Julia McKenzie

Speaker 20:00

Hello, I'm Kirsty Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive.

Speaker 20:05

For rights reasons we've had to shorten the music. The programme was originally broadcast in 1982, and the presenter was Roy Plumley.

Presenter0:30

This week, our castaway is the star of West End Musicals, Julia Mackenzie. Julia, I know you're enjoying being in Guys and Dolls at the National Theatre, but we have to take you away and put you on a desert island. Could you endure loneliness?

Julia McKenzie0:44

I find it very difficult. I'm a terrible chatterbox. I find it most difficult, I think, not talking to anyone.

Presenter0:50

Do you play discs a lot?

Julia McKenzie0:52

Yes, I do. Um, it's a strange thing. Before I was married I would sit for many hours and play a lot of classical tracks that I like. But I since I've been married I have this

Julia McKenzie1:03

Terrible fear that my husband's going to come into the room and interrupt me, and I can't bear being interrupted when I'm playing things that I really love. I like to be completely transported, so there'd be no danger of that on the Desert Island, would there no one would come in and interrupt me.

Presenter1:14

No interruptions at all. Did you find it difficult to choose just eight for the island?

Julia McKenzie1:20

It's impossible. It's absolutely impossible. So I've put some restrictions on myself. Um one was that I wasn't going to play in the records by friends because as there are only eight choices, I have many more than eight friends who record and they'd all thump me if I didn't choose it. Um so I have to carry their talents with me in my head.

Speaker 21:33

Yeah.

Presenter1:34

She was it.

Julia McKenzie1:38

And the other thing was, I wanted to choose eight tracks all by Stephen Sundym, because I'm a Stephen Sundy freak.

Presenter1:43

Well, you can if you like.

Julia McKenzie1:44

Well, I thought maybe I shouldn't do that. I sh I should take a wider choice.

Presenter1:48

Where do we start?

Julia McKenzie1:50

Well, first of all, we're starting with Stephen Sunter.

Presenter1:53

Surprise, surprise. What is it?

Julia McKenzie1:55

Well, this was the probably the most difficult uh one to choose of all.

Julia McKenzie2:00

And I've chosen uh the opening of company.

Presenter2:03

Which you were in, of course, in London.

Julia McKenzie2:04

Yes I was. Yes I was. But not on this recording.

Presenter2:07

Strings door chimes in comes company Those strings good times just chumps company

Speaker 32:19

Make

Presenter2:20

Nights, prank pipes, party games, deep talk, stock wants, telephone calls But shared souls, where private names call those hoes

Speaker 32:29

Those up and lost with love.

Presenter2:36

Part of the opening number of company with the London Company.

Presenter2:41

Miss Mackenzie, obviously you are way back a Scott. How far back?

Julia McKenzie2:45

Oh, a long way back, grandparents.

Presenter2:47

Where do you come from? London?

Julia McKenzie2:49

Yes, North London, Enfield.

Presenter2:51

Any family precedents for the performing arts?

Julia McKenzie2:54

Not really, although my mother has the most beautiful voice to this day, and I think she would have been a singer if uh if ladies went into the theatre at that time.

Julia McKenzie3:04

But uh one record I wanted to choose was the song that she was singing the night that my father winked at her and they first got together, and it was called Eucalypti Dream Girl, but I think it's so old that even your library is uh

Presenter3:16

Yes, w we did try, but we can't trace one.

Julia McKenzie3:19

No, my mother said that it was a sixpenny copy of music with two girls in gras skirts on the front, and she did sing me a little bit of it. But you couldn't find it, unfortunately.

Presenter3:27

Apart from that, is there any music in the family?

Julia McKenzie3:31

No, not really.

Presenter3:33

What was your first ambition?

Julia McKenzie3:35

To get married and have children, I

Presenter3:37

Hmm?

Julia McKenzie3:38

Yes, I mean, I didn't have any ambition to come in the business because it seemed such a world apart from the world I knew, and it was what other people did.

Presenter3:45

There was a suggestion at one time that you would be a teacher.

Julia McKenzie3:47

Yes. I'd planned to be a a French teacher, in fact, and I'd been accepted to teach a training college.

Presenter3:52

Why French in particular? Part of the old alliance?

Julia McKenzie3:57

Uh it had to be one of the art subjects because my maths is absolutely appalling.

