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New Seekers
Sentimental Seventies
(CD cover).
New Seekers
Beg, Steal Or Borrow
(CD cover).
Blood Brothers
Methuen
Publishing Ltd.
On 9th May,
just a few days
after Lyn Paul's
last night
in the
West End
production
of the show,
Methuen publish
a new paperback
edition of
Blood Brothers.
Lyn Paul
as Dick Whittington,
December 2001
(Windsor)
Click on the photo
for the
full size image:
(32 K).
Dick Whittington
programme
(Theatre Royal,
Windsor).
Jesus Christ
Superstar
London Revival Cast
(CD cover).
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No More Tears
(Enough Is Enough)
Lyn Paul takes a break from the West End production of Blood Brothers to spend Christmas and New Year with her family. She returns on 15th January and stays in the show until 5th May.
The last night is a memorable occasion, with Lyn giving an exuberant and emotional farewell performance. Fans are treated to one of Lyn's trademark growls during Bright New Day, a song delivered with enthusiasm by all the cast. In the Second Act songs such as Marilyn Monroe [Prison scene], Light Romance and Tell Me It's Not True are sung with real conviction. Lyn's phrasing, as ever, is superb - the tremor in her voice as she sings "With grace for good behaviour"; the crescendo on "But he's feelin' fifteen years older" and the mournful crack in her voice on the word "price" in Light Romance.
Lyn's mum and dad are at the Phoenix Theatre that night to provide moral support and to drive her home afterwards. Lyn leaves the theatre to tumultuous applause and weighed down with bouquets of flowers. Asked what she'll be doing next, Lyn jokes that she'll look for a part where she doesn't have to cry every night!
Lyn Paul pictured with Stephen Palfreman
on a poster outside the Phoenix Theatre.
 
On 26th February a new compilation of New Seekers' hits is released on CD with the title Beg, Steal Or Borrow.
It comes hard on the heels of another CD entitled SENTIMENTAL SEVENTIES: the Best of the New Seekers. This features tracks originally released on the New Seekers' Together album, including the hit singles I Get A Little Sentimental Over You and You Won't Find Another Fool Like Me.
With nostalgia for the 1970s still strong, BBC2 repeat the I Love the '70s series first shown in 2000. I Love 1972 features Lyn Paul and Paul Layton talking about the New Seekers. The programme is shown on 2nd June, with another repeat on Christmas Eve.
Lyn Paul also appears on a television programme called '70s Mania. Hosted by Donny Osmond and featuring appearances by Dana, the Brotherhood of Man and David Essex, the programme is first broadcast on ITV on Saturday, 16th June at 8.45pm and is repeated on ITV1 on 22nd December.
Lyn takes a Summer holiday in Spain, then returns to the UK to record an appearance on the lunchtime TV drama Doctors. The programme is broadcast on BBC1 on Wednesday, 10th October.
After a second holiday in Spain Lyn records an appearance on the Remembrance Sunday edition of Songs Of Praise. Filmed at York Minster, the programme is broadcast on 11th November at 5.35pm (BBC1). It features Peter Skellern singing a new hymn, Rest In Peace (Rise In Glory), written in memory of the victims of the 11th September plane attacks in the USA. Lyn sings a moving version of Bring Him Home from the musical Les Misérables.
On Saturday, 13th October Peter Doyle dies. Lyn hears the news the next day.
On Sunday, 28th October Lyn takes part in a charity concert in Maidenhead to raise money for Joe Duncan. Joe has cerebral palsy and the funds raised are used to send Joe for treatment at the International Petö Institute in Budapest, Hungary.
At the end of November, with the panto season fast approaching, Lyn begins rehearsals for Dick Whittington. The show opens at the Theatre Royal in Windsor on Wednesday, 5th December and also stars magician Paul Daniels, his wife Debbie McGee, GMTV's Louise Perry, Trevor Bannister (from Are You Being Served) and Christopher Beeny (from Upstairs, Downstairs). In an e-mail to the website Lyn writes: "We are doing 13 shows a week. Guess who is shattered!"
The panto in general and Lyn in particular receive rave reviews in the local press.
"Even though she only sings two or three songs, former 'New Seeker' Lyn Paul makes a striking impression as a fine and wonderfully musical Dick Whittington - as well as having a figure to die for."
(Windsor Observer, 14th December 2001)
Dick Whittington leaflet
On 13th December Lyn gets a day off from Dick Whittington to record a brief appearance in a TV drama, In Deep. The programme features Stephen Tompkinson and former EastEnders actor Nick Berry as undercover detectives. Lyn plays the part of Amanda, a lesbian arranging a date on the internet.
