An evening with Murray Melvin

I find myself at something of a loss for words. An hour ago, I had the honour of being able to sit and listen to acclaimed actor Murray Melvin speak about his craft, his experiences and his work with the company, Theatre Workshop.

All grace and elegance, Murray was a pleasure to listen to. There were no words wasted as he covered a wide range of stories, from a humorous recollection of his very first audition with Joan Littlewood, to an emotional encounter at a Doctor Who convention. He also spoke at great length regarding his role as archivist at Theatre Royal Stratford East, along with the history of the building and his many memories of the theatre. His recollections of making the tea for the company, his first role as a messenger in Macbeth and his defining role as Geoffrey Ingham in A Taste of Honey were told with great fondness, as were his many other stories.

He explained his acting techniques originating in Laban, picked out moments of his life and shared his thoughts on the importance of works such as Oh, What A Lovely War!, Murray remained fascinating throughout, regaling us with stories both amusing and upsetting. It was a wonderful evening, and I feel honoured to have been able to be in the presence of such an inspirational, influential and exceptional man.

Edward Spence