Presenter4:02

And and what happened? Did you go to the teacher training college?

Julia McKenzie4:05

No, I'd been accepted, and then between that time when I left school, I sang at an end of term concert at school. Uh something terribly unambitious, like One Fine Day, which is absolutely ludicrous for an eighteen year old schoolgirl

Julia McKenzie4:17

I did that, and I was lucky enough to have in the audience the counter music adviser, who said, Look, I'm I'm sure I can get you a singing scholarship.

Presenter4:24

Had you taken your music, your singing seriously before that?

Julia McKenzie4:27

No, not for a moment. No, and I hadn't had a lesson and I didn't know I'm crotchet from a minimum.

Julia McKenzie4:32

I just had to work very hard to get through the entrance exam.

Presenter4:34

Mm.

Julia McKenzie4:35

Uh

Presenter4:35

Yeah.

Julia McKenzie4:35

And I got a major county award.

Presenter4:35

Uh

Presenter4:37

By the time you got to the Guildhall School of Music, had you acquired a vocational feeling about it?

Julia McKenzie4:43

No I wish that I had. In fact, I I wasted a good deal of my time at Guildhall. I wish I had had that time again.

Presenter4:48

What sort of music interested you most?

Julia McKenzie4:51

Church music mostly. I did a lot of oratorio when I was there, and I liked opera very much because the dramatic appeal.

Presenter4:55

Yeah.

Julia McKenzie4:58

was there.

Presenter5:00

Let's have another record. What, number two?

Julia McKenzie5:02

Well, from the marriage of Figaro I would like poor Gia more.

Presenter5:05

And who shall sing it?

Julia McKenzie5:06

Jesse Norman.

Julia McKenzie5:37

Peace for the break.

Presenter6:03

Jesse Norman singing Pour d'Amour from The Marriage of Figura. So you were at the Guild Hall.

Presenter6:10

What operatic parts did you play there?

Julia McKenzie6:12

Oh, very few, just the maid, in in the marriage of Phagro.

Julia McKenzie6:15

Very few. They they wouldn't let me in. I I wasn't very good at it, you know. They wouldn't let me in the drama section and they wouldn't let me in the operatic section. I was uh

Julia McKenzie6:23

Bit of an outcast, I think, at Guildhall one way or another.

Presenter6:25

Were you doing jobs during the vacations?

Julia McKenzie6:28

Yes, it is. Well, various. I worked as a waitress and uh

Presenter6:28

What sort?

Julia McKenzie6:33

Oh, I know. I was a great home decorator. I was a decorator's assistant to a friend of my father's and I used to all the pasting and cutting.

Julia McKenzie6:40

And I r I remember one one job I had, which was a Saturday morning job.

Julia McKenzie6:45

And I'm well, I could only have been about sixteen this was before I went to Guildhall and uh one lunch time everyone in the draper's department had gone out and someone came in and said they wanted um four feet of linoleum and you know linoleum is is in large rolls.

Julia McKenzie6:59

and the only way I knew of doing it was to put the measure inside the roll.

Julia McKenzie7:03

And I was moving inside the roll to cut it down, and the whole thing closed around me, and the customer went, and I was inside a roll of linoleum.

Speaker 37:09

No, it's ins Uh

Julia McKenzie7:12

Yeah.

Speaker 27:12

Yeah.

Julia McKenzie7:13

Till everyone came back. But I I wish I could find that person

Julia McKenzie7:17

went out and left a poor, happy french sixteen year old in the middle of a road for love.

Julia McKenzie7:22

Yeah.

Presenter7:23

Went out without her four square feet, anyway.

Julia McKenzie7:26

Absolutely. Must have thought I'd I'd gone off somewhere but he turned round and look and I disappeared.

Presenter7:29

Could I disappear?

Presenter7:31

What were you doing selling linoleum in the draper's shop?

Julia McKenzie7:34

Oh.

Julia McKenzie7:35

At that time in Enfield Highway they sold linonium in draper shops. That was Hunts in Enfield Highway. It's not ex doesn't exist now, but

Presenter7:41

I see.

Julia McKenzie7:42

That was my first Saturday job.

Presenter7:43

And they sell millinery and linoleum shops.

