There is Nothing like a Dame A novel by Bronwen Welsh Copyright© 2017 & 2018 Bronwen Welsh A sequel to 'The Might-Have-Been Girl' and 'All the World's a Stage'

Chapter 28   Harriet to the rescue – again!

“Miss Stow? Harriet?” that musical accent left me in no doubt that it was Ioan Thomas on the other end of the call.

“Yes, Mr Thomas,” I replied.

“Harriet, I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long but it was a very difficult choice that we had to make. Both you and Edith were excellent and I'm sure either of you would perform the rôle brilliantly. Unfortunately we could only choose one person, and in the end we offered the part to Edith and she has accepted.”

I smiled as I replied. It's said that smiling affects the tone of voice, so sometimes it's a good thing to do it even when you really don't want to.

“Thank you for ringing personally to tell me Mr Thomas. When I saw Edith's audition I knew that there was a good chance she would get the part. I will ring her up and congratulate her.”

“That's very decent of you,” he replied. “I do hope that we get the opportunity to work together in the future.”

“I hope so too,” I replied, and that was the end of the conversation. After I put the phone down I sat and stared at it for a few minutes. Then I picked it up again and dialled Edith's number.

“Hello Harriet,” she said as she answered my call. She sounded a bit nervous – did she think I was going to scream at her?

“Hi Edith, I'm just ringing to congratulate you on getting the part,” I said.

“That is so kind of you,” she replied. “I know how much you wanted the part; I even asked Ioan if there was some way we could share it, but he said no, he could only handle one person playing the rôle.”

“It's fine, really,” I replied. “In this business we are always applying for jobs and some we get and some we don't. I may 'pip you at the post' sometime in the future, but meanwhile I know that you will make a really good 'Scottish Lady', and I look forward to seeing you perform it.”

By the end of our conversation, we were confirmed friends and Edith sounded much more relaxed. It was true what I said, our fate is really in the hands of the selection panel and sometimes they make a decision which we don't like, but most times they do.

Then I phoned Reggie, who was very understanding and supportive as he always was.

“I'm sure you'll find something else to do before 'Romeo and Juliet',” he said.

I later found out that the three other young women who auditioned all obtained parts in the production; one was given 'Lady MacDuff', another a 'gentlewoman attendant' on 'Lady M', and the third became Edith's understudy, so it was just as well that they didn't pack up and go home.

Now I had to face the thought of having about three months with nothing to do until the 'Romeo and Julet' production started rehearsing. The logical thing was to ring my agent Richard and see if he had anything to offer me.

“Hi Richard, you may not have heard yet, but I didn't get the 'Scottish Lady', so I'm wondering if there is anything else I might go for to fill in about three months?”

“Oh I'm sorry to hear that Harriet, who did get the part?”

“She's called Edith Evans, and she's a really good young actress from Monmouth, but without any trace of a Welsh accent.”

“She must be good to beat you for a part,” said Richard loyally.

“I gave her a good run for her money, but ultimately it's the director and his panel who make the decision,” I replied.

“Well I haven't got anything on the books at present but now that I know you're available, I'll see what I can do.”

I knew that if anyone could find me something, Richard could.

I decided to stay a couple more days in Stratford to catch up on things and also have another singing lesson before heading back to York. Because I phoned Reggie every day that I was away, he knew what I was doing.

It was just before I was leaving the flat the following day to go to Madame Mussorgsky's that the telephone rang. It was Richard, my agent.

“You won't believe this Harriet, but I've had a phone call from a friend of mine who is also an agent, based in Leeds. It's about the Mercury Theatre there, they have a problem and you might be able to help them out.”

'Not another cast member unavailable at the last minute?' I thought.

“They're about to perform a three week season of 'Hamlet' and their Queen Gertrude fell off her bike and broke her leg.”

I burst out laughing, and Richard was a bit non-plussed: “Are you alright Harriet?” he enquired.

“I'm sorry Richard, that must have sounded very unkind, but I've been asked to step in at the last minute so many times now, and here's another one. Tell me though, don't they have an understudy?”

“That's the problem; they're working on a real shoestring at present, in fact they're in grave danger of having to shut down.” Then he played his trump card. “Somehow, they've got David Lodge playing Hamlet as a special favour and the show is sold out. This couldn't have happened at a worse time for them. They can't possibly cancel the season, it will break them.”

“Alright,” I said. “When does the season start?”

“This coming Saturday. I know you can play the part so I'm asking you as a favour to consider it. I'm afraid the money isn't as great as you're used to now, but David is doing it for a reduced rate to help them out, and I'll cut my commission to five percent if that helps.”

“I'll have to ask Reggie,” I said. “He's expecting me back in York tomorrow.”

“Please tell him it's a 'one-off',” said Richard, but that was the problem, it wasn't a 'one-off' at all, it had happened several times before. It was probably my fault, I had asked Richard if he had any work going. 'Be careful what you wish for' as the old saying goes.

