Tamsin Greig said she was inspired to become an actor going to rehearsals of school plays… because it got her out of science and the only other thing she was good at was trampolining which didn’t seem to have much of a future in it.

In 2010, Tamsin played Diane, a ferociously ambitious agent in The Little Dog Laughed, alongside Gemma Arterton, Rupert Friend and Harry Lloyd at the Garrick Theatre in London. By all accounts she stole the show, some critics even said “saved it”. She had all the best lines.

In fact, the play is more a vehicle for Diane’s character. As Michael Bilington calls it, “the play depends on an ingenious imbroglio. Diane… this power-dressed female Machiavel.”

“Tamsin Greig dominates as the lethally sharp agent, detonating every line with killer punch and timing.” Said The Daily Express.

She was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress (having previously won in 2007 for Much Ado About Nothing) and won the WhatsOnStage Theatregoers Choice Award. Tamsin is known for doing both dramatic and Comedic roles, although the latter generally cause problems. Sh has admitted to ‘corpsing’ which is British theatrical slang for unintentionally breaking character by laughing.

When I looked at this sketch, which Tamsin signed in February 2010, I thought ‘her hands are disproportionally larger”. Taking into account some foreshortening with the left. So I looked at a number of photos of her and she does have large hands and long fingers! Art indeed imitated life. That must have been the same for Michelangelo when he was sculpting the the David statue.