Julia McKenzie7:45

Shops? Oh, yes, everything. It was one of those shops that had the little um they used to pull the handles and the and the money would go up to the cashier and then come back.

Presenter7:52

But while long awhile

Julia McKenzie7:53

That was the only reason I only wanted to work. It was I was dying to put and they wouldn't let me put the money in, you see. Saturday girls couldn't do that.

Presenter8:00

You weren't doing any in a singing job, didn't you?

Julia McKenzie8:02

Yes, I used to sing at weddings. I used to sing, um, Rejoice Greatly and things like that at weddings for two guineas a time.

Presenter8:10

Now, so after however many years it was you graduated, do you have letters after your name?

Julia McKenzie8:16

No, unfortunately, I haven't even failed.

Presenter8:19

Oh dear, what a pity

Presenter8:21

And you started looking for work. What was the first job you found?

Julia McKenzie8:25

The first real job, I suppose, was a fluke. I was asked to go up to oh, somewhere in the North, I can't quite remember now to understudy the leading lady in Rosemarie. Mhm, and when I got up there she'd hurt her back.

Julia McKenzie8:39

The first understudy had laryngitis, and the second understudy had screaming hysterics, because she didn't know the path.

Julia McKenzie8:45

And where angels fear to tread, I'd only seen it three times. I said I can do it Madness Total madness I'd seen it three times, and I went on, and I didn't make one mistake. I mean, I I couldn't do that now.

Presenter8:58

Where was it?

Julia McKenzie8:59

It might have been Coventry, but I can't quite remember.

Presenter9:01

Who was playing the Mounty?

Julia McKenzie9:03

David Whitfield.

Presenter9:04

And did they let you sing the lead?

Julia McKenzie9:06

Yes, all the time. The lady's back didn't get better, and David thought I'd done a good job that evening, and said, Oh, I th I think this girl should stay and so I stayed for eighteen months.

Presenter9:16

You must know Rosemarie very well.

Julia McKenzie9:18

Very well.

Presenter9:20

This was all Turing, was it?

Julia McKenzie9:22

That was all touring, yes. Then I did various summer seasons and pantomimes and repertory. All the time I was trying to do more plays than music, but um all the time I was being cast in musicals more than plays.

Presenter9:34

What plays did you do? Did you do rap?

Julia McKenzie9:36

Yes, I've done rep, yes. Oh, I mean so many, Roy, I couldn't I couldn't begin to tell you.

Presenter9:39

Where?

Julia McKenzie9:41

Oh, at Worcester and Manchester and Newcastle and Leicester and

Presenter9:47

Did you ever do any broadcasting? Singing?

Julia McKenzie9:49

Singing? Yes. That's a bit of a sore subject. Um I must tell you about the first broadcast I did, which was with the radio orchestra.

Julia McKenzie9:56

And as I was singing I saw the producer dashing up and down the box, and he came out to me and said, Do you know who that was? And I said, No. He said it was the booking department, saying, Do you realize this woman has failed her light music audition? And if you're using her, it's on your own head.

Julia McKenzie10:15

I might say I failed alongside wonderful people like Benjamin Luxon.

Julia McKenzie10:20

And various others.

Presenter10:21

To a

Presenter10:22

Oh, you all seem to be doing all right. There's something wrong with the system somewhere.

Julia McKenzie10:26

Oh, I I guess I was having an off day.

Presenter10:29

What was your very first West End appearance?

Julia McKenzie10:31

Um well, I wasn't doing anything very important in it. I was in the chorus and under studying.

Julia McKenzie10:36

Rachel Roberts in Maggie Mae.

Presenter10:38

Oh yes.

Julia McKenzie10:39

That was in nineteen sixty five.

Presenter10:42

That was at the Adelphi, wasn't it?

Julia McKenzie10:43

That's right, yes. So I guess that was quite a landmark, actually getting to the west end.

Presenter10:46

Did Ms. Roberts have a sore throat or anything useful like that?

Julia McKenzie10:49

She didn't. She didn't, bless her. But uh Georgia Brown took over from her and Georgia did have flu at one time, so I managed to play for a fortnight.

Presenter10:57

Oh, splendid. There you are, playing a leading part in the West End. Even though it was another.

Julia McKenzie11:01

Lord, I was thrilled to bits. I mean, I thought I was going to make my name overnight, and nobody noticed I was on. In fact, I think they hashed it up.

