As 2019 fades away, I’m reflecting on what an utterly amazing year it was. The Tibetan monks say travel to a new place at least once every twelve months. Well since January 2019 I’ve been to the east coast of Northern Ireland to film, Frankfurt to visit my bessie being brilliant in his play, visited parts of New York I have never seen for Doctor Who conventions, ditto Chicago and spent my youngest grandson’s first birthday with him in Turkey.
I’ve done four different television parts, two of them playing seriously ill old women (messed up medication in Doctors and suicide (or was it?) in Silent Witness. I turned into Mary Poppins and an alien , had slime thrown over me and rocked up on a Harley Davison in Secret Life of Boys (currently available on iPlayer), and been a bitter older sister to the glorious Amanda Redman in Bumps. The pilot received wonderful feedback and we are waiting with everything crossed for a go ahead on a full series.
I also had a fabulous West End run (nominated best actress) in Vincent River and got back to Shakespeare in a brilliantly innovative production of Macbeth at Salomon’s House.
ATA GIRL 
for Big Finish Audio received an award from the BBC and two more episodes will be ready for download (co-written with producer Helen Goldwyn) on Women’s International Day, March 8th. All very exciting.
And the icing on the cake was DAVSS (Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Service) of which I am the proud patron has won the Queen’s Award for Volunteer excellence. My first TV work of 2020 is a Celebrity Pointless where I shall be trying to win them vast sums of money.
I really, truly, could not have asked for more.
2020 currently holds more wonderful Big Finish work, mainly involving Doctor Who, and the possibility of two different TV series, yet to be confirmed. A visit to France to support my great nephew fighting his first semi-pro Boxing match (I’ll probably be watching with my eyes closed!) and a writing retreat with Nigel Fairs to plan our next play, plus some imaginative talks with Helen Goldwyn brewing up our next collaboration. And I am resurrecting my one woman show SHAKESPEARE’S MISTRESS – with its first outing at the end of the month in Eastbourne (click here for details)… and who knows what else.
Let’s hope the world’s calamities can have a unifying effect. Life is short, and we are so fortunate to even be here. May you all have health, peace, love and a hand to hold.
Be kind and curious.
Louise x