London to meet of of America’s greatest black actors – the wonderful James Earl Jones. He has just a few days to run in Driving Miss Daisy. He talked to me for nearly an hour and I was fascinated and spellbound by his story. He’s made over a 100 movies, won five Golden Globes and was recently presented with an Academy Award for his services to entertainment. Millions also know him as the voice of Darth Vadar in the Star Wars movies and Mufaga in The Lion King. It can be heard in early 2012 – and I can hardly wait to play it. What a gentleman! – and a real star.
It’s been quite a week. I was in Bournemouth on Tuesday night to interview Kim Wilde. This is the first time I have ever interivewed her – and the long wait has been worth it. Saw her great act, before the interview, and also that of the legendary Roy Wood.
On Wednesday I nipped over to see Beauty and the Beast at the Ferneham Hall, Fareham. It turned out to be another fine show and I had a qucik word with Steven Pinder, who played Max Farnham in Brookside. It stars Ian ‘H’ Watkins, from Steps, who was not available for an interview but he was on my show a couple of months ago.
It was all go on Thurday. I went to a matinee performance of Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Winchester, and then headed north to Basingstoke to see the Forest Forge professional touring show called The Phoenix and the Carpet, at the Studio Theatre. Two super shows for The Stage in just a few hours. With so much bad weather predicted we wondered if we would even make it back to the Island but we did make the 10-30pm ferry at Lymington.
On Friday night I went to see the latest Apollo production and had a most enjoyable evening. The following day I shot over to Southampton to see the brilliant musical, Peter Pan, at the Mayflower matinee, and then hurried back to see Sleeping Beauty at the Memorial Hall, Freshwater. It was from 2,500 people to 200 in a few hours. At 11pm , on the way home, I dropped into the Newport Football Club to see the final set of 80s chart band, The Jets. There was a bonus, too. Graham Fenton, the lead singer of Matchbox, got up on stage to sing Rockabilly Rebel. What a day!! I slept well.