Part 19 (1/2)

Off she went, stea like the iron-clad destroyer she was Orders were issued and issues ordered, Bill Marriott was jerked from his European slu elevated to the ceiling on scissor-lifts and s at the back of the house In her coraphy

I shook Richard by the hand 'Masterly,' I said 'If I had a hat, I'd take it off to you'

By the first preview the atan to be restored The doors were now, of course, whisper quiet, the exit signs glowed gently and the house lights arm and sweetly controllable I had lorious apartment on 59th Street, Central Park South, with a ed to Douglas Adaenerosity, had told me toof the first night My parents had flown over, as had Hugh My Great-Aunt Dita, who had escaped the nazis in Salzburg and come over to A presence She offered Hugh one of her untipped Pall Mall cigarettes

'That's very kind,' said Hugh, taking out a full-strength, but filtered, Marlboro Red, 'I prefer these'

'You so her pack towards hi the polite fellow he is, took one

One hour before Me and My Girl Me and My Girl's Broadway opening Between randmother, Great-Aunt Dita

Neither Mike Ockrent nor I could face being in the auditoriue that Frank Rich had already been and written his review and that it would be out in just a few hours was almost more than we could bear We paced up and down in the foyer, consu more and more hysterical with panic, terror and a sense of the absurdity of this whole venture Our pacing routes would converge, and we kept bu into each other, which caused us to burst into fresh fits of ht of our own Broadway show,' Mike kept saying, shaking his head in disbelief 'It can't be true So to wake me up'

I repeated those lines from The Producers The Producers that everybody quotes at first nights that everybody quotes at first nights

Wow, this play wouldn't run a night

A night? Are you kidding? This play's guaranteed to close on page four

How could this happen? I was so careful I picked the wrong play, the wrong director, the wrong cast Where did I go right?

And so on

Years later, Mike would collaborate with Mel Brooks on The Producers The Producers' reinvention as a stage musical, only to be struck doith incurable leukaeest Broadway hit of its day

During the second half, just after the audience had gone back in froer, waddled in his amiable flat-footed way across the lobby to whisper to us the news that a friend of a friend had a friend whose friend was dating a friend at the New York Times New York Times and that their friend had seen an advance copy of the Frank Rich review and that it was good It was ood It was a rave Ralph solemnly shook our hands He was the most quiet-spoken, honourable andwas so, then it was so and not otherwise and that their friend had seen an advance copy of the Frank Rich review and that it was good It was ood It was a rave Ralph solemnly shook our hands He was the most quiet-spoken, honourable andwas so, then it was so and not otherwise

By the time we all assembled upstairs for the party Richard had a copy in his hands and a wetness in his eyes once more

At the Antoinette Perry Awards later that year Me and My Girl Me and My Girl was nominated for thirteen Tonys We failed to pick up ten of theory included, but Robert and Maryann each won for best perforly of all, Gillian Gregory won for best choreography I don't know if to this day she is aware how adeptly Richard saved her fro pointlessly and unjustifiably fired was nominated for thirteen Tonys We failed to pick up ten of theory included, but Robert and Maryann each won for best perforly of all, Gillian Gregory won for best choreography I don't know if to this day she is aware how adeptly Richard saved her froot back to England still shaken byin the West End and on Broadway, there were productions in Tokyo, Budapest, Australia, Mexico I have forgotten the other territories The shoould run on Broadway for the next three and a half years and in the West End for another six In thein the West End and on Broadway, there were productions in Tokyo, Budapest, Australia, Mexico I have forgotten the other territories The shoould run on Broadway for the next three and a half years and in the West End for another six In the meantime there was Fry and Laurie Fry and Laurie to look forward to, another to look forward to, another Blackadder Blackadder andandwho knehat else? It seemed that I was an insider, a sobsiness somebody andandwho knehat else? It seemed that I was an insider, a sobsiness soratulating h, Kim and other friends came up to help me celebrate my thirtieth birthday, and within ten arettes

My roaring twenties were over, and next h and I would start work on our BBC pilot, which we planned to call A Bit of Fry and Laurie A Bit of Fry and Laurie My bank balance was good and getting ever better I had cars, certainty and a slowly growing naood and getting ever better I had cars, certainty and a slowly growing name I was the luckiest person I knew

Never one to take stock or arden of the Norfolk house watching the sun set and feeling that I had finally arrived I do not believe that I actually crowed over the remains of my miserable past self, but I came perhaps as close to exultation as a person can

When someone exults, Fate's cruel lips curl into a smile

C