mostly david ephgrave

Pray silence for the most awkwardly posed photo of all time. It was taken the day after we’d performed the Buddy Holly show in Armagh, Northern Ireland. We’re standing outside our hotel the next morning, with the Mayor, the hotel’s proprietor and a couple of representatives from MacMillan Cancer Support. By we, I mean the band’s rhythm guitarist Ben Tinniswood and me; the rest of the Cricketers were supposed to be there too, but they didn’t deign to get up.   No-one looks comfortable with the situation. This was because we’d been ushered into a very specific formation by the photographer. No mayor should have to crouch like that. The balloons blowing into the woman’s face personify our self-consciousness; it only needs the major’s chain of office to come unclasped for the image to be complete. One thing you can’t see is Ben’s and my physical discomfort. Our tuxedos were still damp with sweat from the night before. We showered first thing and got straight bac...

Sometimes, being an actor / musician can be a bit of a poisoned chalice.    I have a love / hate relationship with being an actor / musician, but utmost respect for the forward-slash. Much of my work has been in the actor / muso field (yes, we have a field - and I often work in it). It’s got to the point where I’ve started to resent this. It isn’t all I do – there are some people I work with, particularly in comedy, who have no idea that I do it – but while it can open a lot of doors (not literally), you eventually find yourself pining for a job where you don’t have to hold an instrument. Not just holding the instrument; bloody playing the thing too. That said, I've been very lucky. Being an actor / musician got me into the West End, as well as touring to most theatres in the UK (and many abroad). I've performed to countless audiences - and been fortunate enough to play three of my heroes: John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Buddy Holly - often in venues where ...