Actors, Cakes and Andersen

Gad’s Hill was delighted to be visited by the cast of ‘Andersen’s English’ last week. The play, set in Gad’s Hill, looks at the somewhat infamous visit that Hans Christian Andersen made to the house, and the Dickens family.

The cast including former Heartbeat actress Niamh Cusack and David Rintoul, best known for his role as TV’s Dr. Finlay, spent the afternoon at Gad’s. The actors explored the former home of Charles Dickens, including the room that Andersen stayed in, and ended their visit with afternoon tea in the Conservatory. Joining them for Coffee and Walnut Cake were a number of pupils, all taking GCSE drama, who were treated to an impromptu performance of a scene from the play, that actually occurs in the conservatory at Gad’s Hill.

GCSE Drama student, Lucille Golson, said, ‘I am definitely considering an acting career and this was an amazing opportunity to speak to some successful actors and get their advice on what I should do. To actually have them do a scene from the play was a real surprise and completely inspiring’

Director of Drama, Tony Best, said ‘This was a real opportunity for our drama students and I hope it will further inspire them over the next few months as they continue their GCSE drama course here at Gad’s Hill. We will of course be looking forward to taking a number of our pupils to see the play when it ends its tour in London in a few months time.

The play written by Sebastian Barry, and directed by Max Stafford Clark, will open in February in Bury St Edmunds before touring Britain up until April.

Details of the tour can be found here.