Owen Teale and Oliver Cotton played the same character in the revival of Peter Nichol’s Passion Play at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London’s West End in the middle of 2013.

An initially happy 25 year marriage becomes strained to breaking point when the husband embarks on an affair with a woman half his age.

Owen played the husband (James) opposite Zoe Wanamaker. But each has an identically dressed alter ego, respectively played by Oliver (Jim) and Samantha Bond, who depicts the character’s interior thoughts and feelings.

Owen won the 1997 Tony Award for his performance as Torvald in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House at the Belasco Theatre. Oliver’s prolific stage career was founded on his extensive work at the National during the time Sir Laurence Olivier was its articsic director. He also writes scripts for both stage and screen. They both signed my sketch at the theatre in June 2013.