On 17th and 22nd December Granada Plus show a repeat of the mid-70s TV variety show The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club. Lyn Paul appeared on the programme singing the Charlie Rich hit Behind Closed Doors.
Incidentally ...
When guitar strumming Dean (a contestant on Channel 4's reality TV show Big Brother) was voted out of the Big Brother house on Friday, 27th July, the song chosen to herald his walk from the house was none other than the New Seekers' I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing - alas, not the original version featuring Lyn Paul and Eve Graham but the re-recording featuring Donna Jones.
With its West End run at an end, Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical Sunset Boulevard sets off on a UK tour. Lyn Paul's sister Nikki Belsher joins the cast as a member of the Ensemble, with Faith Brown in the lead role of Norma Desmond. The tour kicks off at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth on Tuesday, 14th August. It moves on to the Newcastle Theatre Royal (11th September - 6th October), then travels to the New Theatre in Hull (9th - 27th October), the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton (6th November - 8th December) and ends the year at the Edinburgh Playhouse (12th December - 12th January 2002).
The London Revival Cast recording of Jesus Christ Superstar, first released in the UK in 2000, is released in the USA (Sony). The recording features Nikki as Soul / Herod Girl 2, with Jerome Pradon as Judas and Rik Mayall as Herod.
| In the News - 2001 |
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Jan
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Peter Mandelson resigns from the UK government over the Hinduja passport scandal.
A huge earthquake devastates the Gujarat region of India. 25,000 people are killed.
On 18th January the funeral takes place of Damilola Taylor, the ten-year-old boy murdered on his way home from an after-school computer club in Peckham in November 2000.
On 20th January George W. Bush is inaugurated as the 43rd President of the USA.
The carers of eight-year-old Anna Climbié are found guilty of her murder.
Twins adopted on the internet by a British couple, Alan and Judith Kilshaw, are taken into protective custody by police and social services.
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Feb
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Ariel Sharon defeats Ehud Barak in the Israeli election for Prime Minister.
A car blocking the track causes a collision between two trains near Selby in Yorkshire. Thirteen people are killed. This is the third serious rail accident in the UK in 18 months.
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Mar
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Foot and mouth disease spreads across the UK. As a result Local Government elections are postponed till June.
Glenn Hughes, the leatherman from Village People, dies of lung cancer on 4th March.
On Thursday, 8th March Donald Campbell's speedboat Bluebird, used in his fatal attempt to break the world water-speed record in 1967, is recovered from the bottom of Coniston Water in Cumbria.
The UK's Europe Minister, Keith Vaz, is cleared of complaints made against him relating to his business affairs but he is criticised by the House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee for failing to answer questions "fully and promptly." On 29th March the Minister is admitted to hospital after passing out in his office for a few minutes.
Cartoonist William Hanna dies on 22nd March, aged 90.
Stuart Lubbock, a butcher from Essex, is found dead in the swimming pool at the home of entertainer Michael Barrymore.
At midnight on 31st March the Mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, officiates at the world's first state-sanctioned gay marriages, only minutes after the law allowing it comes into force.
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Apr
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The former President of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, is arrested and remanded in custody in Belgrade on 1st April.
A United States EP-3 spy plane is forced to land in China following a mid-air collision with one of two Chinese F-8 fighter planes tracking it. The Chinese plane crashes and the pilot is killed.
Shoppers in Paris demonstrate in the streets and sign a "book of condolences" in protest at the proposed closure of 18 Marks & Spencer stores in France and 20 others in Europe.
The number of tourists visiting Britain takes a tumble as the foot and mouth crisis continues.
Harry Secombe dies on 12th April, aged 79.
US billionaire Dennis Tito becomes the world's first space tourist.
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May
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TV presenter Ted Rogers dies on Wednesday, 2nd May.
Train robber Ronnie Biggs returns to Britain on 7th May. He is arrested upon arrival at Northolt Airport.
President Bush gives the go-ahead to the USA's controversial Star Wars missile defence system.
Perry Como dies on 12th May, aged 88.
On 16th May the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, punches a protester who threw an egg at him during a visit to Rhyl.
23 people are killed and hundreds injured at a wedding party in Jerusalem on 24th May when the dance floor at the Versailles wedding hall collapses.
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Jun
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On 1st June King Birendra and Queen Aiswarya of Nepal and six other members of the Nepalese Royal family are murdered. At the outset the massacre is officially claimed to be an accident. Crown Prince Dipendra, who is later admitted to be the assassin, dies on 3rd June.