Presenter11:08

Your third record.

Julia McKenzie11:09

My third record is um George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, and I'd like Bessie as my woman now.

Speaker 211:20

Baby

Speaker 211:22

This life is just begun. Let's wish.

Presenter11:38

Biss, who is my woman now from Porgy and Biss.

Speaker 311:40

Problem

Presenter11:41

Robert McFerrin and Adele Addison singing it on the soundtrack of the film version.

Presenter11:47

So you made your Western debut, your first appearance in Maggie May.

Presenter11:51

From now on it was to be the West End duel.

Julia McKenzie11:54

In and around, yes. In and around. But for the next five years nothing very successful, quite a few flops in fact, until about nineteen sixty nine, and then I went into Mame at Drury Lane.

Presenter11:54

In and around here.

Presenter12:03

And then I'll

Presenter12:06

That had a long run.

Julia McKenzie12:07

Yes, that went for about um fifteen months, I think, but I stayed only for eight months, and I left and did promises promises at uh the Prince of Wales Theatre.

Presenter12:15

Another success, wasn't it?

Julia McKenzie12:16

Oh, yes, enormous. That was great fun, and a wonderful part. One of the parts you dream about it. You only come in in the second act, do one scene, and walk away with it, you know, it's just wonderful.

Presenter12:24

Oh marvelous.

Julia McKenzie12:25

One of those parts are all one line bar.

Presenter12:27

Yes. Everybody else had built it up for you and then you came and

Julia McKenzie12:29

They do and they work so hard and and it's it's always one of those parts in a in a show, you know.

Presenter12:34

And then you were in company, and are you took over in that part?

Julia McKenzie12:37

I did.

Julia McKenzie12:38

Yes, that was strange. I was um

Julia McKenzie12:40

Off on holiday, not dreaming I was taking over for another three months, and um got an urgent phone call saying the lady you're taking over from is ill.

Julia McKenzie12:47

Will you please return at once? And I did, had less than a week's rehearsal, and was thrown on in that but it was a wonderful experience, since I had never worked alongside Americans before.

Julia McKenzie12:57

and uh their energy is just incredible, and it taught me a great deal.

Presenter13:00

It took

Presenter13:01

And that part must have got you noticed.

Julia McKenzie13:03

Well, I think probably the for the first time, perhaps, yes. It was a lovely part.

Presenter13:07

Now, of course, Company wasn't the only show you took over in.

Julia McKenzie13:10

Oh, I've taken over in in loads of shows.

Presenter13:13

She became queen of the takeover.

Presenter13:16

For a bit.

Julia McKenzie13:17

Yes. Well, the lovely parts no one asks you to do first, you know, if you're not very well known, and and the best thing you can do to get experience in playing large parts is either to understudy them and hope that your leading lady will be ill. or to take over, and um I've been very happy to do that.

Julia McKenzie13:34

Yes, I was. Yes, I took over in um the Norman Conquest, I suppose, was the was the one that um that helped me a great deal, and that was dear Michael Codram.

Presenter13:42

Number one

Julia McKenzie13:43

Who, um

Julia McKenzie13:45

you know, took a chance on me really. M in that was my first play in the West End.

Presenter13:48

Or first players. I mean, it was three players in one, wasn't it?

Julia McKenzie13:50

Three plays in one. That was very strange doing that.

Presenter13:53

Now, when did it happen? Now surely the small musicals you were in, like Cowdy Custard with the Nero Card songs, and and Cole about Cole Porter songs, surely one of those must have lifted you and and and put you in light.

Julia McKenzie14:07

Yes, then again you see in in Cowardy Custard I took over from Patricia Routledge after three months. You see the press didn't know me. I never got any critical acclaim at all because um no one ever knew me. You see, so I think really I've I've been quite a late developer as far as um

Presenter14:11

And you see the

Julia McKenzie14:21

Having any publicity is concerned, though I've been around for an awfully long while. People haven't been aware of me because of this taking over business. But Cowardy Custard was an enormous leap for me.

Julia McKenzie14:32

In fact, I think I was a little out of my depth when I did it. I'd lu I'd love to go back and do it again now, with a little more confidence behind me.

Presenter14:40

Was David Kernan in that show?

Julia McKenzie14:42

No, he wasn't.

