*** Great actors
*** Another sketch transcribed by Dr.Doom
*** from "Matching tie and handkerchief"


Prg.man:Just starting on BBC-one now: Victoria Regina; the inspiring tale
	of the simple crofters daughter, who worked her way up to become
	queen of England and empress of the greatest empire, television has
	ever seen.
	But right now, it's time for "Great Actors", Introduced as usual by
	Alan Simon.
Alan:	Sir Edwin, which has been for you the most demanding of the great
	Shakespeare and tragic heros that you've played?
Edwin:	Well, ofcourse this is always a difficult one, but I think the answer
	must be "Hamlet".
Alan:	Which you played at Stratford in 1963.
Edwin:	That's right, yes. I found the role a very taxing one. I mean
	"Hamlet" has 8262 words, you see...
Alan:	Really...
Edwin:	Oh, yes the theatre are *packed too, mind you. Especially the
	cleaning up afterwards, but he has 941 words less than
	hamlet, on the other hand, the coul's got more pauses. 62 quite long
	one as I recall, but then, they're not so tricky you see, you don't
	have to do much during them.
Alan:	You don't?
Edwin:	No. No not really and they give you time to think what sort of face
	you're going to pull during the next speach, so that it fits the
	words you're saying as far as possible.
Alan:	How many words did you have to say as King Lear at the Anglesey
	in '52?
Edwin:	Ah, well I don't want you to get the impression is just the question
	of the number of words. Ah... I mean getting them in the right order
	is just as important. Old Peter Hold used to say to me "they're all
	there ready; now we got to get them in the right order". And for
	example you can also say one word louder than another: Ah
	"To BE or not to be" or "To be OR not to BE" or "To be or not to BE"
	you see? And so on.
Alan:	Inflection?
Edwin:	And ofcourse inflection. Infactly has only 7054 but the real
	difficulty with Lear is that you've got to play them all, you know
	shaky legs and the dencious coming out 'cos he's anxious as hell.
	And then there's that heart-rending scene when he goes right of his
	nuts, you know bublubllbiiubbb bibibi and all that which takes it
	out of you when having the crown to keep on. So Lear is tiering but
	not difficult to act, as you only got to do the spear, and a bit of
	anger, and that's the easiest.
Alan:	Are they? What are the hardest?
Edwin	Oohh. Fear
Alan	Fear?
Edwin:	Mmmm, yes never been able to get that, I can't do the mouth I look
	all crossed, it's a very fine line.
Alan:	What else?
Edwin:	Apart from fear; ohh jealousy can be tricky but for me the most
	difficult is beeing in love: You know that open mouth, vague look
	that Vanessa Redgrave got off to her *tea, can't do that at all,
	also I'm frightfully awkward when I try that happy pronouncing, you
	know it is a shame really, 'cos otherwise Romeo is very good for me
	only 3008 and quite a lot of climbing and kissing.
Alan:	Sir Edwin; get stuffed.
Edwin:	I've enjoyed it.