In the UK general election the Labour Party is returned to power with another huge majority.
Pervez Musharraf becomes President of Pakistan on 20th June.
Hollywood star Jack Lemmon dies on 27th June.
Carry On actress Joan Simms dies on the same day, aged 81.
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July
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Barry George is sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando.
A British Airways Concorde makes its first test flights since its withdrawal form service on 15th August 2000.
On 19th July millionaire novelist Jeffrey Archer is jailed for four years after being found guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice.
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Aug
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Larry Adler dies on 6th August, aged 87.
Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise get divorced on 8th August.
Betty Everett, who recorded the original version of It's In His Kiss, dies on 19th August.
Neil Hamilton, the former Tory MP and junior minister, and his wife Christine are arrested and questioned by detectives on 10th August over allegations of a serious sexual assault. On 28th August the charges against them are dropped.
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Sep
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460 refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka who had been rescued from their sinking boat by a Norwegian registered freighter, the MS Tampa, are refused entry into Australia.
Commonwealth ministers from Britain, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia and Jamaica meet in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to settle the crisis caused by the invasion of white-owned farm land in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe promises to "restore the rule of law" after 18 months of invasions, intimidation and violence. Britain agrees to fund a "fair, just and sustainable" redistribution of land.
On Tuesday, 11th September the darkest hour comes after dawn. Four hijacked airliners crash in the USA, destroying both towers of the World Trade Center in New York and causing damage to the Pentagon. Thousands perish.
On 13th September it is announced that Iain Duncan Smith has been elected leader of the Conservative Party. The result was originally due on 12th September, but was delayed because of the terror attacks in the United States.
On 27th September a gunman kills 14 MPs in the regional Parliament in Zug, Switzerland.
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Oct
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A Russian airliner crashes into the Black Sea on 4th October, killing all 78 passengers and crew. A week later the Ukraine admits that the airliner had been shot down by its military.
Letters containing anthrax are posted to the offices of US news media and US government departments. A British photographic editor, Bob Stevens, who worked at the offices of American Media in Florida, is the first to die of anthrax poisoning.
On 7th October the US Air Force begins a bombing campaign against the Taleban regime in Afghanistan.
On 8th October a private jet crossing the runway in thick fog at Milan's Linate airport collides with another plane as it is taking off. All 104 passengers and six crew on board the Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight 686 to Copenhagen are killed. The two passengers and two crew members on board the private jet also die.
On 17th October the Israeli tourism minister, Revaham Ze'evi, is assassinated by Palestinian gunmen in a Jerusalem hotel in revenge for Israel's killing of Abu Ali Mustafa, the Popular Front leader. The Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, suspends all diplomatic contacts with the Palestinian Authority and bans its leader, Yasser Arafat, from using Gaza airport. The violence in Palestine escalates.
General John de Chastelain, the decommissioning chief in Northern Ireland, confirms on 23rd October that he had seen "a significant event in which the IRA has put a quantity of arms completely beyond use".
Two lorries collide head-on and burst into flames on Wednesday, 24th October, one mile from the south exit of the Gotthard road tunnel in the Alps. Eleven people die in the blaze.
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Nov
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Air France and British Airways concordes begin commercial passenger flights again on 7th November for the first time since an Air France aircraft crashed near Paris in July 2000.
On 12th November American Airlines Flight 587 to the Dominican Republic crashes into the Rockaway neighbourhood of New York shortly after take off.
Northern Alliance soldiers capture Kabul from the Taleban on 13th November.
Pop hitmaker Jonathan King begins a seven-year jail sentence on 21st November for sex offences against five boys.
Mary Whitehouse dies on 23rd November.
George Harrison dies of cancer on 29th November, aged 58.
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Dec
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On 3rd December the energy company Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with debts of $16 billion.
Roy Whiting receives a life sentence for the murder of schoolgirl Sarah Payne.
12 people are killed when 5 gunmen burst into the Indian Parliament in Delhi. The gunmen are among those killed.
12 British and 2 Dutch plane spotters are released on bail after spending five weeks in a Greek jail on spying charges.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is re-opened to the public on 15th December following restoration work to prevent it from toppling over, which began in 1990.
Singer-songwriter Clifford T. Ward dies on 18th December, aged 57.
A state of emergency is declared in Argentina following the collapse of the economy and the outbreak of violence on the streets.
Sir Nigel Hawthorne, best-known for his role as Sir Humphrey in the TV series Yes Minister, dies on 26th December of a heart attack, aged 72.
After 5 years together pop group Steps announce they are splitting up.