Presenter14:43

Got he used to be rather important in your life, wasn't he?

Julia McKenzie14:47

Yes, David and I have been friends for a long while.

Julia McKenzie14:50

I suppose you're leading me on now to talk about side by side by sometime.

Presenter14:53

Yes, we'll just have another record first, then we'll talk about side by side by Sunday.

Julia McKenzie14:54

Metal

Julia McKenzie14:56

All right. Then I would like a track from Daphnis and Chloe, because I think this would be a wonderful track to wake up on the Desert Island to every morning.

Presenter15:04

It sounds as if you're going to choose dawn.

Julia McKenzie15:06

That's it.

Presenter16:06

Dawn from the second Daphnis and Chloe suite by Ravel, the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andre Preven.

Presenter16:13

Right now, you and David Cannon had an idea.

Julia McKenzie16:16

Well, David had the idea really and asked me to join him. There's a a place in Buckinghamshire called Wavendon, run by um Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Lane.

Julia McKenzie16:25

And they have a a wonderful all music plan for the district to encourage youngsters to appreciate music, all kinds of music. And uh David was asked to do a concert there. At the time this happened he was in A Little Night Music at the Adelphi by Stephen Sonda.

Julia McKenzie16:39

And he wanted to devise an evening just purely of Stephen Sondheim, and he asked me if I would be in it, and I was thrilled to bits, because, as I've said before, I'm absolute nut about Sondheim's work.

Julia McKenzie16:51

So we did the concert, with Millicent Martin and Ned Sherrin doing the linking.

Julia McKenzie16:56

And just from the first time we we ever performed it, uh something very special happened in the audience and um

Julia McKenzie17:03

We didn't change it very much, but we came via several other concerts to the Mermaid Theatre, and then transferred to Wyndham's, and then to Broadway.

Presenter17:11

Now it was a tricky thing, surely. A show with two leading ladies, both with about the same size of roll and both singing the same sort of songs.

Julia McKenzie17:19

Both with red hair, yeah.

Presenter17:20

Yes, indeed.

Julia McKenzie17:21

Well, I think it could be difficult, but it was one of the best experiences I've ever had, because uh Millicent Martin and I are now the best of friends.

Presenter17:28

How did it take off? Was it difficult to sell?

Julia McKenzie17:31

Yes, it was. People couldn't believe that three people could entertain you for the evening. Um I think it really did move um a few barriers.

Presenter17:38

You had just two pianos.

Julia McKenzie17:39

Just two pianos, and the three of us, and Ned, and those wonderful sun time songs.

Presenter17:44

Was it necessary to get some time involved to get his permission to do it?

Julia McKenzie17:48

Well, it would have been, except that some one on the first concert took a tape recording and sent it to him.

Julia McKenzie17:53

And he just picked up the phone and said, I'm coming over. And we didn't know whether that meant he was furious or delighted or had you.

Presenter17:58

Had you opened by then, or were you still

Julia McKenzie18:00

Well no, we were still doing Sunday concerts.

Presenter18:01

Yeah.

Julia McKenzie18:02

But then the mermaid invited us in.

Julia McKenzie18:05

And he arrived at the beginning of rehearsals for The Mermaid, and was such a help was wonderful. That was a great experience working with him.

Presenter18:13

And then from the mermaid you came into the Westminster.

Julia McKenzie18:15

We came into Wyndham's, yes, and and it ran there with two changes of cast after we left.

Presenter18:19

Good.

Julia McKenzie18:20

And then three of us went to Broadway with it.

Presenter18:23

Another record

Julia McKenzie18:24

Ah well, coming to Broadway, this lady reminds me of Broadway, and I'm a great fan of hers.

Julia McKenzie18:29

She's Barbara Cook, and I'd like a track from her latest L. P.

Julia McKenzie18:33

Called It's Better With a Band, the track called Them Their Eyes.

Speaker 218:37

You gotta s

Julia McKenzie18:40

Yeah. Little cute way.

Julia McKenzie18:46

They make me feel happy, they make me blue. No stalling, I'm falling, falling in.

Speaker 318:49

They may

Speaker 318:53

No star.

Julia McKenzie18:57

Yeah.

Presenter18:57

Wait for

Julia McKenzie18:58

Sweet little you.

Presenter18:59

My How Yeah.

