When I was at university back in the day I was very fortunate twice to in the winter

tour on two occasions to tour Europe with a Shakespeare, Shakespeare plays. I once toured with the

Taming of the Shrew and once with King Lear a couple of years later,

incredible experience at such a young age.

We were on the road for sort of three weeks,

passing through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland,

where it's a Czech Republic, when it was still Czechoslovakia actually.

Gosh, it was that long ago and came back.

It was amazing.

And the first time I toured it was with the Taming of the Shrew and I played very badly.

I hasten to had, I played a character called Luccentio, who as far as I remember in the Taming of the Shree, he's one of the incidental characters.

He's a kind of like useless courtier, stroke young noblemen,

who I think he falls hopelessly in love and plays a bit of a sort of like subplot

to the main dynamic between Kate and whoever the other fella is who tames the shrew.

What an awful play that is, by the way.

I can't remember what happens to Lucentio,

but I do remember walking on stage of my first lines,

and in the company of my man-servant Tranio.

I walked on stage and I enter the scene, and this is why I'm telling you all of this.

I enter the scene in Padua and this was my opening speech.

Tranio. Since for the great desire I had to see fair Padua, nursery of the arts,

I am arrived for fruitful Lombardy, the pleasant garden of great Italy and by my father's love and leave

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