Shakespeare or Bust by Peter Terson, directed by lovely Brian Parker
I’d cut ‘The Fishing Party’, directed by Michael Simpson, who was at that stage director of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. So it was great to return to such excellent material, working with Brian Parker. A party of us went to see Brian Glover wrestle in Wolverhampton. Now Brian had had trouble being allowed to ‘have a go’, until one night the continental Super Star didn’t turn up, so they said, ‘You’re on! But you’re not Brian Glover, you are Leon Arras!’ So that’s the name Brian fought under, until one dreadful night a great Frenchman turned up, poked him in the chest, and said, ‘Vous est NOT Leon Arras, pour moi est le REAL Leon Arras!’ After that it was ‘Brian Glover’ who took to the ring! The night we went was the most hilarious of my life. When Brian was on top NO ONE could have looked more smug and arrogant! How we boo-ed! Then with one flick, he was on the floor, being squashed! NO ONE could have looked more abject, and hard done by. We were weeping with laughter…….
When Peter Terson came to see the rough cut. He was covered in blood. We didn’t like to ask what had happened. Had he murdered someone?