Julia McKenzie19:00

And you sure started

Presenter19:02

Yeah.

Julia McKenzie19:02

Yeah.

Presenter19:02

Yeah.

Julia McKenzie19:02

But where

Presenter19:02

Barbara Cook.

Presenter19:07

Now, Side by Side by Sondheim consisted of American songs and It Went to New York with a London cast. This must have caused a bit of a sensation. Yes, it was caused.

Julia McKenzie19:13

This master

Julia McKenzie19:15

Yes, it was close to Newcastle, really. We were a little afraid how it would be received.

Presenter19:19

Was it changed in any way from the London production?

Julia McKenzie19:20

Not in any way. No, just different costumes.

Presenter19:23

Hmm.

Julia McKenzie19:24

And uh it was just wonderful. I mean, all the the things that you hear about first nights and standing evasions and going to Sardis and all that sort of thing.

Presenter19:33

You don't go to Saudi's restaurant and wait for the notices to come in.

Julia McKenzie19:34

Jerry is American, but he's from Seattle, that's the West Coast.

Speaker 219:48

Yeah.

Presenter19:48

You have an American husband, of course. There is American husband.

Presenter19:53

Mm.

Julia McKenzie19:53

And he has worked in New York but doesn't really care too much about it. But I love it.

Presenter19:59

Did all go smoothly in New York? I mean, you just settled down and carried on as if you had been working in London.

Julia McKenzie20:05

Yes, we did. Um but it's a strange thing when you've been playing a show for a very long while, you know, the lyrics tend to get away from you a little, and you can't really add lib, because the music's so relentless underneath you, but

Julia McKenzie20:17

I know one night was terribly funny.

Julia McKenzie20:19

Millie and I started to sing the the duet from Westside story.

Julia McKenzie20:23

and in her heaviest Puerto Rican accent she'd come forward and sing

Julia McKenzie20:28

A boy like that could kill your brother.

Julia McKenzie20:31

Forget that thing and buy another

Julia McKenzie20:34

And buy another. I remember I was just speechless for the time.

Presenter20:35

Yeah.

Presenter20:39

Uh Yeah.

Julia McKenzie20:40

Or songless by the time I had to come in. But not only had she carried on, but she'd rhymed it, which was absolutely wonderful.

Presenter20:40

Also

Presenter20:48

You got out of it all right.

Julia McKenzie20:49

She did. I couldn't have done it, or I would have stopped.

Presenter20:52

And Sondheim wasn't in front.

Julia McKenzie20:54

No. He doesn't like Westside Story anyway. It's it's his least favorite show, so he wouldn't have minded if we'd messed that up.

Presenter20:58

Are you so

Presenter21:00

How long did you play in New York?

Julia McKenzie21:02

I only played for three months. I'd already played it fifteen months here, and three months in I was really very tired by that time, and also a little homesick.

Presenter21:05

Yeah.

Presenter21:09

And of course that led to television. You did some television when you came back.

Julia McKenzie21:12

Yes, I did. I think that was the start of Maggie and her television series. With Irene Handel. With Irene Handel, yes.

Presenter21:16

With Irene handle.

Presenter21:18

That must have been fun. It's a very entertaining series.

Julia McKenzie21:19

Oh.

Julia McKenzie21:21

She's such a wonderful woman, and

Julia McKenzie21:24

Incredible to work with.

Presenter21:26

Or what was waiting for you in the theatre when you came back from America?

Presenter21:30

Well, I'll tell you, because you're not very good at keeping lists, are you?

Julia McKenzie21:34

Yeah.

Presenter21:35

What about Outside Edge? Something very different from playing on Broadway, a play about cricket.

Julia McKenzie21:38

Oh yes.

Julia McKenzie21:41

That's right. No, well, that was some time afterwards. Didn't I do Ten Times Table before that? Yes, I did another Akeborn comedy before that.

Presenter21:47

Did you? I'm sorry, I'm not very good at keeping.

Julia McKenzie21:48

Do you want to go to the next one?

Julia McKenzie21:49

No, it's not.

Julia McKenzie21:51

Ten Times Table, which was ran for a year with Paul Eddington.

Presenter21:53

Like

Julia McKenzie21:55

And then after that I did Outside Edge, which was the cricket comedy, which I loved.

