Dudley George - The Actor

The theatre has always fascinated me and yet my earliest recollections of acting are very faint I know I took part in a small play when was about 10, but the only thing that sticks in my memory is being "told off" for persistently looking out of the wrong imaginary window. My schooldays will certainly not rank among the happiest days of my life. I hated school and when drama lessons came round, my mind, as in most other lessons, was occupied with far more important things such as how to avoid going to school.

I next appeared on the stage with the local Youth Club in a Drama Festival and it was then that I realized what stage fright was. We attempted characterization by "Thornton Wilder" and in it I had to sit on a chair and go through the actions of driving a car. All went well until I lifted the front of my foot as if releasing a clutch then my nerves started playing havoc and my foot rose and fell as if beating time. Luckily no one seemed to notice and after what seemed like hours the movement gradually slowed down and stopped. That night I had a grand compliment paid to me by the adjudicator when he said that I had given "a gem of a performance."  I went home feeling very, very happy.

I did no more acting until I joined the "Pompadour Players" in the summer of 1950 and my chance came when they needed someone to take the part of "Admiral Juddy" in 'Rookery Nook’ at short notice.