Thirty-three years after her first film, British actress Julie Christie made her West End debut at the age of 54, as Kate in a revival of Harold Pinter’s OLD TIMES in the summer of 1995.

Described as a ‘pop icon’ of swinging London during the 1960’s, Life Magazine hailed 1965 as ‘The Year of Julie Christie’ when she won the Best Actress Oscar and BAFTA for her role as amoral model Diana Scott in John Schlesinger’s DARLIING. It was also the year of her most famous role, Lara Antipova in David Lean’s international hit DR ZHIVAGO.

Fellow West End debutant Harriet Walter and Leigh Lawson completed the OLD TIMES cast which ran at the Wyndham’s Theatre for two months after transferring from the Theatre Clwyd in Wales.

“The actress’s warm, seductive presence is ideally suited to Kate. First glimpsed sprawled on a sofa, face beaming with almost unnerving serenity. Christie has a sphinx like allure, crucial to the evening,” wrote Matt Wolf in Variety.

There was no dramas getting Julie to sign my portrait of her as Kate. I simply popped it in the post and she returned it.