Presenter21:58

What did you play in that? I didn't see it.

Julia McKenzie22:00

Miriam, the eternal woman in the kitchen who does the teas.

Presenter22:03

Yeah.

Julia McKenzie22:04

Yeah.

Presenter22:05

Yeah.

Julia McKenzie22:06

Yes, it was a lovely part, and um was the beginning of my friendship now with Maury Lippmann, who is a great girl, you know, and um we were both in that play and uh remain friends now.

Presenter22:17

Record number six.

Julia McKenzie22:18

Oh, record number six. I'm going to have A Bit from the Dream of Grantius, Richard Lewis.

Presenter22:45

Take we away And live the Lord's Keep that let me be.

Presenter22:56

I'm a guy in the home.

Speaker 222:59

The Lone Night Watchers Keep

Speaker 223:03

Call out for me.

Speaker 223:07

Emotionless and happy in life

Presenter23:24

An excerpt from Elgar's The Dream of Garantius, Richard Lewis as soloist with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Now a lot's been going on during the last year or two, two American musicals in London.

Presenter23:38

On the twentieth century it had a disappointing run on the whole.

Julia McKenzie23:41

Yes, I was very sad about that. We just ran for five months and I think Harold Fielding lost a great deal of money.

Julia McKenzie23:47

It was a shame it was a very brave try, and a new sort of show with an operatic score.

Presenter23:52

And now, guys and dolls, how long ago did you know about that?

Julia McKenzie23:56

Before Christmas.

Presenter23:58

While waiting, you played a season of Hobson's Choice.

Julia McKenzie24:01

That's right, yes. Oh, that was most enjoyable, a wonderful part.

Presenter24:05

At the Lyric Hammersman.

Julia McKenzie24:06

That's right, yes. And then after that year I worked for the same director doing um a B B C drama series of Famous the Spur.

Presenter24:13

Oh, yes.

Julia McKenzie24:14

Which was lovely, and he had a good time.

Presenter24:15

I mean you had a good

Presenter24:17

And now, guys and dolls, you're obviously enjoying that.

Julia McKenzie24:20

Oh, well, it's a a classic piece, isn't it? And it's a wonderful part. It's one of those parts I told you about that you you come on and have all the lines, you see, and it's such a shame that uh you know, if you're playing love interest and things like that, you don't have the lines, you don't have the laughs. Sometimes Julie says to me, Oh, I wish I was playing your part I said, But you get the lovely songs.

Presenter24:36

I said, but you got

Presenter24:39

How long are you going to stay with it? Because it's going to run forever, or as long as they want to keep it.

Julia McKenzie24:41

As long as they want. But I don't know if I'll stay in guys and dolls the entire time. I don't think so, because I'm actually there for about twenty months, so

Julia McKenzie24:52

That would be longer than I would play anything in the West End, although we're in repertoire so it doesn't seem quite so taxing.

Presenter24:57

Have you been scheduled for any other productions?

Julia McKenzie25:00

Yes, the first one I know about is uh we start rehearsing in July and that's um Schweik in the Second World War.

Presenter25:05

Mm-hmm.

Julia McKenzie25:05

By Brecht

Presenter25:06

Looking forward to that.

Julia McKenzie25:07

Oh, enormously yes.

Presenter25:09

Record number seven.

Julia McKenzie25:11

I'd like um Hoagie Carmichael singing Skylark, because it's my favourite song.

Presenter25:17

Guy along

Presenter25:20

Have you anything to say to me?

Presenter25:24

Won't you tell me where my love can be?

Presenter25:30

Is there a medal?

Presenter25:33

In a mist.

Presenter25:35

Where's someone's waiting to be kissed?

Presenter25:41

Skylar

Presenter25:46

Hogey Carmichael. Julia, what are your qualifications as a castaway? Could you look after yourself?

Julia McKenzie25:51

I think eventually I think it might be slow going at first.

Presenter25:54

Story handy person, you're good at the house.

Julia McKenzie25:56

I used to be I used to be before I was married, but now my husband does those things, and I'm a bit out of practice.

Presenter26:02

I see. You could do running repairs and

Julia McKenzie26:02

You could

Julia McKenzie26:05

Yes, oh yes, I've I've taken out fireplaces and uh done plastering in my time. Oh yes, I used to love doing things.