“I'll call you back after I've spoken to him,” I said, and hung up, then I dialled Reggie who was at uni, but fortunately he replied straight away as he was between lectures. I explained the situation to him and listened carefully to the tone of his voice when he replied. I was worried that he might start to wish he'd married someone with a 'normal' job with regular hours.

“I promise this is the last work before Romeo and Juliet,” I said. “After this I'm coming home to York for a break, and anyway Leeds isn't so far away and I can come home for Sundays,” I continued in a rush.

Reggie laughed. “It's alright Harriet. Of course I'm going to miss seeing you but I knew when I married you what I was getting into. Actors just don't work normal hours.”

“Reggie, you're an amazing man and I love you so much,” I replied.

After that I rang Richard back and told him I could do the part. All this took time of course and now I knew I would be late for my lesson with Madame Mussorgsky, so I immediately rang her. Her phone was switched to messages, so I told her I would be about 15 minutes late and then hurried out to the car.

When I arrived, Madame Mussorgsky was waiting for me, so I explained what had happened.

“I'm so sorry that I'm late, I never am normally,” I said. She was very understanding and said that it was alright as the young woman who was going to have a lesson after me had had to cancel because of a family emergency. Hence, I could still have a full hour lesson.

We went through a number of scales and I practised a couple of songs.

“I will be away for a few months now until I return to Stratford for 'Romeo and Juliet',” I said. “We actors have what I call a 'vagrant gypsy life'. It's a quote from the poem 'Sea Fever'.”

Madame Mussorgsky smiled. “I do know where it's from, Harriet,” she said, and I blushed with embarrassment at assuming she would not be familiar with English poetry. She continued: “There's a musical version of it, and with your voice I think you could sing it quite well. I'll obtain the sheet music before you come for your next lesson if you like.”

“Thank you, Madame Mussorgsky, I'd like that very much. Something else I've been thinking about with regard to singing scales. I can't buy a piano since there isn't room for it in the flat, and anyway, I divide my time between different places as you know. I was thinking of buying an electronic keyboard that I could take with me wherever I happen to be staying.”

“Well nothing beats a proper piano of course, but I suppose in your situation, an electronic keyboard would be the best option and better than nothing,” she said.

She concluded the lesson by giving me some 'homework' to do while I was away.

After I returned to the flat I packed some clothes. Richard rang again and asked me to go straight to the theatre the next day, arriving about ten o'clock if I could, and to introduce myself to the director Miles Franklin. When Dale and Frank came home I explained the situation to them.

“I must say that they are very lucky to have you fill in for them,” said Frank. “I'd love to come to Leeds and see you perform again. I was looking forward to seeing you in the 'Scottish Play' as 'Lady M' but it wasn't to be.”

“Never say 'never'. Frank,” I said. “I'm sure I'll get another chance in the future.”

The following morning I was up bright and early for my trip to Leeds, which I knew took about two and a half hours. The trickiest bit was finding the theatre once I arrived there. Not for the first time I wished 'Bluebird' had a GPS, and decided to talk to Dale about that the next time I saw him. Fortunately I found it by nine-thirty, parked 'Bluebird', applied the steering wheel lock and took my case into the theatre. I was sure that Leeds was full of honest people, but it doesn't pay to take chances.

In the foyer I announced myself at the ticket office and asked for Miles Franklin. “In the auditorium,” was the offhand reply which didn't impress me, but I said nothing and walked through the doors marked 'Stalls'. The stage was lit and it was obvious that they were 'bumping in' the scenery because there were flats and ladders everywhere. I was a bit surprised that with only a few days before the season opened the scenery wasn't already installed, but thought that they might have just finished a previous production.

As I walked down the side aisle, pulling my suitcase behind me, a woman who looked to be in her late twenties turned and seeing me, walked towards me.

“G'day, can I help you?” she said in a strong Australian accent.

“Er, yes, I'm Harriet Stow and I'm looking for Miles Franklin,” I said.

“Well you've found her,” she replied. I confess I stared at her. With that name I had assumed that Miles was a man.

She laughed. “I get the same reaction everywhere. Everyone expects a bloke, not a sheila.”

She suddenly changed her voice to one where her accent was barely audible. “Actually, I'm not Crocodile Dundee's sister. 'Miles' is my nickname; my real first name is Sylvia, but I prefer Miles. There was a famous Australian author Miles Franklin. Her real first name was Stella but she used her fourth name so that readers might think she was a man and not be prejudiced against reading a book by a woman. Thank goodness things have changed since those days.”

' So why don't you use 'Sylvia'? I thought to myself but judged it prudent not to say anything.

“Is David Lodge going to be at the rehearsal today?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Do you know him?” asked Miles.

“Oh yes, we've performed together. Have you met him previously?” I asked.

