After nearly a year of postponements, it was great to get back in the theatre to perform "Bed Among The Lentils" as part of QE2's TALKING HEADS performance, in tandem with my friend and colleague Mark Winstanley, who gave his Graham in "A Chip in The Sugar".
Thanks to Michael Hasted for his great review in "Arts Talk Magazine"
"...the other half of the double bill is A Bed Among the Lentils reprised by Loveday Smith, in a role created by her namesake Maggie in 1988. You may think that would be a hard act to follow – albeit after thirty-three years – but Ms Smith (L) does it magnificently. This performance was a giant leap forward from her already excellent rendition in the original QE2 production a couple of years ago. Her non-shirking performance was both nuanced and bold, painting Susan’s sad life in many shades of grey. Grey because that is the colour that the vicar’s wife’s life certainly is. She is unfulfilled, frustrated and bored and takes her solace in the bottle. That is until a more stimulating alternative presents itself in the shape of Ramesh, a local corner-shop owner who seduces her in a bed among the sacks of lentils in his storeroom. But it is Loveday Smith that seduces her audience with a tour de force performance – one not to be missed. Michael Hasted 27th August 2021"