portrait by Hayley Masom

Reading, Stories and Drama

I have been a keen and active thespian since I was at school, which has given me great enjoyment acting in far-flung places such as Botswana and Oman.

Later in life, I took coaching sessions which culminated in my winning the Senior Drama Champion cup for Leicestershire in 1989.

I read voraciously to my children Rosie and George. Rosie was particularly fond of my taped recordings of Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti, The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde and The EnORmous Crocodile by Roald Dahl. And a good thing I did too! Rosie was diagnosed as having scotopic sensitivity recently, so she acquired most of her literary concepts and articulation through sound rather than sight. She has now graduated from university with an English degree.

I used to go to George's primary school during Reading Week and get the children to act out George's favourite story: Beware of Boys !

Work with Muscat Amateur Theatre included Annie in The Troll's Revenge (1992), Judy in Punch and Judy (1992), Ceres in The Tempest (1992), Maureen in One o' Clock from the House (1996), Fraulein Blumenblatt in On the Razzle (1997), Georgette in School for Wives (1998), Miss Trim in Bang, You're Dead! (1999) and Pamela in Nude with Violin (2000).

I enjoy reading with and reading to children from Year 1 to Year 7. I have run voice workshops for kids for four years now with East Leake Amateur Players (ELAPs), and directed their Christmas production of Pinocchio in 2002 and Excalibur, the panto , in 2005. ELAPs was one of three companies nominated in the annual Pantomime Alliance of Leicestershire awards in 2006, in the singing category, something of which I am rather proud.

Since returning to UK from Oman in 2000, I have played Demon Sheerspite in Red Riding Hood (2000), Toad in Milne's Toad of Toad Hall (2001), Councillor Mrs Pearce in Confusions (2002), Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest (2003) and Purl in Hercules (2003). I was LeClerc in 'Allo, 'Allo ! and The Fairy Godmother in Babes in the Wood in 2004, and played Gerry in Play On! in May 2005.

More work with ELAPs includes directing Excalibur! - the panto in December 2005, and ELAPs Juniors in Ernie's Incredible Illucinations in April 2008. A favourite performance was as the apparently batty Mrs Jarvis in Miss Glossop's Weekend Break in May 2007, followed by an impersonation of a leery, decrepit Dandini in Cinderella - not quite a panto in December 2007.

Arthritic hips caught up with me in 2008 but I did script and direct a mini-panto for East Midlands Speakers' Club, which we performed in a Toastmasters contest in Leamington Spa in November. Having done it once, I seem to have the job again in 2009 during my recovery from two hip replacements. It's great good fun. Nobody auditions. I just ask who wants to take part and then write the script around the participants.

Listen to recordings of my speaking and singing . See photos of me in performance.

Contact me if you would like me to perform at an event.