Presenter26:09

Time.

Presenter26:10

Heavy stuff.

Julia McKenzie26:11

Oh, quite, yes.

Presenter26:13

You could put up a hut.

Julia McKenzie26:14

I think so, given time.

Presenter26:16

And keep it up.

Julia McKenzie26:17

Well, it might fall down.

Presenter26:18

Good.

Julia McKenzie26:18

A few times, but I think uh eventually it would.

Presenter26:21

What you go to eat. Have you done any fishing?

Julia McKenzie26:23

No, that worries me. I don't think I could kill the fish, you see.

Presenter26:26

Well there's plenty of vegetarian.

Julia McKenzie26:28

I think I may have to turn vegetarian, yes, I I think so.

Presenter26:31

Are you going to get away, or would you sit it out?

Julia McKenzie26:33

I think I'd I'd try and light a lot of fires and hope somebody would see me. I don't think I could really stand it for very long.

Presenter26:39

You wouldn't try and get away on on a rough.

Julia McKenzie26:41

No, I'm too much of a coward for anything like that.

Presenter26:43

I think you're very sensible. Record number eight.

Julia McKenzie26:47

Ah, well

Julia McKenzie26:49

I love Ethel Merman. I think she's terrific. She makes me laugh. And I'd like her to sing Blow Gabriel Blow. I saw her in New York on stage with Mary Martin. I think it was one of the best theatrical experiences I ever had. She sang this particular number with a solo trumpet player on stage with her, and she just blacked him out. You couldn't hear him at all. This enormous voice came out. And she's just devastating.

Speaker 327:15

Gabriel

Speaker 327:19

Gabriel

Speaker 327:23

Join your happy band and play all day in the promised land. So oh Gabriel!

Presenter27:41

Ethel Merman singing a Cold Porter number from Anything Goes.

Julia McKenzie27:45

Can I tell you a story about Ethel Merman?

Presenter27:47

Please tell me a story about her.

Julia McKenzie27:48

Well, there's something I heard the other day and made me laugh, and I hope it's true. Apparently, she was in New York in the streets, and um a very eager actress came up to her and said, Oh, excuse me, Miss Merman, uh you won't know me, I'm an actress, but I'm playing your part in Gypsy, upstate New York, and uh I wanted to ask you about the motivation, you know. She said it's very difficult because one moment you're this brash upfront mother and you're rotten with the children, and the next moment you're so sweet with Herbie. Tell me, how do you manage that transition? And Ethel said, Oh, it's easy. You take two steps forward and sing funny.

Presenter28:23

Yeah.

Julia McKenzie28:23

Huh.

Julia McKenzie28:29

Very pro-historic, but I think it's hysterical.

Presenter28:29

Very pro y story, but I think it's a state.

Presenter28:33

Yes, when in doubt, belt it out. If you could only take one disc out of the H you've played us, which would it be?

Julia McKenzie28:41

I'd like to think it would be the Stephen Sondheim one, but the words of company would probably drive me mad after a while because I wouldn't have any company and and that would just um show the whole thing up. No, I think it'd probably have to be Skylark.

Presenter28:53

Skylark sung by Hoagie Carmichael. And one luxury to take with you.

Julia McKenzie28:59

Can I have a set of paints and paper?

Presenter29:02

Yes, we can.

Julia McKenzie29:03

I mean, that's two things, isn't it, really?

Presenter29:04

That's all right. No, uh, painting gear. Do you prefer watercolours or oils or?

Julia McKenzie29:06

Painting ver

Julia McKenzie29:09

Can I have those? Yes.

Presenter29:10

Yeah.

Presenter29:12

And one book apart from the Bible and Shakespeare, which are already there.

Julia McKenzie29:16

Frightening choice. I've gone for something quite flippant, really. But a wonderful book, and a book that I come back to and read almost every year, and it always makes me laugh, and it always makes me cry, and it's Moss Hearts, Act One.

Presenter29:29

Moss Hartz, Act One. Right, and thank you, Julia Mackenzie, for letting us hear your Desert Island Discs.

Julia McKenzie29:35

Well, thank you very much indeed. Bye-bye, right.

Presenter29:37

Goodbye everyone.

Speaker 229:45

You've been listening to a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive. For more podcasts, please visit bbc.co.uk slash radio four.