Simon Russell Beale CBE visits Wycombe Abbey

Simon spoke principally about the A level set texts Othello and The Duchess of Malfi. He has played Iago in the former and Ferdinand in the latter and provided many pearls of wisdom and much food for thought. Miss Livesey has heard from a stream of girls how much they had enjoyed it and what a lot they got from it - even those who did not actually know the plays were mesmerised by the talk!

Conversation included references to Hamlet, Macbeth, Richard III and A Winter's Tale (all of which Simon has appeared in). He also spoke of recent productions such as London Assurance, Deathwatch and Alice in Wonderland for The Royal Ballet at Covent Garden. There was a lot of laughter when he demonstrated a few of his steps as the Duchess for us. It was a fabulous hour and a half and will be remembered fondly by us all.