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| In the Charts |
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| UK Chart Debuts |
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- Daniel Bedingfield
- Blue
- Dido
- Nelly Furtado
- Gorillaz
- Hear'Say
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| UK Best-selling Singles |
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- Afroman
Because I Got High
- Christina Aguilera / Lil' Kim / Mya / Pink
Lady Marmalade
- Anastacia
Not That Kind
- Atomic Kitten
Eternal Flame
- Atomic Kitten
Whole Again
- Victoria Beckham
Not Such An Innocent Girl
- Daniel Bedingfield
Gotta Get Thru This
- Blue
All Rise
- Bob the Builder
Mambo No. 5
- Emma Bunton
What Took You So Long?
- Dandy Warhols
Bohemian Like You (re-issue)
- Dido
Thank You
- DJ Otzi
Hey Baby
- DJ Pied Piper
Do You Really Like It?
- Sophie Ellis Bextor
Murder On The Dancefloor
- Nelly Furtado
I'm Like A Bird
- Gabrielle
Out Of Reach
- Gorillaz
Clint Eastwood
- David Gray
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
- Gordon Haskell
How Wonderful You Are
- Hear'Say
Pure and Simple
- I Monster
Daydream In Blue
- Ronan Keating
Lovin' Each Day
- Limp Bizkit
My Way
- Limp Bizkit
Rollin'
- Jennifer Lopez
Love Don't Cost A Thing
- Kylie Minogue
Can't Get You Out Of My Head
- The Ones
Flawless
- Riva featuring
Dannii Minogue
Who Do You Love Now
- S Club 7
Don't Stop Movin'
- S Club 7
Have You Ever?
- Shaggy
Angel
- Shaggy featuring Rik Rok Ducent
It Wasn't Me
- Stereophonics
Handbags and Gladrags
- Stereophonics
Have A Nice Day
- Train
Drops Of Jupiter (Tell Me)
- Travis
Sing
- Westlife
Queen Of My Heart
- Westlife
Uptown Girl
- Wheatus
Teenage Dirtbag
- Robbie Williams
Eternity / Road To Mandalay
- Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman
Somethin' Stupid
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Hit Albums |
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- Ryan Adams
Gold
- Mary Chapin Carpenter
time* sex* love*
- Shawn Colvin
Whole New You
- Nanci Griffith
Clock Without Hands
- Michael Jackson
Invincible
- Elton John
Songs From The West Coast
- Alison Krauss and Union Station
New Favorite
- Nick Lowe
The Convincer
- K. T. Oslin
Live Close By, Visit Often
- Dolly Parton
Little Sparrow
- Rod Stewart
Human
- Pam Tillis
Thunder and Roses
- Lucinda Williams
Essence
- Trisha Yearwood
Inside Out
- Various Artists
Earl Scruggs and Friends
- Westlife
World Of Our Own
- Robbie Williams
Swing When You're Winning
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| At the Movies |
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- A.I.
- Best In Show
- Bridget Jones's Diary
- Captain Corelli's Mandolin
- Cats and Dogs
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- Jurassic Park 3
- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
- The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring
- Moulin Rouge
- Planet of the Apes
- Shrek
- Woman On Top
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| On Television |
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- Absolutely Fabulous
(Series 4)
- Banzai
- Bedtime
- Big Brother 2
- The Blue Planet
- Celebrity Big Brother
- Crossroads
- Dog Eat Dog
- Faking It
- The Kumars at No. 42
- Linda Green
- The Office
(Series 1)
- Pop Idol
- Popstars
- Raw Spice
- Richard and Judy
(Channel 4)
- Rolf On Art
- So, Graham Norton
(Series 4)
- Teachers
- 24
- The Waiting Game
(Ruby Wax)
- What Not To Wear
- When Louis Met the Hamiltons
- When Louis Met Paul and Debbie
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| Sporting Heroes |
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BBC Sport
BBC
Sports Personality
of the Year:
David Beckham
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Tennis: In January Andre Agassi retains the men's singles title at the Australian Open.
Jennifer Capriati wins the women's singles at the Australian Open and follows that with another victory at the French Open in June.
Venus Williams retains her Wimbledon title, beating Justine Henin in the women's singles final. She also retains her title at the US Open with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over her sister Serena.
Goran Ivanisevic, who had been given a wild card to enter the tournament, wins the Wimbledon men's singles title, beating Britain's Tim Henman in a rain delayed semi final and then beating Pat Rafter in the final (6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7).
In the US Open Final Pete Sampras loses to Australian hot shot Lleyton Hewitt. Hewitt ends the year as the No.1 player on the Men's Tour.
