Happy Families.......continued.....,..by Vic Davey

I had a Cousin, twice removed, who was an Actor of some note but whose career came to an unexpected and premature end.

He was into Drama from a young age, School productions, Pantomime etc. and he joined a local Amateur Dramatic group. After leaving school, he acted with a Repertory Company, performing everything from Panto to Ibsen, but his favourite was always Shakespeare.

Anyway, he was recommended to RADA, auditioned for them and obtained a scholarship and after three years, graduated and was offered a job at The Old Vic in London. He just had bit parts to begin with but learned from the best, Gielgud, Olivier and Mills. 

Then his chance came in a production of his beloved Shakespeare,  "A Midsummer Nights Dream" with Ralph Richardson. Audiences and Theatre Critics alike raved over his Bottom, one critic announcing he'd never seen a Bottom quite like it.

Unfortunately his career was not to last. He was performing Hamlet for the RSC and it was the "Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well" scene. He strode across the stage, Yorick's skull in hand when he tripped and fell straight on his Soliloquy. 

As he landed, centre stage, his cod piece became jammed in the skull's eye socket and unfortunately had to be surgically removed.......

The last anyone heard of him, he was the back end of the Pantomime Cow in Jack and the Beanstalk.....