Hello I'm Kirstie Young and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For rights reasons we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 1987 and the presenter was Michael Parkinson. Our castaway is without doubt from the Britain's most versatile actresses.

She's played everything from musicals to Shakespeare, review to restoration comedy, faster tragedy.

She's one of the few people I know to have been both a member of the Carry On Team and the National Theatre.

She is Dora Bryan.

Dora, welcome, it's amazing to think looking at your career.

You've been now in your profession for what, 51 years.

Yes, that's right, isn't it? It's an awful long time. I can't believe

it myself. I feel as if I'm still you know insecure and what's going to happen next

sort of. That never leaves you.

Oh no, I don't think it ever does.

You know, what's the next job and still the excitement of the next job,

just like it was when you were young.

You've just come out of

how a successful musical, Charlie Girl. Of all the things you've done,

which I've listed in the introduction, would I be writing to you that musicals are

your favorites? Well, when I was in Rep, I was in Rep for seven years and to get a marvelous part in a play is great.

It really is super.

Particularly if it's a funny part, well, it's got to be well written, you know,

not just, well, fast of course can be well written, but there's nothing like making an audience

laugh, but with musicals I just love the atmosphere backstage with the musical.

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