Encounter: Tony Richardson (1929-1991)

I knew Tony Richardson when we were both up at Oxford. Even in those days, Tony's life was dedicated to the plays he was directing: How he managed to satisfy his tutor for his academic work, I can hardly imagine. I was doing quite a lot of acting, both for the Oxford University Dramatic Society and the Experimental Theater company. For me it was sidelines, however for Tony it was the start of a distinguished career. My acting roles were typically small, often featuring old men. I enjoyed acting for Tony, whose genius was already apparent.