Fiachra Gibbons, arts correspondent
Friday December 21 2001
The Guardian

It is the stuff of West End legend. Three months ago, outside the threadbare world of fringe theatre, Sean Foley and Hamish McColl were not just poor and obscure – they were poor and obscure and getting dangerously close to 40. Now Hollywood stars are queuing up for the privilege of appearing on stage to be mercilessly sent up by the double act known as The Right Size.

The Play What I Wrote yesterday broke the record for the highest advance ticket sales of any play in West End history, beating the half a million pounds taken by Alan Bennett’s The Lady in a Van, starring Maggie Smith. And this from an opening so unpromising that David Pugh, the producer who turned Yasmina Reza’s gentle satire on pretentiousness, Art, into the modern Mousetrap, was beginning to doubt his Midas touch. “We had only 22,000 advance bookings which, if not the worst ever in the West End, is pretty close to it.”

To read more of the article, just click here.

And don’t forget for all those who are digitally enabled A Christmas Carol is showing on Hallmark (US). REG is also in Warlock on Sci Fi, and A Little Vampire on Pay Per View! What a popular fella!

Also for those who are “Downunder” A Christmas Carol is being shown in today at 12.30 PM on Channel 9. Reg is just right (as usual) and Patrick Stewart is very good indeed!

Sue writes:

“To all of the REGiment –

I will be doing other items for Waterford and one of the September 11th Disaster Funds in the future with more of Richard’s autographed items but I cannot say when. I may consider doing something on the list in the future via a silent auction if people are interested; provided I can think it through so that it is fair to all. Wishing all a Blessed Christmas and A Peaceful New Year!”

Thanks for doing that, Sue. Highly commendable and also showing a bit of the old “Christmas spirit”.

I’ve written up the accounts of Denise, Elaine and Emma from the other night when the three checked out Richard’s special appearance in “The Play What I Wrote” and got to meet with him backstage. Each review is on a separate web page to save on download times. You can read Denise’s review here, Elaine’s review here and Emma’s review here. Enjoy!

Pat has found a website called www.bibliofind.com which caters for out-of-print books. At the site you’ll find a collection of booksellers that specialize in rare and used books that can be found in the US or the UK (or anywhere else for that matter.) Pat says that last time she checked they had several copies of the Serpent’s Kiss tie-in book listed. At least one of the sellers was located in the UK. You just go to the site and type in the Serpent’s Kiss and it will take you to the page.

Apparently you deal with the seller and not the site and Pat has used the site before to find “By Design” and “The Making of the Scarlet Pimpernel.”

Nikki has also sent some new pics. The first 2 pictures are Richard at Fidelis Morgan’s book launch for her new book “The Rival Queens” at the RSA in Central London last month. You can check them out here.

The 3rd picture is Richard and Joan with Theo Fennell, a Jewellery Designer at the launch of his new collection held at the Collection Bar Restaurant in Chelsea also last month. You can find that one here.

There’s some pics from the Gosford Park Premiere which you can see here.

And finally here is a picture of Richard and Joan arriving at Dame Judi Dench’s 67th birthday celebration taken earlier this month at the Haymarket Theatre. Hopefully the programme should be aired on TV sometime in January.

Thanks to both Nikki and Pat.