Sailing: In February 24 year old Ellen MacArthur crosses the finish line of the round the world yacht race, making her the youngest and fastest woman to sail solo around the world.
Golf: Tiger Woods completes his collection of Grand Slam tournament victories by winning the US Masters. In so doing he becomes the first player to simultaneously hold all four major titles.
In July David Duval wins the 130th Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
Retief Goosen wins the US Open; David Toms wins the USPGA.
Football: Manchester United clinch their third Premiership title in a row on 14th April but the following week the team is knocked out of the European Cup by Bayern Munich.
Liverpool beat Arsenal 2:1 in the FA Cup Final and four days later go on to beat Alaves 5:4 in the UEFA Cup Final.
Sven Goran Erikson becomes coach of the England football team in January. En route to qualifying for the World Cup Finals England beat Germany 5:1. On 6th October David Beckham secures England's place in the 2002 Finals with an extra-time goal in the team's match against Greece.
Snooker: Ronnie O'Sullivan reaches the final of the World Snooker Championship for the first time. He beats John Higgins 18:14.
In December O'Sullivan wins the UK Championship for the third time, beating Ken Doherty 10:1 in the final.
Motor Sport: Michael Schumacher's victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix brings with it the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship for the second year in a row and a share of Alain Prost's record of 51 F1 wins.
Richard Burns finishes third in the Network Q Rally of Great Britain to become the first Englishman to win the World Rally Championship.
Cycling: Lance Armstrong wins the Tour de France for the third year in a row.
Rugby: England win the Six Nations Championship but Ireland spoil the party by beating England in their last match.
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| Page-turners |
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Man Booker Prize
Winner:
Peter Carey
True History Of The Kelly Gang
Ian McEwan
Atonement
Andrew Miller
Oxygen
David Mitchell
number9dream
Rachel Seiffert
The Dark Room
Ali Smith
Hotel World
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Who said that?
Acting
Bobbi: I tell ya, Jackie. It's a rough business. 10% talent, 20% looks, and 70% is luck of the draw.
Jack: God, that's so depressing. I mean, you want to believe that sexual favours play some part in it.
Bobbi Adler (Debbie Reynolds) and Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes), 'Will & Grace'
Acting is all about honesty. If you can fake that, you've got it made.
George Burns (attrib.)
Acting is not the things you say, it's the things you don't say.
Judi Dench
You see, the more you have to offer as a person, the better you are as an actress. Acting's really just giving.
Alan Bennett, 'Her Big Chance'
('Talking Heads')
I'm from the "let's pretend" school of acting.
Harrison Ford
The most minor of gifts ... After all, Shirley Temple could do it at the age of four.
Katherine Hepburn
The most important thing in acting is to be able to laugh and cry. If I have to cry, I think of my sex life. If I have to laugh, I think of my sex life.
Glenda Jackson
To be a good actor or actress or anything else in the theatre means wanting to be that more than anything else in the world ... It means the concentration of desire, ambition and sacrifice such as no other profession demands.
Gary Merrill, 'All About Eve'
A question of absorbing other people's personalities and adding some of your own experience.
Paul Newman
Acting has been described as farting about in disguise.
Peter O'Toole
I don't go for this Method-acting stuff. I'm never going to be a Meryl Streep. But then, she'll never be a Dolly Parton either.
Dolly Parton
Acting is not being emotional, but being able to express emotion.
Kate Reid
Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people from coughing.
Ralph Richardson
Enough!
You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.
James Agee
Nostalgia
Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory.
Franklin P. Adams
Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.
Jane Austen, 'Pride and Prejudice'
To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it more fit for its prime function of looking forward.
Margaret Fairless Barber
Live out of your imagination, not your history.
Arthur Bryan
There is no future in the past.
Noël Coward, Diaries, 10th December 1954
The past always looks better than it was; it's only pleasant because it isn't here.
Finley Peter Dunne
The past is never dead. It's not even past.
William Faulkner, 'Requiem For A Nun'
Living in the past is a dull and lonely business; looking back strains the neck muscles, causes you to bump into people not going your way.
Edna Ferber
We can draw lessons from the past but we cannot live in it.
Lyndon B. Johnson
The old days were the old days. And they were great days. But now is now.
Don Rickles
Pantomime
You dress up, you overact and you mess around.
Julian Clary,
The Independent, Thursday, 7th December 2006, page 21.
Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee
So, Debbie McGee, what first attracted you to millionaire Paul Daniels?
Mrs. Merton (Caroline Aherne), 'The Mrs. Merton Show'
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