Mr Foote’s Other Leg | ChicanePictures

Madame Thenadier Jenny Galloway The wonderful Jenny Galloway is currently playing Mrs G in the West End transfer of MR FOOTE’S OTHER LEG at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. The double Lawrence Olivier Award winner’s character, Mrs Garner was described by The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish as a ‘fibbertigibbet’… a word that had not registered in my vocabulary bank until now. It is a Middle English word for a ‘flighty or whimsical person’ or in more contemporary times, slang for ‘gossipy or over-talkative’.

Jenny’s long and distinguished stage career includes the role of Madame Thenardier in LES MISERABLES on both the West End and Broadway boards and the 10th and 25th Anniversary performances. She can also be heard on the cast recording of the show as well as OLIVER!, MAMMA MIA! and MARY POPPINS.

Jenny’s versatility came to the fore at the Haymarket stage door in the pouring rain a few nights ago when I asked her to sign this sketch. I held the drawing and she worked the sharpie pen while holding my umbrella… a real trooper, as they say in show business and not a drop of H2O on the paper.

Mr Foote's Other Leg

Thanks to the kindness of our friends Richard and Graham, Frankie and I enjoyed an excellent evening at the Theatre Royal Haymarket a couple of weeks ago to see one of the best plays in the West End at the moment, MR FOOTE’S OTHER LEG.

With the brilliant Simon Russell Beale in the lead role as the trailblazing Georgian actor,playwright, theatre manager, cross-dressing comic and ‘consummate wag’ Samuel Foote, supported by an equally brilliant cast including Dervla Kirwan, Joseph Milson and Micah Balfour the entertainment of the highest order was assured.

Ian Kelly’s play, based on the biography of the same name premiered at the Hampstead Theatre earlier this year under the direction of Richard Eyre, before transferring, appropriately to the Theatre Royal Haymarket, the very venue that Foote owned, securing the Royal patent. Described as the ‘Oscar Wilde of the 18th Century’, Samuel Foote lost a leg to a riding accident, but didn’t lose his desire to stay on stage. “The show must hop on!” His name fitted (oh the irony!) his fate.

He became more reckless and his entrepreneur career abruptly ended with accusations of sodomy. This sketch featuring Simon, Dervla, Joseph and Micah was baptized with London’s autumnal rains as I managed to get all four to sign it after two attempts at the uncovered stagedoor. Obviously Mr Foote didn’t think of us graphemes back in his day.