I made my stage debut at the beautiful Regent

Theatre in Christchurch, Hampshire, October 2016.

I had the honour of playing the lead role of

'Sydney Carton'

in an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic 1859 novel

"A Tale of Two Cities".

Performing with the 'Regent Rep' theatre company, (who previously appeared on 'Sky Arts' Television and achieved 2nd place in a national competition of best amateur dramatic group in UK)

As a huge fan of Charles Dickens, a man whose novels changed Victorian society and woke people up to the truth of what was really happening in the world, I auditioned for this adaptation of his famous novel and was overjoyed to be awarded the role of Sydney Carton.

This was my first experience of performing on stage and I had to learn quickly, taking extra lessons from the director and learning all I could from every available source.

I was blessed to be performing with David and Valerie Gillard. Both very experienced actors and David was a professional Opera critic at Glyndebourne for the Daily Mail Newspaper for 40 years.

Both David and Val were hugely supportive and encouraging to me during my steep learning curve and I learnt a great deal about voice projection from David’s exquisite stage voice.

It was the most amazing experience and one I shall never forget.

I received wonderful praise from audiences and the experienced actors of Regent Rep, who invited me back to perform with them in their following, and final, production.

'Sydney' shall always "hold a sanctuary in my heart" (to quote him!).

Synopsis of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’.

The story begins in 1775, London. Since she was born, 18yr old Lucy Manette has been told that her father was dead, but now My Lorry tells her he is still alive and in Paris.

Her father, Dr Manette, was arrested 18yrs before and sent to the notorious Bastille prison, simply for witnessing a French aristocrat kill a peasant boy and Dr Manette planned to inform on him. (The aristocrats could have you framed and sent to prison for life for the slightest cause to suit their needs. The middle and lower class had no rights).

Lucy travels to Paris, after hearing he has been freed and living with a wine shop owner, Mr Defarge, to bring her father home.

Arriving back in London she bumps into a kind French aristocrat who has denounced his family's arrogant, evil ways (the Evremonde family) and taken on an English name as Charles Darnay, to begin life anew.

Enter Mr Barsad, a spy of the French aristocrats and plans to frame Darnay to have him deported back to France.

The trial at the Old Bailey ensues.

Sydney Carton is a barister's aid, partner to the barister Mr Stryver.

Sydney, although very intelligent (Dickens calls him the Jackal) wastes his life and his money on alcohol and women.... in between bouts of depression. Having lost both his parents at a young age, life has no meaning for him.

However, Sydney orchestrates the release of Darnay in the trial through a suggestion of mistaken identity. Sydney looks identical to Darnay and uses this as a reason that many people can look alike, and the witness was mistaken.

During the trial there is a clear attraction developed between the witness Lucy Manette and Darnay. Sydney is also attracted to Lucy but notices her attraction to Darnay and realises the futility of his own affections.

7 years pass, Lucy and Darnay are married. Darnay confesses to Lucy's father that it was his family in France who had him put in the Bastille. The shock causes a mental breakdown in Dr Manette, but he recovers and forgives Darnay, seeing what an honest, genuine man he is and that he denounced his aristocratic family.

Throughout these years, Sydney has become a friend of the Manette family who are forever grateful for him getting Darnay acquitted at the trial.

However, Sydney's feelings for Lucy have grown stronger, for the first time in his life he has a reason to live, his heart has been opened. He confesses this to Lucy. She cannot return his affection of course, but offers her compassion to him. Sydney understands the situation and vows to always do anything to make her, and her family, happy.

In France the chaos of the French Revolution has begun. The peasants are arresting every aristocrat and even anyone associated with them (maids and servants) and sentencing them all to be beheaded at the guillotine. 20 a day, 30 a day...

Darnay hears his kind servant back in France, Gabelle, has been arrested and he returns to France to try and save him.

Upon his return he is immediately arrested as an aristocrat and sent to prison, where he remains for 15 months, before eventually given a trial. But he is acquitted at the trail on account of him denouncing his French family (the Evremondes) years ago.

However, a letter is found that Dr Manette wrote while imprisoned in the Bastille many years ago, that he had hidden in his cell, saying he denounces the entire Evremonde family who sent him there, and all their descendants (written years before he even knew Darnay of course). The Revolutionaries use this as an excuse to arrest Darnay immediately again, ignoring Dr Manette's pleas. This time there is no hope.

Sydney has all but been forgotten by Darnay during these traumatic events of the last 15 months.

But Sydney has never forgotten his promise to Lucy.

He travels to Paris to try and help. He is surprised to find Mr Barsad (the aristocrats spy) now working as a prison guard for the Revolutionaries under a false name, and Sydney blackmails him into letting him go see Darnay in his prison cell.

Sydney tells nobody of his plan. Simply giving certain instructions to Mr Lorry to have a carraige waiting for him outside the prison.

When he visits Darnay, he tells him to change clothes with him. Then uses a potion to make Darnay faint. On the assumption they look alike, he instructs Mr Barsad to take the fainted 'Sydney' (Darnay in his clothes) to the awaiting carriage outside, saying the 'visitor' was overcome with grief and fainted, and to tell Mr Lorry to drive like the devil to England (Lucy, Dr Manette, her guardian Miss Pross, and Lucie's child are all in the carriage awaiting their unsuspected passenger).

And so Darnay is secretly reunited with his family and led to safety

.....and Sydney goes to the guillotine in place of Darnay...

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done"