By Gad, Sir

Stop me - or skip the next paragraph - if you've heard this one before...

The story goes that the Duke of Wellington, on the eve of the battle of Waterloo (we're talking the 1815 head-to-head with Napoleon and his troops, not bands of commuters fighting to get on the 18.15 to Hounslow) cast an eye over the dregs of society that made up the British army and uttered the immortal words "I don't know what effect they will have on the enemy, but by Gad, sir, they terrify me."

I was reminded of Wellington's words this afternoon during the first rehearsal for Clouds of Grey. I was on stage in a confrontation between my character and a member of the local constabulary, with the director and other actors watching. Out of the darkness someone commented that I was very scary. Well, I thought, if I have that impact on the rest of the cast when I'm still uncertain of my lines and cues, it looks as if the audience is going to get their money's worth of thrills . . .