Eddie Day-Reilly

In October 1982, I was one of a couple of dozen Secondary school kids, chosen to appear in a production of Forty Years On by Alan Bennett, at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing. It was a dedicated performance from the official Script which was an absolute joy to read. Getting to be a part of bringing this brilliant Play to the stage, has stuck with me always. It's a great read. It's fun, it's a play within a play, set in a Boy's school in the South Downs of Sussex, in a much more innocent age. A school where Rugby was the sport of choice and a place where "Boys will be Boys". Actor David King, who had appeared in many TV roles including "Some Mother's do have 'em", played the Headmaster, alongside several other established Actors and Actresses, including Granville Saxton, with whom I had to do a one on one scene with, which was really fun to do, ( if you're reading this Granville, do you remember the cane tip kept breaking off and flying across the stage? Lol), Granville has appeared in many plays, TV and Film appearances, including a role in the final 2 Harry Potter movies "The Deathly Hallows PT 1 & PT2". So if you want to escape from this seriously crazy, confused, world that we all now live in, and want to take an albeit brief trip back to better times, then Forty Years On is the read for you.