“I saw him on television in Australia, but I've only been over here a few months. He's a real live wire isn't he?”

At that moment, the 'live wire' interrupted our conversation. “Harriet!” called out a familiar voice. David skipped down the steps from the stage, rushed up and kissed me on both cheeks.

“It's so good to see you again,” he said in that sexy Scottish accent which he seemed able to switch on and off at will. “How did they persuade you to come here?”

“Two things; I missed out on the 'Scottish Lady' at Stratford so I was at a loose end, and secondly, they told me you were playing 'Hamlet' so I knew they needed someone to keep you in check!”

He laughed. “Miles, Harriet and I were playing in 'Hamlet' when Dame Emily and her understudy got food poisoning, so this young lady switched from Ophelia to Queen Gertrude, while her understudy took over Ophelia. We were all very impressed.”

I was blushing hard enough to light up the theatre. “I'm sorry, Miss Franklin, David enjoys embarrassing me,” I said. “I think you should make up your own mind how good you think I am.”

“Speaking of which, it's time we started rehearsing, oh, and call me Miles,” she said with a smile. “How about we run through all the scenes in which Gertrude appears? I will block each one out with you Harriet and then we will rehearse it.”

And so we set to work. First, I was introduced to the other members of the cast and then we ran through the scenes. After the first two acts we broke for a working lunch, which I had with Miles and David. We discussed the play and I asked Miles what she thought of the way I was playing the part so far.

“I'm not looking for compliments, just an indication if this is the way you want it played,” I said.

“I've never seen it played better,” she replied. “When I heard that you are performing regularly at Stratford, I expected nothing less. You mentioned that you missed out on a part in 'The Scottish Play', I can only say that their loss is our gain. You've probably heard that this theatre is in financial trouble. We were so lucky that David was prepared to perform here. The season is now a sell-out and that bails us out for a while.”

“Och, it's my pleasure,” said David. “I never want to miss out on a chance to play 'Hamlet'.”

Turning to me, Miles said: “I almost forgot, we have arranged hotel accommodation for you. As soon as we finish today, I'll take you there. It's only five minutes walk from the theatre.”

It had been a busy day, especially as I had got up at five o'clock in order to arrive at Leeds in time, so I was pleased to get to the hotel, a three star, but clean and comfortable and after a light meal and phoning Reggie to report on the day's events, I had an early night.

The following day was a dress rehearsal and this was followed by two 'preview' performances. I always preferred to perform in costume, and fortunately my predecessor in the rôle was not very different in size to me. I'm always in awe of the wardrobe departments in theatres and how efficient they are in modifying costumes when necessary. I had been to see them on my arrival the previous day and now, my costume was ready for the dress rehearsal.

As I walked to the front door of the theatre that morning I noticed a change on the billboards. Topping the bill was David Lodge of course, with his name above the play title. Other main players were listed below in smaller type, and now near the bottom was an addition which read: Special Guest – Harriet Stow from the Imperial Shakespeare Company, Stratford-Upon-Avon as 'Queen Gertrude'.

It was too late to put my name in the programme since it had been printed a couple of weeks previously. However, before each performance, after the announcement that cameras were not to be used and no video to be recorded, it was announced that I was playing 'Queen Gertrude'.

The previews went very well, with standing ovations at each one. Then came opening night with the local dignitaries in attendance and occupying the front row seats of course, although on a couple of occasions when I glanced at them, lit by the light spilling from the stage, a couple looked bored and I think one was asleep! The reviews were uniformly positive, and as usual, I cut them out to post to Emma to put in my latest scrapbook. Thanks to such good reports, the few seats left were sold and the 'house full' signs went up.

Leeds is about an hour's drive from York, so after the Saturday night performance I jumped into 'Bluebird' and drove home to Reggie, arriving about half past twelve. He had suggested that I drive up on Sunday morning, but I wanted to be able to spend two nights with him, and I duly got my reward. What a man!

One morning, midway through the first week, I had a phone call from Penny Lane, Duncan Morgan's secretary. It was an invitation from Duncan himself for Reggie and I to be his guests at the opening night down in Stratford, which fortunately or unfortunately was taking place the week after the season of 'Hamlet' finished, so I had no excuse not to attend. At Leeds, they would love to have extended the season as the demand for tickets was so high, but David had another commitment and couldn't stay on. Anyway, the season was sold out, so they had certainly been bailed out financially for a while. I hoped it was enough to keep them going.

I was a little surprised to receive the invitation and wondered if there was something behind it. After all, I had missed out on the part, but now it seemed Reggie and I would be sitting in the front row with the Theatre's CEO and his wife. I checked the dress code and it was 'black tie'. That was nice, I've always enjoyed dressing up.

To be continued.

Many thanks once again to Louise Ann and Julia Phillips for spotting my 'typos', thus allowing me to correct them before publishing.