The Ladykillers | ChicanePictures

Michele Dotrice

It’s always a delight to see the wonderful Michele Dotrice, both on and off the stage. She is currently starring in the Globe’s transfer of Jessica Swale’s NELL GWYNN at the Apollo. It’s the saucy tale of a 17th Century orange-seller who becomes King Charles ll’s mistress. Michele plays Nell’s faithful dresser or as one critic called her,” befuddled wardrobe mistress.” Holly Williams in her Independent review said, “Special mention must go to Michele Dotrice… Her comic timing slays the audience.”

This is a drawing of Michele as Mrs Wilberforce, the ‘lady’ in THE LADYKILLERS which toured the UK in 2012/13. Michele kindly signed it for me at the Apollo stage door a couple of weeks ago. She was recently nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance in NELL, so I’ll have everything crossed for and hope she wins.

Collecting siggies from large casts can be murder! The celebrated Ealing comedy The Ladykillers had seven cast members – not in itself a large number, and in fact to some a lucky numeral, but collecting their graphs could be no laughing matter. Waiting at the stage door after the show can prove a problem, because they may all come out at once (or they may all stay in for drinkies). And, unlike school children, lining up on command so you can collect their scribble one at a time isn’t usually in the thespians repertoire. It was best, I thought, to get them going in. Stupidly I chose the final week, so if you miss, it’s curtains.

A the penultimate Saturday matinee, I duly arrived at the Gielgud Theatre stage door at high noon. Like clockwork, each cast member arrived… individually, and gladly signed. Peter Capaldi, Ben Miller, Stephen Wright. I had actually got Harry Peacock earlier, passing the Comedy Theatre where his wife, Katherine Parkinson, was performing. I then discovered that I could get the ‘killers’, but the ‘Lady’ had already gone in. Bugger. But, James Fleet to the rescue, “If you trust me with your drawing I’ll take it in for her and return it.”

Great stuff. He returned promptly with Marcia Warren’s ‘graphed sketch. Oh, and one of the ‘killers’ had left the show due to illness. Clive Rowe was in my drawing but not in the house, I eventually got his signature to complete the set at the Old Vic during the season of Kiss Me Kate, almost a year later!