Gyles Brandreth

Yeah.

And I want us to do it.

It's a modern Chekhov with the verbal flair of John Osborne.

Yeah, it's that good.

And when I read it in bed...

Have I ever reported that I always sleep on the right side of the bed?

I said, yes, out loud.

And I gave it to Michelle and she said, yes.

And Noel, who is my partner running the Oxford Theatre Festival, he said, yes, as well.

And today I went down to Chichester to meet Alan Burdell, to talk to him about it.

And he said, no.

He could have said no on the telephone, but he thought it more courteous to drag us down to Chichester so that he could say no in person.

Oh, dear.

Actually, I liked him.

He is small and serious and a wonderful actor, intelligent, interesting, with a unique voice and that something extra that makes him both watchable and a star.

But he seems to have reached the age and stage they seem to reach, compare him with Ian Carmichael, when they prefer to talk about plays and projects than actually take them on.

Have you heard of Alan Burdell?

He was hugely famous, Harriet.

Hugely famous in his day.

You might know his picture.