THINK BEFORE SAYING YES - Jane Dickerson

Very occasionally my mouth gets me into trouble! Actually to be honest most of the time my mouth gets me into trouble. It's not just that I'm loud (and believe me I am, I'm one of the few actors Directors never address the remark "Could you speak a little louder so those in the back can hear? to) it's just that I still have to learn the meaning of the word no. Over the years, I've got myself into more scrapes than I care to remember.

On this particular occasion I found myself standing on stage dripping wet! I've done many things in the name of theatre, but this had to be one of the more difficult and humourous. I got a telephone call from a group just outside Norwich who had lost both their Director and one of their actresses five weeks before a production. Before I had time to check the script I found myself saying yes to the part. Let this be a lesson to all of you - read the script first.

Once I had it was too late to back out and I ended up on stage with a vase full of water being tipped over my head and another being thrown in my face. Trying not to laugh when standing on stage dripping wet with an audience roaring with laughter is one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do on stage. Unless you count the time I ended up on stage with a home made riding crop threatening to teach everyone a "lesson", but that's another story!